Oakmont Council passes new social media policy

Oakmont council passed a new social media and communications policy at its Sept. 18 meeting, defining what is expected of borough employees and volunteers who are active on social media.

Council member Tracey Holst initiated the policy’s creation, stating that borough employees need to have guidelines for what is acceptable when posting in association with the borough.

While the policy emphasizes the rules regarding the use of Oakmont pages, the policy cast an umbrella by stating that it pertains to “all employees who may use or post to Oakmont Borough social media, including temporary, part-time, seasonal, and interns; the Mayor, Council members, contractors and all volunteers and committee members.”

The policy did not receive unanimous support, as council member John Arnold called its first draft “authoritarian” and “borderline unconstitutional.”

“Our volunteers and elected officials are not employees of the borough,” Arnold said. “They should be treated differently and have some respect for the given time they provide.”

He went on to cite the East Berlin social media policy as something to strive for.

“You’re trying to reinvent the wheel rather than perfecting it,” Arnold said.

When it came time to vote on the new procedures, he still found them lacking, stating that there is no enforcing agency to carry out the discipline mentioned for breaking the policy. Disciplinary action includes the removal from a committee or other consequences required by the violation, including termination.

He also said that some of his requested changes had been ignored.

“My comment concerning the unique privileges that an elected official should have as opposed to an employee of the borough were not addressed at all,” Arnold said. “I find the policy objectionable and incomplete.”

He was the lone dissenting vote as the policy passed, 5-1.

Written by borough solicitor, Kate Diersen, the policy governs all Oakmont Borough social media platforms, and “posts may only contain appropriate and respectful content and should not include any reference to religion, politics or any other potentially controversial topic that may appear biased in nature.”

With the new guidelines, the use of borough social media is still encouraged for employees to engage with community members, share information and participate in public outreach. The policy also detailed that the borough reserves the right to moderate public discussions and delete “unacceptable submissions.”

Diersen added that the policy will be reviewed periodically and updated as necessary to adapt to changing social media platforms and practices.