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2018-11RESOLUTION NO. 2018 - 11 RESOLUTION APPROVING REVISIONS TO THE COMMUNICATIONS POLICY WHEREAS, the Village of Buffalo Grove is a Home Rule Unit pursuant to the Illinois Constitution of 1970. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE PRESIDENT AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE VILLAGE OF BUFFALO GROVE, COOK AND LAKE COUNTIES, ILLINOIS, as follows: Section 1. A responsibility exists to maintain stewardship over the resources that are used to communicate government services, and the approval of the revisions to the Village of Buffalo Grove Communications Policy will create such controls. Staff seeks to ensure proper usage and administration of the program through the approval of the revised Communications Policy The Village President and Board of Trustees do hereby approve the Village of Buffalo Grove Communications Policy which is attached hereto as Exhibit "A". Section 2. This Resolution shall be in full force and in effect from and after its passage and approval. AYES: 5 — Stein, Ottenheimer, Weidenfeld, Johnson, Smith NAYES: 0 - None ABSENT: 1 - Berman PASSED: April 16, 2018. APPROVED: April 16, 2018. APPROVED: Beverly Suss n, Village President ATTEST: Janet M. tirabian, Village Clerk Exhibit A Village of Buffalo Grove Communication Policy AMMUMM Village of Buffalo Grove Communication Policy If E I. INTRODUCTION Introduction I Communication Modalities The Village of Buffalo Grove is committed to delivering information to the public that is clear, timely, and that promotes two-way communication opportunities between Village officials, residents, business owners and stakeholder groups. The fundamental purpose of the Village's print and electronic publications, including the village newsletter, website, electronic newsletter, social media pages/social networking, cable access channel, news releases, signage, bill inserts, and others, is to communicate public information pertaining to municipal services, policies, and activities, and to enhance engagement between the Village and the community's stakeholders. The Village of Buffalo Grove has an overriding interest in, and expectation to, determine the Village's message as distributed in the various communication outlets at its disposal. These include: - ;NaH Flrqueific -� . _ _ ul Electronic Constant Village Website: www.vbg.org Social Media Pages/Social Networking Electronic Constant Presence Weekly/As Needed Village E-News Service Electronic Village Mobile Application Electronic Constant Village Newsletter Paper Bi-monthly Buffalo Grove Television: Broadcast Constant Channel 6 (Comcast), Channel 99 (ATBtT) It is the policy of the Village to ensure that certain standards are met when disseminating information through these communication modalities. The administration guidelines outlined below apply to content that is created for all communication channels. The purpose of this Communication Policy (also referred to as "Policy") is to provide the Village of Buffalo Grove staff with guidelines and direction for dissemination of information, through various outlets, to the residents and to the public at -large. This Policy is designed to be a fluid document and will be modified from time to time to conform to changes in law, technology and actual practice. The Village Manager will appoint a Communications Director to oversee communications and this policy. The Village Manager, or a designee, shall be the final authority with regards to enforcement of any of the provisions of this Policy. Failure 1 Village of Buffalo Grove Communication Policy i A to follow the procedures outlined in this Policy may lead to disciplinary action in accordance with the provisions of the Village of Buffalo Grove Employee Manual. This Policy is not intended to provide third parties with any specific rights when communicating with, or receiving communications from, the Village of Buffalo Grove. All policies and procedures provided are subject to modification by the appropriate Village employees and, therefore, third parties shall not be entitled to rely on the contents of this Policy. II. ADMINISTRATION Use Policv I Communication Modalities A. Objectives 1. Through balanced informative content, communication modalities will be used to help residents learn more about Village programs, services, and about important issues relating to the Buffalo Grove area. 2. To serve as an information center (but not an emergency notification medium) relating to weather, public works and police/fire related incidents. The Village will provide access to this information through a variety of mediums, including the Village website, social media updates and E-News. Additionally, residents will be directed to alternative agencies such as the National Weather Service for real-time weather information, and utility providers such as ComEd, Nicor and others to receive real-time updates on news and information deemed important for the safety and welfare of Buffalo Grove residents. B. Media Communications 1. Routine communications between Village employees and the media shall come primarily from the Village Manager, Deputy Village Manager, or Department Directors. Other members of staff may speak with the media, if they choose to do so, in response to routine inquiries pertaining to topics on which they are the subject matter expert or if they are the Acting Department Director. In those circumstances, where feasible, the staff member should seek and receive advance consent from their Department Director, the Village Manager or the Deputy Village Manager prior to responding. 