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Internal Content

Information included in the City of Toledo website and all city web applications is believed to be accurate, but is not guaranteed. The City of Toledo is not liable for any potential errors, omissions or outdated information. It is each individual department’ responsibility to ensure the accuracy of the information made available online. The documents posted on the City of Toledo website are not official documents and are made available as a convenience.

External Content

Content, links, and events that come from external organizations or individuals are included on the City website when:

  1. The City is a partner with the organization/event
  2. The City is a sponsor of the organization/event
  3. The content/event is aligned with City of Toledo strategic goals
  4. The event is hosted on City owned property

Content, links, and events that come from external organizations or individuals are not included on the City website when:

  1. When an individual is an employee of the City
  2. When an individual/organization profits from inclusion on the City’s website
  3. When the content/link/event is in support of a political candidate or party

Public Record Retention & Requests

It is the policy of the City of Toledo that openness leads to a better informed citizenry, which leads to better government and better public policy. It is the policy of the City to strictly adhere to internal administrative policies and the State of Ohio’s open records law. All exemptions to openness are to be construed in their narrowest sense and any denial of public records in response to a valid request must be accompanied by an explanation, including legal authority, as outlined in the Ohio Revised Code. If the request is in writing, the explanation must also be in writing.

Read the full administrative policy re: Public Records.

Websites created by local government agencies need to be managed according to the Public Records Law. Like email and social media, the entire website is not considered a records series. A website is a means to publishing information, some of which may constitute a public record. According to the National Archives and Records Administration, there are three types of web-based content that need to be addressed: web content records, web management and operations records that provide context , and web management and operations records that provide structure.

Web content records include:

  • The content pages that compose the site, inclusive of the HTML markup
  • Records generated when a user interacts with a site
  • Lists of the URLs referenced by the site’s hyperlinks if the agency chooses to document its site this way.

Web management and operations records that provide context to the site include:

  • Web site design records
  • Web policies and procedures (e.g. how records are selected for the site and when and how they may be removed)
  • Records documenting the use of copyrighted material on a site
  • Records relating to the software applications used to operate the site
  • User access and when pages are placed on the site, updated, and/or removed

Web management and operations records that provide structure related to the site include:

  • Site maps that show the directory structure into which content pages are organized
  • Software configuration files used to operated the site and establish its look and feel, including server environment configuration specifications.

After considering all the types of web-based content that need to be addressed, the local government agency should determine if any of these are the official record copy or if the documents/information/records that exist on a website that have
official record copies residing elsewhere can be treated as copies. New records series should be developed for documents/information, records that only exist in a web-based format. The retention periods for those new records series should be based on the content of the record and not the media type.

Read more on local government records retention.

Disclaimer

The City’s web pages contain links to other websites on the internet which are not under the control of the City. The links to other websites do not constitute nor imply the City’s endorsement of the content, viewpoint, and/or accuracy of information
posted on the other websites. The mere fact that the City’s website links to other does not mean that the City represents the contents or the policies of other websites. Providing these links serves only as a convenience to the City’s website users.

The City does not warrant or make any representations as to the quality, content, accuracy, or completeness of the information, graphics, links, and other items contained on this server or any other server. Such materials have been compiled from a
variety of sources, and are subject to change without notice by the City. Commercial use of the information or our online services is prohibited without written permission of the City.

Additional Information

For additional information, contact the city of Toledo, Director of Communications.