In order to better serve the Overland Park community, the City of Overland Park utilizes user engagement tools, including social media channels, to provide information in more places and more ways than were traditionally available.

The City’s website, www.opkansas.org, is the City’s primary internet presence. Social media should be considered an additional tool to further the communication goals of the City to inform and interact with the public.

All content on City social media and all comments submitted to City social media are public and subject to disclosure pursuant to the Kansas Open Records Act. Please be aware that anything you post may survive deletion.

If you have an emergency, call 911.

If you have specific questions or requests regarding a City service, activity, or program that involves details you do not want to share publicly, please contact City Hall at 913-895-6000 or [email protected] for assistance. You may also submit a request through the City’s online customer service center at opcares.opkansas.org.

To protect your privacy and the privacy of others, do not include sensitive personally-identifiable information, such as social security numbers, on the City’s social media sites.

Posts to the City’s social media sites may be removed in a viewpoint-neutral manner under the City’s policy for City social media sites if allowed by law. Comments that are removed may be preserved as a public record.

If the City determines to remove the content of a person who is not an employee and who was not acting on behalf of the City, the City must endeavor to contact the person promptly to notify them of the action. The person may appeal the decision to the Communications Division and the City must inform the person of their right of appeal.

When Content is removed because it is a potential security breach or may contain a virus, the notice under this Section is not required, but the person responsible for the post may appeal the decision to the Communications Division.

The City reserves the right to discontinue the use of any or all City social media sites at any time.

Practical and legal considerations may sometimes constrain, prevent, or prohibit discussion by the City of certain topics, including, but not limited to litigation, pending investigations, and other topics through various media including social media.

Following or “friending” individuals or organizations is not an endorsement by the City and is only intended as a means of communication. Any references or links to a specific entity, product, service, or organization posted by individuals on the City social media sites should not be considered an endorsement by the City or its departments, employees, volunteers, or elected Officials.

The City does not review, sponsor, or endorse any other websites linked to its website or City social media sites. The views and opinions of authors expressed on those websites do not necessarily state or reflect the opinion of the City and may not be quoted or reproduced for the purpose of stating or implying any endorsement or approval of any product, person, or service by the City or its departments, employees, volunteers, or elected officials. The City is not responsible for content that appears on external links. The City is not responsible for and does not guarantee the authenticity, accuracy, appropriateness, or security of any link, external website, or its content.

Any questions about this policy or the City’s social media accounts should be directed to the Communications Division of the City Manager’s Office.

By accessing this site, posting, or commenting, you acknowledge having been advised of and understand the foregoing:

We encourage you to submit comments that are on topic, but please address your comments to the specific topic(s) discussed. This is a forum limited to the specific topics identified and raised by the City. Users who submit content to this City social media sites agree they have read, understand and agree to the following terms and conditions by virtue of such use:

1. I am submitting content voluntarily and on my own behalf.
2. The content I post reflects my own original thoughts or work.
3. I understand that the City has the right to re-post or share any content, photos or videos that I submit on this or other City social media sites.
4. I have read and understand the City’s social media policy, including the right of the City to remove, or archive Content as described in the City policy and as may be allowed by law.
5. I understand that any content I provide may be considered a public record under state law. 
6. I understand and agree that unless specifically identified as a resource for receiving requests for information under the state open record laws, City social media sites are not proper vehicles for making requests for public information or public records under state law and any such requests must be made to the appropriate custodian of the records.
7. I understand and agree that my and others’ comments are subject to archiving and that my comments and others’ comments are subject to removal in whole or in part from this site if my or their comments contain:
   • Comments not directly on the topic raised for discussion in a limited public forum,
   • Obscene or profane language, or pornographic images,
   • Direct threats,
   • Content that promotes discrimination on the basis of race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, or gender identity,
   • The solicitation, promotion or endorsement of specific commercial services, products or entities,
   • Content or links posted by automatic software programs (i.e.”bots”),
   • The promotion or encouragement of illegal activity,
   • Personally identifiable information or sensitive personal information that if released violates federal or state law,
   • The promotion or endorsement of a political campaign or candidate,
   • Information that compromises the public safety or security of the public or security systems,
   • Information that directly interferes or compromises ongoing investigations, public safety tactics, or the safety of public safety officers,
   • Confidential or exempt information in violation of state or federal law,
   • Appear to violate the intellectual property right of the City or a third party under federal or state law.
8. I also understand that the views and comments expressed by individuals on this site only reflect those of the comment’s author, and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the City, its elected and appointed officers and employees or its departments and agencies.
9. Waiver of Liability: Because various laws exist that create liability for various actions, including, but without limitation, defamation, invasion of privacy, false light, breach of contract, procurement violations, violations of due process among many potential areas of exposure for which the City accepts no responsibility based on the actions of others or for creating this social media site. I, for myself, successors and assigns, release and hold harmless and agree to indemnify the City, including its officers and employees, from any and all actions, claims, liabilities and damages of whatever kind and nature arising out of or in connection with my use of the City social media sites.

By posting, sharing, commenting, or otherwise engaging with City social media sites and content, I acknowledge that I understand and accept these terms of use.