2. All non -routine media inquiries received by Village employees, including but not limited to any requests for interviews by broadcast media or national forums, shall be directed to the Village Manager or Deputy Village Manager for review, guidance and delegation for the proper person(s) to respond. N Village of Buffalo Grove Communication Policy i A 3. Appointed officials may, if they choose to do so, respond to routine media inquiries in the ordinary course of service on a Committee or Commission (example: Committee or Commission members are asked by a member of the press after a meeting to clarify their comments during debate or to further explain why they voted a certain way). When responding to media inquiries, appointed officials shall always speak on behalf of themselves and not on behalf of the Village or the Village Board. 4. If appointed officials are approached by the media outside of the context of a meeting or otherwise with a non -routine inquiry regarding topic(s) related to the Committee/Commission on which the appointed officials serve, the Village prefers that the appointed officials reach out to their staff liaison to discuss the media request before responding. This policy is not intended to restrict appointed officials from discussing their opinions with the media in the ordinary course, but instead is intended to establish a preferred protocol for responding to non -routine media requests. When in doubt, appointed officials should treat a media inquiry as non -routine and seek guidance from their staff liaison. 5. It is recommended, where feasible, that elected officials also confer with the Village Manager or Deputy Village Manager before responding to non - routine media inquiries. 6. All non -routine communications with the media shall be reported via email to the Village Manager and Deputy Village Manager as soon as practically possible. 7. When possible, and unless in an emergency, all press releases are to be reviewed by the Communications Director or designee prior to distribution to the media. Content Posting Policy 1. The Communications Director, or a designee, has the right to review all messages, proposed and/or completed, to determine compliance with this Policy. Any message under consideration may be accepted as presented, denied, or given conditional approval. The Communications Director or a designee reserves the right to edit, modify, condense, prioritize or clarify any and all content. 2. Content should be timely, of general interest to the public and reflect Village sponsored programs, services, initiatives and/or areas of responsibility. The Village's sponsored activities will be the priority for content in all communications modalities. Village of Buffalo Grove Communication Policy 3. Content will be approved by the Communications Director, or a designee, prior to posting. 4. Content should be a resource to the public on information about the community and provide useful information to current and potential residents, businesses and visitors. 5. Village departments will be responsible for ensuring the accuracy and timeliness of all content provided for posting. 6. All content will comply with all American with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements. C. Inappropriate content includes: 1. That which directly or indirectly endorses any person, business or organization not directly associated with the Village of Buffalo Grove. 2. Commentary or personal opinions. 3. Language or material that is profane, offensive or obscene in context and depicts or describes, in terms patently offensive, sexual or excretory organs or activities. 4. Photographs, music, video or graphics not having the written permission of the copyright holder or proof of being royalty -free. 5. Content in support of, or opposition to, political campaigns or ballot measures. 6. Content that promotes, fosters, or perpetuates discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, age, religion, gender, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, national origin, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, or any protected class by either the State of Illinois or the Federal Government. 7. Information that may tend to compromise the safety or security of the public or public systems. 8. Content that violates a legal ownership interest of any other party. D. Consistency 1. To allow viewers to navigate easily through content on any Village communication modality, authors must follow the established page layouts, navigation link placement, use of graphics, font styles, etc., as may be 21 Village of Buffalo Grove Communication Policy VILLAGE (IF [{�Liffnlo VV Grour prescribed by the Communications Director, or a designee, from time to time. 2. Employees and volunteers granted permission to use Village communication modalities are responsible for complying with applicable federal, state, county and Village laws, ordinances, regulations, and policies. This includes adherence to established laws and policies regarding copyright or plagiarism, records retention, the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, the Illinois Open Meetings Act, the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, and privacy and information security policies and protocols established by the Village. E. Outside Groups 1. The first priority of all communication modalities owned and operated by the Village is the dissemination of Village news and information. 2. Partnership with organizations within the community may be permitted at the sole discretion of the Village Manager, or a designee, and content may only be allowed if the partner entity meets one or more of the following criteria. The Communications Director, or a designee, reserves the right to edit content to fall within the Village's established communication priorities and guidelines. a. Having a charter or other official recognition by a parent state or national organization that designates it a Village of Buffalo Grove chapter. b. An organization(s) that serves Village of Buffalo Grove businesses or residents; or a regional/local event that benefits Buffalo Grove businesses or residents. c. Official committees of the Village of Buffalo Grove. d. A governmental partner; quasi -governmental agency or entity serving Village residents. e. An organization of Village of Buffalo Grove businesses whose purpose is to support and encourage business within the Village. 