Exhibit “A”
City of Ripon
Electronic Message Center Usage Policies and Proceduresy This policy establishes the City of Ripon’s guidelines for the use of the Electronic Message Center (EMC). This policy applies to the City of Ripon and applicants requesting to post a message on the EMC.
Guiding Principles:
The EMC will be operated and maintained by the City of Ripon. The EMC will be used to share important community announcements and community events.
The EMC will not be used to directly or indirectly:
o endorse any person or organization that is not associated with the City of Ripon; o endorse or promote a political campaign, candidate, or ballot measure; or o solicit, advertise, promote or endorse any commercial, financial or religious agency or organization.
The EMC will not be used for business or personal advertising, personal messages of congratulation, birthdays, graduations, births, retirements, anniversaries, thank you messages or any message of a personal nature.
Messages posted to the ECM must comply with applicable federal, state, county, and City laws, ordinances, regulations, and policies.
The EMC will be operated in full compliance with Chapter 16.172 of the Ripon Municipal Code.
Use of EMC by Other Organizations:
The EMC may be used by local government agencies, including Ripon Consolidated Fire District, Ripon Unified School District, South San Joaquin Irrigation District, County of San Joaquin, and State and Federal legislative organizationsrepresentatives. The EMC may be used by Ripon local nonprofit organizations that are registered on the City of Ripon’s Master List of Nonprofit Agencies.
Religious agencies registered on the City of Ripon’s Master List of nonprofit agencies may advertise annual community wide events, such as Vacation Bible Schools, Trunk or Treat events, Easter Egg Hunts, Church Fairs, etc. However, corporate church worship services and weekly events such as youth group activities are prohibited. Local government agencies and Ripon local nonprofit organizations shall only request to display messages or announcements for events taking place in the City limits that areof Ripon available to the general public.
Local government agencies and Ripon local nonprofit organizations shall submit an application with the information requested to be displayed, in an approved format, to the City Clerk a minimum of thirty (30) days prior to the date requested to begin being displayed. No information may be submitted by telephone. The maximum duration any message from a local government agency or Ripon local nonprofit will be displayed is thirty (30) days.
Each message shall be complete in itself and shall not continue on a subsequent message (i.e. no scrolling messages). Messages are limited to the space available on the EMC and may be edited for conciseness, clarity, and conformity to the limitations of the EMC.
All City sponsored events shall have priority as determined by the City Clerk. All other submissions will be given priority based on time received. The City of Ripon offers no guarantee with respect to appearance of messages on the EMC.
Prospective users are encouraged to use a variety of media for events and not to rely solely on the EMC.
The number of messages which appear in any given time period is limited. During busy times, the City of Ripon may elect to limit or not program submitted events.
Use of EMC by City of Ripon:
All City of Ripon departments may use the EMC to display messages. The EMC shall be used to display City of Ripon programs, events, or messages intended to inform the public of City of Ripon policies and programs. During a state, county, or local emergency, the EMC may be used to display important community information.