By Ryan Clark
NKyTribune reporter
With two options for a new city Social Media Policy placed before them Tuesday night, Covington commissioners decided to go against Commissioner Tim Downing – and Mayor Joseph U. Meyer – and move forward with option one, a plan originally presented two weeks ago that calls for disabling citizen comments on city posts.
“It’s unfortunate,” said Downing.
And if he were tweeting it, he may have added a sad-face emoji.
Downing adamantly opposed the plan, saying if there were other ways to monitor social media while allowing public comment it should be done. So on Tuesday, city officials also presented option two, which called for exactly that – the monitoring and deleting of posts that went against city policy.
However, commissioners seem to balk when City Manager David Johnston explained how, under the second option, a staffer would need to be hired to manage the multiple Facebook pages (which are now separately managed by each department, such as fire, police, parks and recreation, etc.) as well as the city Twitter and Instagram pages.
Commissioner Michelle Williams said she felt better knowing each department would continue to manage its own pages, which would occur under the first option plan.
Johnston also implied the second option would be a difficult transition to manage. Still, Downing said sometimes it’s better to ignore what’s easy and do what’s right.
“We should allow our residents to communicate back – end of story,” he said.
Two weeks ago, Johnston explained that he encountered a similar social media situation a few years ago in the Washington state suburb where he previously worked.
Michael Bartlett, the senior assistant city solicitor, said last week that problems have arisen when police have posted “positive” messages on city social media pages only to be met with negative and untrue comments by Internet “trolls.” Bartlett said sometimes as many as 80 so-called negative messages have been posted at a time.
Johnston and Bartlett explained that in order to prevent “misleading or untrue commentary,” and other forms of “hijacking” of social media threads, the city will just turn off those comments, making residents unable to post them. Of course, residents can still post their own comments on the city website, and they could still direct message the city via social media.
Then there are the meetings, where the public can speak, and they can always call the city building, too.
Both Commissioner Jordan Huizenga and Commissioner Bill Wells said they could go with either policy, but ultimately decided to move forward with the first option. Along with Williams, that made the unofficial vote 3-2.
Still, Mayor Meyer noted that if anyone had a change of heart, a different decision could be made before next week’s legislative meeting, where the city will officially hear a first reading of the policy.
Also Tuesday:
- Commissioners moved forward to accept a $100,000 federal grant (with a 25 percent match) to install a sidewalk and improve aesthetics from west of the Brent Spence Bridge to Route 8.
- Commissioners moved forward with a plan to change Jefferson Ave. – less than 100 feet between 19th Street and Highland Pike – from a two-way street to one-way northbound, according to Public Services Director Rick Davis.
- Commissioners adjourned to Executive Session to discuss “pending litigation.”
The next Covington Commission meeting will be a legislative meeting held at 6 p.m., Feb. 27 at the Covington City Hall at 20 West Pike St.
Contact the NKyTribune at news@nkytrib.com