3. Non -municipal news from established non-profit organizations that serve the Village of Buffalo Grove may also be included in the Village's publications to further foster community interest and involvement. Information regarding non -municipal community news shall only be published if one of the following criteria is met and upon receiving approval from the Communications Director. 5 Village of Buffalo Grove Communication Policy VILLAGE OF �Zuffalo U Grouc a. The Village is a co-sponsor of the program or event, or the organization sponsoring the program or event receives direct financial support from the Village; Examples: The Buffalo Grove Symphonic Band, Relay For Life, Special Olympics Events, etc. b. The information is intended to inform residents of services and programs of other governmental agencies or utilities serving the greater Buffalo Grove community; Examples: o Lake/Cook County o Waste Management/ Corn Ed/ Comcast/ATEtT o School Districts o Park Districts o Library Districts F. Emergency Procedures 1. Emergency programming for all communication modalities is to be originated by the Office of the Village Manager, Police, Fire, Public Services or other emergency personnel and authorized only by the Village Manager, or a designee. 2. Only trained personnel are allowed access to broadcast an authorized emergency bulletin. Under no circumstances will access to any communication modality for emergency communication be granted to anyone who does not have the proper authority to initiate procedures. 3. During an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) activation, the Village Manager or a designee may need to define levels of emergency to include the communications plan, and communications will be handled based on the type of incident and level of threat or circumstances. G. For general emergency public information, the Deputy Village Manager, or a designee in the Office of the Village Manager, will operate as the Village's Public Information Officer (PIO), and is responsible for the development of media releases during time of emergency, as well as coordinating the development of the Emergency Public Information annex. The EMA Director, Fire Chief, Police Chief, Public Works Director, and Health Director support the Deputy Village Manager in this effort. The primary purpose of the emergency public information system is to provide up-to-date warning and advisory information to the public. Public information during pre -emergency periods utilizes all available media outlets including print/newspaper and digital, radio, commercial television and cable television stations. In the case of loss of power, emergency public information would be attempted to be communicated through the Emergency Management Agency's Mobile Communications van. Following implementation of this plan, a Joint Information Center (JIC) will be Village of Buffalo Grove Communication Policy VILLAGE OF' % Lawo established to provide consolidated information from the Village of Buffalo Grove to the media. The JIC will be located at Village Hall in the Council Chambers at 50 Raupp Boulevard, unless otherwise determined by the Deputy Village Manager or designee. All emergency media releases should be cleared through the Village Manager, or designee, prior to their release. During large- scale situations, involving multiple municipalities or the counties, media releases will be coordinated with all affected jurisdictions to ensure the release of actual and timely information. The Village of Buffalo Grove may also participate in staffing a Joint Information Center, staffed with representatives of other affected municipalities, Lake and/or Cook County, and involved state and federal agencies. Detailed information regarding the Emergency Public Information system can be found in the Village's Emergency Operations Plan established by the Emergency Management Director (Fire Chief). Restrictions The Village of Buffalo Grove will not allow any programming on any communications channel containing the following: 1. Paid advertising material in which commercial appeals for funds are made. Paid advertising material includes, but is not limited to, advertising by or on behalf of a candidate for public office or program material made available without charge by persons, corporations, or institutions, which have a commercial interest in the subject matter. Grants for programming purposes shall not be considered as advertising. This provision shall not prevent the identification of persons or institutions providing grants or contributions to underwrite the cost of programs unrelated to the commercial interests of the donor. 2. Copyrighted material, unless clearances for use has been obtained, and written proof of such clearance can be presented. 3. Programming which is prohibited by applicable federal, state or local laws. III. VILLAGE WEBSITE Introduction I www.vbg_org< The Village's website is, and will remain, the primary communications tool for the Village of Buffalo Grove. No department, division, committee, or official entity governed by the Village of Buffalo Grove can establish a site on the Internet that is independent from the Village's primary website without the express written permission of the Village Manager. Only pages maintained by the Village are official. The Village is not responsible for the information contained on linked pages. The Village will take precautions to ensure Village of Buffalo Grove Communication Policy VILLAGE OF_' anlo k6pa LJ ��aut linked pages are from reputable sources and if deemed not reputable, that said links will be removed. Additionally, the Village reserves the right to delete any links that initially are deemed reputable, but are determined to not