§ 16-16. Computer utilization

(a) The only computers and/or computer-related equipment that shall be authorized for utilization in the town by its town employees are those items of computer "hardware" that the town has purchased, leased or ultimately controls as granted from other governmental agencies or organizations, and no employee shall place in use on town premises any other computers or computer hardware without the prior approval of the town manager. The development and/or implementation of technology management plans, policies and procedures shall meet the town's informational needs as recommended by the town manager, and approved by the town council. The term "town premises", as utilized herein, shall include the electronic access of town computers from any geographic source.

(b) No employee shall bring onto town premises and/or install and/or utilize any computer software not owned or purchased by the town without the prior written approval of the town manager. No evaluation, freeware, shareware, or any other type of software shall be loaded without prior approval of the town manager and the town council.

(c) All town employees are authorized to access the Internet through the town authorized Internet Service Provider, provided that said access shall only be allowed for official town or town departmental business. The use of instant messaging programs, internet chat rooms and streaming audio and video are strictly prohibited. The E-mail system shall be utilized exclusively for town-related issues and any attachments shall be limited to a maximum of ten (10) megabytes. All attached files that exceed this size, shall be automatically forwarded to a central e-mail address for content review. Likewise, town computer hardware and software use shall be strictly limited to official town or departmental business, unless prior written approval of the town manager is granted.

(d) The downloading of files, images, or application programs from the Internet is expressly prohibited without prior written approval of the town manager, unless for town business and previous approval received for similar request. Additionally, the installation of data or databases that did not originate from the town's hardware or software is strictly prohibited without the prior written approval of the town manager.

(e) The transmission of confidential town records, databases, and software from the town's computer systems is strictly prohibited without the prior written approval of the town manager and the town council. Public town computer records shall remain available through the office of the clerk-treasurer consistent with the provisions of the Indiana Access to Public Records Law, IC § 5-14-3-1 et seq., as amended from time to time.

(f) This section shall apply to all town employees, appointed officials, elected officials, and contractors and other professionals hired by the town.

(g) The connection or re-configuration of town computer hardware and/or the town computer network shall only be authorized by the town manager and solely utilized through the town authorized Internet Service Provider. This shall include but is not limited to all network and telecommunications hardware, electronic imaging, vendor software and applications developed in-house or by contracted personnel and used or stored on town owned equipment, no dial up connections will be allowed without prior written approval of the town manager.

(h) All town software shall be delivered from the vendor from whom it was obtained to the office of the town manager prior to installation, duplication, loading, or copying by any vendor, employee, or contractor of the town. All original electronic format of software (CD-ROMs, diskettes, tapes, zip disks, etc.) shall be stored in the office of the town manager. The town manager shall verify that all software with associated licenses is properly obtained and in proper use. Passwords utilized for administration or access to source codes, databases, applications, etc., must be provided to the office of the town manager with a copy maintained in the office of the clerk-treasurer. (They shall be sealed and stored for emergency purposes). No changes to existing source codes shall be applied to any town computer hardware, equipment, or software without notifying the town manager prior to loading any of such changes into the systems.

(i) The Town council hereby reserves the right to install and utilize software or services intended to monitor Internet use through town computer systems, including the websites visited, time expended on Internet use, file usage and programs downloaded. For the purpose of determining use violations, the town will conduct periodic, random and/or unscheduled monitoring and auditing of the town's computer hardware and software from time to time without knowledge or permission of the user(s).

(j) All computers, computer software, computer hardware and computer related equipment shall be researched and purchased by the town manager, with the approval of the town council, and become the property of the town.

(Ord. No. 1164, §§ 1—9, 4-10-00; Ord. No. 1417, §§ 1—8, 6-22-06; Ord. No. 1484, §§ 1—7, 12-18-08)

refeditor

Ord. No. 1164, §§ 1—9, adopted April 10, 2000, did not specifically amend the Code. Hence, its inclusion herein as section 16-16 was at the discretion of the editor.