It is the purpose of this Communications Policy to set forth the rules and regulations for utilization of the town's computers and computer system.

Employees and officers shall not view, send, read, download, access via the Internet or store fraudulent, harassing, embarrassing, sexually explicit, profane, obscene, intimidating, defamatory or other unlawful or inappropriate material. Such activities are prohibited insofar as they occur on town premises, occur on or via the town's computers or communication resources, occur during work time or involve communications or displays to, from or in the presence of coworkers, the public or agents of the town.

Employees and officials shall not send or receive by town e-mail (or any other electronic communication involving town time or town resources) personal messages, jokes, chain mail messages, games, novelty and/or joke executables or obscene or offensive material. (Please note that some chain messages are disguised as warnings about viruses.) If a town employee or officer receives non-town-related, jokes or files from someone else, they are to refer that person to the town's policies, as set forth herein, and, if the activities continue, contact the Town Board.

Employees and officials shall not use or waste town time and/or computer resources playing games, visiting chat rooms, etc.

Employees and official hall not, without prior written permission, use town computer and communication resources for the transmission or storage of commercial or personal advertisements, solicitations, promotions or political material.

Employees and officials shall not use, transmit or store destructive programs (viruses and/or self-replicating code) on any town computers or equipment, including their own individual town computer or the town network.

Employees and officials shall not install software onto any town computers or equipment, including their individual computers or the town network. All software installations, even free software from the Internet, will be installed by the town technician servicing the location unless expressly approved otherwise by the Town Supervisor. Any unlicensed software or personal software may be deleted by the town without notice to the employee or officer.

Employees and officials shall not use, copy or provide copies of unlicensed software.

Internet browsing using town resources and/ or on town time is to be limited to that which primarily supports a town function. Any personal use of the Internet should be limited to personal time with the permission of the Town Board.

Employees and officials shall not send, transmit or otherwise disseminate nonpublic personal data, police materials or other confidential information of the town to an unauthorized person or in an unauthorized manner. Unauthorized dissemination of this information may result in substantial civil liability as well as severe criminal penalties under the Economic Espionage Act of 1996, as well as town discipline, including dismissal, pursuant to law.

Employees and officials shall comply with the procedures under the Freedom of Information Law of the State of New York[1] in a manner which does not compromise the integrity of the town's computer equipment or systems. Any foil request which may compromise the town's equipment or systems shall be reviewed and approved by the Town Board before transmittal of the information to the person who has made such request. All foil requests requiring information stored on town computers shall be retrieved by town officials and employees and delivered by diskette or hard paper copy only to the requesting party for a reasonable fee under the Freedom of Information Law, state and local regulations.