fall within the Village's established communication standards, as determined by the Village Manager, or a designee. IV. SOCIAL MEDIA Standards J Use of Social Media As authorized by the Village Manager, social media websites will be used to further allow the Village to provide information to the public. Only social media accounts maintained and controlled by the Village are official. The Village is not responsible for the information contained on linked pages or other pages or sites that are not controlled by the Village's staff. Consistent with the requirements of this Policy, the following statements will be included within the terms of use for social media accounts directly or indirectly sponsored by the Village when possible: "The Village of Buffalo Grove monitors the content posted on social media websites. We request that individuals be courteous and use discretion when commenting on the page. Do not post: 1) someone else's image or content without their express permission; and 2) professional photographs, unless you are the photographer. Copyrighted and other proprietary material may not be posted or submitted in any form unless permission to do so is clearly indicated. In posting his or her own comments or other work, a commenter grants the Village and anyone viewing the Village's Facebook pages irrevocable permission to copy, distribute, make derivatives, display or perform the commenter's work publicly free of charge. The views expressed in comments reflect those of the author and do not reflect the official views of the Village of Buffalo Grove." "The Village of Buffalo Grove reserves the right to remove any post in violation of this Policy or any applicable law. Users of this site are also subject to all terms and conditions of this site's use Policy, without limitation." "The Village of Buffalo Grove assumes no liability for any damages or loss of any kind that might arise from the use of, misuse of or the inability to use this Village of Buffalo Grove page and/or the materials contained on the page. Village of Buffalo Grove also assumes no liability for improper or incorrect use of materials or information contained on the page. All materials that appear on the Village of Buffalo Grove page are distributed and transmitted "as is," without warranties of any kind, s Village of Buffalo Grove Communication Policy VILLAGE of koffI Grout either expressed or implied, and subject to the terms and conditions stated in this disclaimer." A. Standards 1. To provide a high level of quality, consistency, usability and value to our social media communications, the following standards must be followed: a. The Village of Buffalo Grove's website (www.vbg.org) will remain the Village's primary and predominant Internet presence. b. All comments or posts made by Village staff on behalf of the Village must be approved by the Communications Director, or a designee, prior to their dissemination. c. Content posted to social media websites should contain links directing users back to the Village's official website for in-depth information, forms, documents or online services necessary to conduct business with the Village of Buffalo Grove. d. On any Village social media website, a disclaimer will be placed that indicates that the Village of Buffalo Grove's official website is the Village's primary and predominant Internet presence. 2. Appropriate uses of social media tools fall generally into categories: a. As additional channels for disseminating time -sensitive information as quickly and efficiently as possible (example: emergency information). b. As channels for information dissemination relating to Village business. c. Other information and news, including events that are deemed important and relevant to Buffalo Grove residents by the Communications Director, or a designee. 3. Social Media Websites shall be used by the Village Staff in the following manner: a. Of those social media websites selected for use, the Village will use a single account, displaying the Village logo. • The Village Manager may authorize additional accounts. b. The Communications Director, or a designee, will monitor social media use and must review and approve all content prior to posting. Content V Village of Buffalo Grove Communication Policy i A will be reviewed for appropriateness, quality, consistency with overall Village message and branding, priority, goals, and compliance with this policy, etc. c. No public comments shall be removed from any website except as authorized by the Communications Director, or a designee. The Village of Buffalo Grove reserves the right to remove any post in violation of this Policy or any applicable law. d. Employees granted permission to use these outlets are responsible for complying with applicable federal, state, county and local laws, ordinances, regulations, and policies. This includes adherence to established laws and policies regarding copyright or plagiarism, records retention, the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, the Illinois Open Meetings Act, the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, and privacy and information security policies and protocols established by the Village. e. Employees representing the Village via social media outlets must conduct themselves always as representatives of the Village of Buffalo Grove. f. Content posted to social media sites shall not include any of the following: i. Content in support of or opposition to political campaigns or ballot measures. ii. Content that promotes, fosters, or perpetuates discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, age, religion, gender, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, national origin, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, or any protected class by either the State of Illinois or the Federal Government. iii. Content that is offensive, profane or obscene. iv. Conduct or encouragement of illegal activity. V. Information that may compromise the safety or security of the public or public systems. vi. Content that promotes or discourages the use of any private business or entity. Exceptions would include mention of a business receiving a Village -sponsored award, or one that is involved in either an economic development partnership, sponsorship, in -kind donation or any other 10 Village of Buffalo Grove Communication Policy DILL EGAVILL EGA OF1 % ffala Grnuv official relationship that benefits the Village, its economic development efforts or Village -sponsored events. vii. Defamatory content. viii. Content that violates a legal ownership interest of any other party. h. Similar/identical content should be posted on all social media pages to reach the largest number of residents. 