Usage Policy

Website Policies


The following information explains the City of Fountain Valley's (City) policy regarding any information you may supply to us when visiting our site that are part of the City's official web site and any information that may be provided to the public by the City's official site.The official City of Fountain Valley website is intended for City of Fountain Valley business only. It is intended to provide information about the operation of the City, to clarify the function of City departments and services and provide guidance to members of the public who desire/require city services. Information (words, photos and graphics) on the website is intended in every respect to be one-way and informational in nature. The website is not intended to directly or indirectly create a public forum or invite discourse.

Social Media Policy


All comments and posts on any City of Fountain Valley Social Media platform will be monitored. The City of Fountain Valley reserves the right to remove any comment or post that violates the City of Fountain Valley Public Use Social Media Policy adopted on January 17, 2017, including but not limited to anything that contains: profane, obscene, or pornographic language or content; threatens or defames any person or organization; promotes illegal activity; violates federal, state, or local laws; promotes discrimination on an unlawful basis; or discusses topics not reflected to the particular issue or subject discussed on the City’s Social Media Site.  To access a copy of the City of Fountain Valley Public Use Social Media Policy please visit: Social Media Policy & Links Page

Content


The purpose of this policy is to ensure that the City of Fountain Valley website does not become a public forum or limited public forum, but rather is maintained for the exclusive use of the City of Fountain Valley in communicating matters of general public interest.The City of Fountain Valley website comprises all documents, databases, log files, web pages and other information residing on any City-owned web server.All content posted to the official City of Fountain Valley website is subject to standards of integration into the City of Fountain Valley approach to online information in communicating matters of general public interest. All content must meet the following standards:
  • Contains information of general interest to the public and reflecting a City of Fountain Valley departmental, divisional, or program initiative, range of service, or responsibility OR contains directional information of interest to the public, such as maps, directories of goods and services, etc.; OR provides public notice of a specific event which is open to the public and has received City sponsorship as authorized by Fountain Valley City Manager direction or his delegates. Fulfills the City of Fountain Valley publishing protocols.
  • Avoids the posting of ad hoc content and hyperlink additions. All such content must be subject to citywide website standards as outlined in his policy.

City of Fountain Valley Privacy Statement


On certain occasions, the public has opportunities to share personal information online with the City in order to facilitate better correspondence and service. This information includes but is not limited to e-mail addresses, responses to surveys, registering for services and new services to be created. The City will not disclose this information to any third party, unless required to do so under federal or state law, including, but not limited to the California Public Records Act.

Use of Information


  • The City’s goal in collecting personal information online is to provide you, with the most personalized and effective service possible. By understanding your needs and preferences, the City will be in a better position to provide you with improved service. The City will maintain the confidentiality of information it receives online to the same extent it is legally able to do so with respect to information obtained through other means. Using e-mail addresses provided at registration or otherwise, users are giving the City permission to periodically send out e-mail newsletters and promotional email to our users about web site updates, and product and service information offered by the City. Users may indicate that they do not wish to receive e-mail information from the City. Upon request, the City will remove users (and their information) from the City database or permit them to elect not to receive any further e-mail newsletters or contact. Communications made through e-mail and messaging systems shall in no way be deemed to constitute legal notice to the City or any of its agencies, officers, employees, agents or representatives, with respect to any existing or potential claim or cause of action against the City or any of its agencies, officers, employees, agents, or representatives, where notice to the City is required by any federal, state or local laws, rules or regulations.
  • One of the City services online is to provide educational information about Fountain Valley; therefore, children are not restricted from visiting the City site. The City urges children only to give the City any information after getting permission from their parents or guardians. In some cases, there are age limits for certain contests and give-a-ways.

