The City of Port Alberni has decided to end commenting on its social-media sites.
“We were having some pretty negative personal comments directed at one of our staff members, which was really unfortunate,” Mayor Sharie Minions said Friday.
The decision was made at the administrative level to turn off commenting on social media and council gave its full support to the move, she said.
The issue sparking the latest posts was a shortage of lifeguards at the local pool that led to cancelled swimming sessions and reduced hours, which upset some in the community, Minions said.
Chief administrative officer Mike Fox said in a statement that most people are respectful online but some content clearly violated city policy.
“It’s important for us as administrators to ensure we strike the right balance between civic engagement and providing a safe and respectful environment for staff members and council.”
Under the city’s social-media policy, staff have the right to remove comments containing language that is considered harassment, bullying, racism or hate speech, or contains violent threats towards staff and council members.
The city does not have enough staff to adequately monitor the sites, Fox said.
Residents are encouraged to share ideas and opinions on city policies, including attending live or online council meetings, reaching out to the mayor or council members via email, the website, phone, or visiting city facilities for general inquiries, the city said.
