COUNTY OF NEWELL - POLICY HANDBOOK                                                          POLICY NO: POL-034-23

                       

TITLE:	PRIVACY
ADOPTED:	December 21, 2023 (C-395/23)

 

POLICY PURPOSE:  To transparently outline how the County of Newell (the County) collects, uses, and protects personal information, ensuring compliance with applicable laws and fostering trust within our community.

                                                                                                                                   

DEFINITIONS:

County Site(s):  All sites used by the County, which includes, but is not limited to the following:

• Newell Connect: is using SeeClickFix powered by CivicPlus, an online and mobile service request system, to power its mobile app and reporting forms. Newell Connect is an application that allows residents to report non-emergency-related issues. SeeClickFix can be used on the web on a desktop computer, laptop, mobile phone, or tablet. SeeClickFix is a public application. The description entered will be visible to the public. Your display name will also be visible unless you choose to submit as Anonymous. Your email address will never be displayed publicly. Users registering on the mobile application also agree to CivicPlus’ Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
  
• Newell Notify:  Hosted by Everbridge is a mobile application that enables users to receive real-time alerts and notifications. Everbridge sends messages via telephone, text message and email. Terms of Use
• Countyofnewell.ab.ca:  County website hosted by Catalis. Privacy Policy
• Virtual County Hall (VCH):  Hosted by the County
• Public Web Map: Hosted by the County

External Site(s): any web page or other material, used by or on behalf of a third party, that can be accessed using a Web Browser and that is not part of the County Site(s) such as YouTube, Facebook, X, etc.

Personal Information:  Under the Freedom of Information & Protection of Privacy (FOIPP) Act, personal information means recorded information about an identifiable individual, including:

• the individual’s name, home or business address or home or business telephone number,
• the individual’s race, national or ethnic origin, colour or religious or political beliefs or associations,
• the individual’s age, sex, marital status or family status,
• an identifying number, symbol or other particular assigned to the individual,
• the individual’s fingerprints, other biometric information, blood type, genetic information or inheritable characteristics,
• information about the individual’s health and health care history, including information about a physical or mental disability,
• information about the individual’s educational, financial, employment or criminal history, including criminal records where a pardon has been given,
• anyone else’s opinions about the individual, and
• the individual’s personal views or opinions, except if they are about someone else;

User:  Any individual that accesses, uses, or subscribes to a County site(s). This could include a member of the public, County employee, or third-party contractor.

POLICY GUIDELINES: 

1. TYPES OF INFORMATION WE COLLECT: 

The County does not automatically gather any personal information from users. This information is only obtained if users supply it voluntarily by contacting the County via email, online forms, or by setting up a user account.  

When users visit a County site(s), a web server automatically collects a limited amount of standard information essential to the operation and evaluation of the website. This information includes: 

• the page from which the user arrived 
• the date and time of the page request 
• the Internet Protocol (IP) address the computer is using to receive information 
• the type and version of the browser 
• the name and size of the file requested 

This information is not used to identify individuals - it is only used to help the County assess its information services and is collected in compliance with Section 33 (c) of Alberta’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy (FOIP) Act. 

2. COOKIES: 

Cookies are temporary files that may be placed on the users hard drive while visiting a County site(s). Cookies are used to track how visitors use County site(s), but the County does not store personal information through cookies, nor does the County collect personal information from users as they browse County site(s) without their knowledge. Any cookies on County site(s) are used to aid in the collection of anonymous statistical information such as: 

• browser type 
• screen size 
• traffic patterns 
• pages visited 

This information helps the County improve County site(s) and their services to residents and visitors. It is not disclosed to any third parties. However, if users are concerned about cookies, users can adjust their web browser to reject all cookies. All site features with the exception of the interactive maps should function normally if cookies are disabled.  

3. BROWSER LEVEL INFORMATION AND IP ADDRESSES: 

Computers have a unique IP address when browsing the Internet. The County may collect IP addresses to monitor any security breaches on County site(s) and other online services. No attempt is made to identify users or their usage patterns unless unauthorized use of the County site(s) is detected or is required for a law enforcement investigation. 

4. PRIVACY AND EXTERNAL LINKS: 

The County site(s) may contain links to external site(s)s that are not associated with the County. The County is not responsible for the content and the privacy practices of these external site(s), and encourages users to examine each site’s privacy policy and disclaimers before providing any personal information. 

Articles on County site(s) may include embedded content (e.g. videos, images, articles, etc.). Embedded content from external site(s) behave in the exact same way as if the visitor has visited the external site(s). 

These external site(s) may collect data about users, utilize cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor user interaction with embedded content, including tracking user interaction with the embedded content if the user has an account and is logged in to that website. 

5. OTHER DISCLOSURES: 

Please keep in mind that our communities are public spaces, so don't post anything that you don't want the world to see. Credit card numbers, product keys, and other confidential information, including anything covered under a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), should not be posted to any blogs, discussions, or other public areas.  

Any questions or concerns can be directed to administration@newellmail.ca or 403-362-3266.

Click here to view our Privacy Policy.