City of Fountain Valley Disclosure Statement


The City does not warrant:
  • That the functions contained in the materials will be uninterrupted or error-free.That defects will be promptly corrected.That this site or the server that makes it available is free of viruses or other harmful components.
  • That the City is responsible for the content or the privacy policies of websites to which it may provide links.
The City's web servers are maintained to provide public access to City information via the Internet. The City's web services and the content of its web servers and databases are updated on a continual basis. While the City attempts to keep its web information accurate and timely, the City neither warrants nor makes representations or endorsements as to the quality, content, accuracy or completeness of the information, text, graphics, hyperlinks, and other items contained on this server or any other server. Web materials have been compiled from a variety of sources, and are subject to change without notice from the City as a result of updates and corrections. Further, some materials on the City's website and related links may be protected by copyright law, therefore, if you have any questions regarding whether you may: a) modify and/or re-use text, images or other web content from a City server, b) distribute the City's web content, and/or c) "mirror" the City's information on a non-City server, please contact the City's Public Information Officer.

Security in General


The City uses reasonable precautions to keep the personal information disclosed to the City secure.The City web site employs industry-standard methods to monitor network traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information or otherwise cause damage.

External Website Link Policy


The City of Fountain Valley permits the establishment of links to external websites on the City's official website solely in conformance with this policy. In establishing and maintaining its official website, the City does not intend in any manner to create a forum or other means by which public discourse, exchange of opinions, or discussion on issues of any nature may occur. Rather, the sole and limited purpose of the City's website and permitted external links is to provide non-political and non-religious information of a factual nature about the City of Fountain Valley including various services and resources available within and around the City, or as may be available from other governmental agencies. To avoid any perception that the City endorses or provides favorable treatment to any private person or business enterprise, no corporate or commercial logos or direct links to vendor sites are allowed. Consistent with the foregoing policy, it is the City's policy to limit external links to the following kinds of entities and organizations:
  • Chamber of commerce and/or visitors' bureau;
  • Other governmental or quasi-government (i.e. water district or sanitation district) agencies with jurisdiction in the City of Fountain Valley;
  • Entities that are not-for-profit recreational organization that is party to a valid agreement for the use of athletic fields in the City of Fountain Valley;
  • Organizations with some economic or subject matter relationship to the City;
  • Hospitals within the City Boundaries;
  • Museums, libraries, historical organizations and similar kinds of established, bona fide organizations that provide cultural resources to residents and visitors of the City;
  • Public and private, bona fide educational institutions as defined in Education Code § 210.1, or as described in Education Code § 66010(a) and (b), located within the County of Orange; and,
  • Entities and organizations whose primary purpose is to provide the location, telephone number and/or description of City of Fountain Valley hotels, restaurants, tourist attractions and similar kinds of tourism information;

Procedure for Establishing an Outside Link


Entities and organizations wishing to establish external links on the City's official website must seek prior approval. The City of Fountain Valley reserves the right to 1) deny an external link application as to any business or organization when it is determined, following review of a complete application, that the entity or organization for which application is made does not meet the criteria set forth in this policy; 2) deny an external link application as to any business or organization which fails to provide all required information, or fails to provide truthful information; 3) remove any external link if the nature of the business or organization to which the link relates no longer complies with the City's external link policy; or 4) to revise this policy without prior notice when to do so is deemed to be in the best interests of the City. Any external entity or organization that receives approval from the City of Fountain shall sign a statement agreeing to indemnify, defend with counsel reasonably acceptable to the City, and hold the City of Fountain Valley harmless from any and all claims or liability that may arise from the use of the City’s website or that is in any way connected to the City us of the City’s website.

Copyright, Trademarks & Servicemarks


The City of Fountain Valley logo is the property of the City of Fountain Valley. Any use of the materials stored on the City's website is prohibited without the written permission of the City of Fountain Valley. The City of Fountain Valley retains all intellectual property rights including copyrights on all text, graphic images and other content. This means that the following acts or activities are prohibited without prior, written permission from the City of Fountain Valley: 1) modifying and/or re-using text, images or other web content from a City server; 2) distributing the City's web content; or 3) "mirroring" the City's information on a non-City server.