4. Users and visitors to social media sites shall be notified that the intended purpose of the site is to serve as a mechanism for dissemination of useful, factual information regarding public information and events. V.Village E-News Service Standards I Village E-News/ The Village a -news service is sent to subscribers weekly on Thursdays at 2:00 p.m. and is designed for the express purpose of providing timely and important information to its subscribers Municipal news from the Village of Buffalo Grove shall always take first priority. The Village of Buffalo Grove reserves the right to choose not to publish, or to edit any messages submitted for publication by other organizations. VI. Village Newsletter Standards] Vii1lage Newsletter _ The Village's print publications shall be used to provide objective information to the public concerning municipal services, priorities, policies, and programs to achieve the overall goal of providing clear and timely information to all stakeholder groups. The Village newsletter is mailed to all residents of Buffalo Grove on a bi-monthly basis for six editions per year; January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/October and November/December. VII. BGTV Standards 1 BGTV A. Access Policy BGTV is a Government Access Channel, as outlined in the Federal Cable Communications Act of 1984, created for the dissemination of government- 11 Village of Buffalo Grove Communication Policy vilLAG uZuff llo LL�� G�our related information to the viewing public. Access to the channel is limited to local, regional, state and federal taxing bodies only. Other requesting parties will be referred to the local public access channel. B. BGTV Bulletin Board Procedures 1. All Village departments may submit public service messages to be displayed on BGTV during non -programming hours. All messages must be submitted in writing, and must be submitted at least five working days prior to the requested start date. Messages submitted by a Village department must be approved by the Communications Director or a designee. 2. Messages are inputted by information technology staff and appear on the TV screen a "page" at a time. Messages should be concise, and should contain basic information concerning what, when, where, and how. Messages should be limited to approximately eight brief lines. If necessary, staff will edit the message to improve readability, to make it fit on one page, or to ensure the message is grammatically correct. 3. All submitted messages must be accompanied by the name and phone number of a contact person, and whether or not that information is to appear in the message. Submissions should include desired start and end dates. 4. No classified ads or commercial messages will be allowed. 5. Submission of a public service message request does not in any way guarantee its appearance on BGTV. Suitability for this channel and compliance with this Policy will be determined by the Communications Director or designee. The date of input and the length of run of any message will be determined by staff availability and channel capacity. 6. In the case that channel capacity is at a peak, messages will be carried a maximum of three days each, and on a first -come, first -served basis, with the following priorities: a. Public service notification messages, originated by Police, Fire, Public Works or the Office of the Village Manager; b. Announcements ordered by the Corporate Authorities; c. Announcements ordered by the Village Manager; d. Announcements submitted by Village Department Directors; 12 Village of Buffalo Grove Communication Policy VILLAGE OF__ �uffalo ��our e. Announcements submitted by Village Commissions, Committees or Boards. C. Event Coverage Procedure 1. To request taped coverage of an event for replay on BGTV, the applicant must contact the Communications Director. Because the Village does not employ production staff, nor own production materials, the Village will contact the preferred videographer. It shall be the applicant's responsibility to pay videography and production costs incurred, including, but not limited to, all admittance fees, artwork and graphics, union or other professional association fees, clearance fees, royalties and permission fees. 2. A request to cover a special event originating from any Village department must be approved by the Communications Director or a designee. 3. All video tapes and slides that are Village Public Records shall be maintained and disposed of pursuant to the Local Records Act (50 ILCS 205/1 et. seq.). 4. For all non -Village Public Records, the Village reserves the right to retain for up to one calendar week after which said non -Village Public Records may be recycled and all original content erased. If there is a request for Longer retention, a written request should be made one week prior to the event and submitted to the Deputy Village Clerk. D. Village Hall, Council Chambers/Control Room Usage Procedures 1. Video equipment in Village Hall Council Chambers/Control Room may only be used by trained personnel, with the permission of Communications Director or a designee. E. Programming Priority: 1. Emergency. May consist of taped or bulletin board programming, shown at any time, as emergency dictates. The purpose of this programming will be to inform residents of emergencies, and to instruct viewers in evacuation, detour, notification and escape procedures. In the case of an emergency, regularly scheduled programming may be interrupted or canceled. The content and scheduling of any emergency programming shall be approved by the Village Manager, Incident Commander, EMA Director, or designee. 