Resending as first e-mail was rejected to your address.     From: Michael McGovern [mailto:cetm@maine.rr.com] Sent: Friday, February 12, 2010 8:47 AM To: 'capecitizen@capeelizabeth.org' Cc: 'slennon@maine.rr.com'; 'aeskay@maine.rr.com'; 'dsherman@dwmlaw.com'; 'pennyjordan@jordansfarm.com'; 'jim.walsh@capeelizabeth.org'; 'jessica.sullivan@capeelizabeth.org'; 'governalipublic@maine.rr.com'; 'debra.lane@capeelizabeth.org'; 'michael.mcgovern@capeelizabeth.org' Subject: Posting of Citizen E-Mails on Hiatus   Posting of Citizen E-Mails on Hiatus   On June 8, 2009 the Cape Elizabeth Town Council adopted guidelines for use of the www.capeelizabeth.com website.  One of the components of the website permits the optional posting of copies of citizen e-mails.   (E-mails sent to the Town’s elected officials as a group and to other standing boards and commissions may be posted on the Town web site for viewing by any party)   The posting activity in recent months has revealed some challenges in resolving policy and technical issues with the administration of this website feature.   Specific issues needing resolution include how to handle responses from individual elected or appointed officials which they do not post to the comment section, but which are later posted as part of a thread of e-mails. Town staff seeks to honor the policy but are placed in a position of being accused of censorship if they remove the response in accordance with the paragraph below.   (E-mail sent using the “Contact Us” feature of the municipal website are public records. E-mails sent to the Town’s elected officials as a group and to other standing boards and commissions may be posted on the Town web site for viewing by any party. Responses of individual elected officials or appointed officials are not posted on the web site unless the official specifically directs them to the online area for e-mails.  All e-mails are available by request to the Cape Elizabeth Town Clerk.)    A second issue is that individuals have been placing links in their e-mails to private blogs permitting anonymous commenting and which exhibit bias. The guidelines currently state:   (The Town website will not provide links to sites that promote or exhibit bias, discrimination, pornography, libelous or otherwise defamatory content. The Town website will not link to websites or blogs where anonymous commenting is permitted except to sites of news organizations requiring registration of commenters.)    Also the guidelines contain the following provision: (The Town of Cape Elizabeth does not provide official blogging sites).   In reviewing the comment threads in our website e-mail feature, some of the pattern of comments is clearly bloglike.  As the current guidelines provide that we do not provide official blogging sites, further policy delineation is needed.   Until these technical and policy issues are reviewed, the posting of new e-mails online on the www.capeelizabeth.com website is being placed on hiatus.   This is an administrative decision and as town manager I recommend that it be reviewed as part of the Town Council’s goal  to review communication strategies.   All e-mails sent to the Town of Cape Elizabeth remain public records and e-mails sent to the Town Council and other Boards will be kept available for public inspection in full accordance with Maine’s Freedom of Access statutes.    See http://www.capeelizabeth.com/website_guidelines.html for a full copy of the website guidelines.   Michael K. McGovern Town Manager February 12, 2010