Disclaimer of Liability


The City of Fountain Valley shall not be held liable for any improper or incorrect use of the materials or information contained on this website and assumes no responsibility for any user's use of them. In no event shall the City of Fountain Valley be liable for any damages, whether direct, indirect, incidental, special, exemplary or consequential (including, but not limited to, business interruption or loss of use, data, or profits) regardless of cause, and on any theory of liability, whether in contract, statute, strict liability, or tort (including negligence or otherwise) arising in any way out of the use of this website or the materials and information contained on this website, even if advised of the possibility of such damage. This disclaimer of liability applies to any damages or injury, including but not limited to those caused by any failure of performance, error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay, computer virus, communication line failure, theft, or destruction of data, whether for breach of contract, tortuous behavior, statutory liability negligence, or under any other cause of action. Users are encouraged to consult with appropriate and accredited professional advisors for advice concerning specific matters before making any decision, and the City of Fountain Valley disclaims any responsibility for positions taken by individuals or corporations in their individual cases or for any misunderstanding and losses, directly or indirectly, on the part of any user.

Disclaimer of Warranties / Accuracy and Use of Information


The materials in this website are provided "as is" and without warranties of any kind express or implied. To the fullest extent permissible under applicable law, the City of Fountain Valley disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, including but not limited to, implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and title to any of the materials provided on this website. The City of Fountain Valley does not represent or warrant that the functions contained in the materials will be uninterrupted or error-free, that defects will be corrected, or that this website or the server that makes it are free of viruses or other harmful components. The City of Fountain Valley does not warrant or make any representations regarding the use or the results of the use of the materials in this website, or through links to other websites, in terms of their correctness, accuracy, reliability or otherwise. The user (and not the City of Fountain Valley) assumes the entire cost of all necessary servicing, repair, or correction. Changes are made periodically to many city documents, including municipal codes, charter sections, regulations, guidelines, and schedules, and these changes may or may not be reflected in the materials or information present on the City of Fountain Valley's website. Additionally, because the website is frequently under development, materials and information may be deleted, modified or moved to a different part of the website by the city without advance notice.

Acceptance of Terms


The City of Fountain Valley makes available for your use on this Web site information and documents subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this document (the "Terms of Use"). By accessing this Site, you agree to the Terms of Use. The City of Fountain Valley reserves the right to change the Terms of Use at its sole discretion. Your use of the Site will be subject to the most current version of the Terms of Use posted on the Site at the time of such use. In addition, when using particular Services or Materials on this Site, you are subject to any posted guidelines or rules applicable to such Services or Materials that contain terms and conditions in addition to those in the Terms of Use. All such guidelines or rules are hereby incorporated by reference into the Terms of Use. You may use this Web site only if you agree to these terms: You agree that you will not violate (or attempt to violate) the security of this Web site by hacking, sending viruses, or any other similar malicious or careless conduct. You agree that you will not utilize the communication methods found within the Web site for the communication of any material that may reasonably be considered scurrilous or offensive. Offensive materials are defined as sexual content or images, slurs against race, religious or political beliefs, age, gender, sexual orientation, national origin or physical attributes. You agree not to upload (or attempt to upload) content of any type to this Web site. You acknowledge that you have no right to the intellectual property associated with this Web site and that you have only a limited right to use this Web site. You acknowledge that the City does not warrant the accuracy or availability of this Web site. You acknowledge that the City is not responsible for any loss, damage, or injury that you may have as a result of your use of this Web site. You agree to be bound by the laws applicable in City of Fountain Valley with respect to your use of the Web site and you agree that any court proceedings relating to your use of the Web site will take place in the Superior Court of California, County of Riverside. You agree to grant the City all intellectual property rights in the content of any e-mail that you send to the City.

If you do not agree to all of these terms, please log off of this website immediately.