2. Broadcast of Village of Buffalo Grove Board Meetings. Taped coverage of Board meetings of the Village of Buffalo Grove Corporate Authorities is replayed on BGTV. Meetings take place on a biweekly basis, or as otherwise 13 Village of Buffalo Grove Communication Policy �VI LLAGE U F_' uZuFfnlo L� Gaavr necessary. Meetings are aired gavel -to -gavel without editing or editorial comment, and may be rebroadcast. 3. Broadcast of Meetings of Village of Buffalo Grove Commissions, Committees and Boards. Taped coverage of meetings of Village Commissions, Committees and Boards may be aired periodically based on staff and equipment availability. Meetings are aired gavel -to -gavel without editing or editorial comment and may be rebroadcast. 4. Village of Buffalo Grove Programming. Includes programs and series produced or obtained by the Village of Buffalo Grove. Programs will be directly related to Village issues or Village government sponsored programs and services. Programs will be informative in nature. The Communications Director or a designee will review program topics, budget and scheduling before production of programming for BGTV. 5. Buffalo Grove Taxing Bodies and Quasi -Governmental Entities Programming. Includes programs and series produced or obtained by taxing bodies located in Buffalo Grove and Buffalo Grove quasi -governmental entities including nonprofit educational institutions. Programs will be directly related to Village issues or local taxing bodies or quasi - governmental sponsored programs and services. Programs will be informative in nature. Examples of Buffalo Grove taxing bodies are Buffalo Grove School Districts, Buffalo Grove Park District, Wheeling and Vernon Township governments. Examples of quasi -governmental entities are Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County, Northwest Central Dispatch, and the Northwest Water Commission. 6. County, Regional, State and National Governmental Programming. Includes programs and series produced or obtained by county, regional, state and national governments. Programs will be directly related to Village of Buffalo Grove issues or governmentally sponsored programs and services available to Buffalo Grove residents. Programs will be informative in nature. 7. Other Government Related Programming. Other government related programming from outside sources may be telecast on BGTV. Such programming will be screened for compliance with this Policy, and is subject to approval by the Village Manager or a designee for scheduling on BGTV. Programs will be directly related to Village issues or governmental sponsored programs and services. Programming developed by any individual or entity not an official branch of the Village of Buffalo Grove may be allowed if the event or program to be taped or shown is co -sponsored by the Village of Buffalo Grove or other Buffalo Grove governmental bodies. Examples of additional eligible sources of other government programming 14 Village of Buffalo Grove Communication Policy include International City/County Management Association, National Fire Prevention Association, and the Regional Transit Agency. 8. BGTV Bulletin Board. Alpha -numeric is a bulletin board style service used to display Village government related messages and images to the public. Message content and decisions on message suitability will be governed by this Policy and is subject to approval by the Communications Director or a designee. F. Political Broadcasts. Broadcasts for political purposes or those broadcasts with a political message are not authorized programming. VIII. Village Identity Standards { Village Logo, Insignia &t Official Seal Consistent use of the Village logo, insignia and official seal is important because it shapes the institutional image of the organization. Uniform use of the logo helps to create a strong visual identity for the Village of Buffalo Grove. A strong visual identity helps to generate greater public awareness and recognition of the Village of Buffalo Grove and our services. Generating name recognition happens through the consistent, frequent, and repeated use of the logo over time. For this reason, despite the various preferences of Village staff, it is critical that all employees use the Village graphic identity uniformly and consistently as defined by the Communications Director. If a Department has their own patch/logo, both the Village and the Department logos must be used. IX. Village Photos Standards l Village Photos A. Permission to use Village of Buffalo Grove photographs is granted for the following limited uses: 1. Photos may be printed from a web browser for personal, non-commercial uses. 2. Photos may be downloaded/copied electronically from a web browser for personal, non-commercial uses, with the following limitations: a. Photos may not be altered in any way, including resizing or cropping. b. Photos cannot be posted on the Internet on personal, commercial, or other sites, without explicit permission from the Village of Buffalo Grove. 15 Village of Buffalo Grove Communication Policy VILLAGE OF' % tiffaw Ur�u� 3. Photos may not be sold or used in any way for profit or commercial purposes, including use in commercial or professional websites or printed materials. Photos may not be used to suggest endorsement by the Village of Buffalo Grove for a product or service. 4. Requests for alternate formats or additional uses/rights should be sent to the Communications Director. 16