Privacy policy and legal information

Copyright

All content on Garfield County websites is Copyright ©2018 by Garfield County, Colorado. All Rights Reserved. All content included on Garfield County websites, such as text, graphics, logos, button icons, images, audio clips, download files, data compilations, and software, is the property of Garfield County, Colorado, or the supplier of the content, and is protected by United States and international copyright laws. The compilation of all content on Garfield County websites is the exclusive property of Garfield County, Colorado and protected by United States and international copyright laws. All software used on Garfield County websites is the property of Garfield County, Colorado, or its software suppliers, and protected by United States and international copyright laws.

Privacy Statement

Disclaimer

The Garfield County website has many links to other websites. These may include links to websites or i-frames presenting information from other websites operated by other government agencies, nonprofit organizations and private businesses. When you click on a link to another site or view information within an i-frame, you are no longer on the Garfield County website and this Privacy Policy will not apply. When you click on a link to another website, you are subject to the privacy policy of that new site.

Neither Garfield County, nor any agency, officer, or employee of Garfield County warrants the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of any information published by this site, nor endorses any content, viewpoints, products or services linked from this site, and shall not be held liable for any losses caused by reliance on the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of such information. Portions of such information may be incorrect or not current. Any person or entity that relies on any information obtained from this site does so at his or her own risk.

Please note that the Internet is an evolving medium. Our use of information gathered while the current policy is in effect will always be consistent with current policy, even if we later change that policy. Garfield County reserves the right to make changes, corrections and/or improvements at any time and without notice. In addition, Garfield County disclaims any and all liability for damages incurred directly or indirectly as a result of errors, omissions or discrepancies.

This Garfield County website is provided to the public for informational and educational purposes only. Although every effort has been made to provide accurate and timely information on the pages of this website, the information contained herein is subject to frequent correction and revision and may not represent the most current version available. The reader of the information on this website is responsible for verifying its accuracy and relevance, and any use of this information is undertaken at the reader’s sole risk. Garfield County does not guarantee the timeliness or accuracy of the information provided on this website and Garfield County shall not be held liable for any errors or omissions in the content of the website or for any action taken in reliance on the information provided.

This site is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied. You should not assume that this site is error-free or that it will be suitable for the particular purpose which you have in mind when using it.

In no event shall Garfield County be liable for any special, incidental, indirect or consequential damages of any kind, or any damages whatsoever, including, without limitation, those resulting from loss of use, data, or profits, whether or not advised of the possibility of damage, and on any theory of liability, arising out of or in connection with the use or performance of this site or other documents which are referenced by or linked to this site.

Personally Identifiable Information on Casual Visitors Not Collected and Retained

You may choose whether to provide personal information online.

For the purposes of this statement “personally identifiable information” means any information relating to an identified or identifiable individual who is the subject of the information. Personal information includes such things as an individual’s name, address, and phone number. A domain name or Internet Protocol address is not considered personal information.

You do not have to provide personal information to visit Garfield County’s websites to read, download or print information. Garfield County collects no personal information about you online unless you voluntarily provide it to us by sending us an email, participating in a survey, or completing an online form. Government agencies may request personally identifiable information from you in order to provide specific services that you request. Any information collected for that purpose would be only that which is necessary to provide those services and will be handled as it would be on an in-person visit to a government office. You may choose not to contact us by email, participate in a survey or to provide any personal information using an online form. However, if you choose to provide personal information, this information is a public record once you provide it, and may be subject to public inspection and copying if not protected by federal or state law.

Some Unidentifiable Information Routinely Collected

In order to provide new services, design a more customer friendly site and facilitate access to it, Garfield County analyzes traffic on the site. Information that is not personally identifiable such as web pages or services accessed, IP (Internet Protocol) addresses, date, time, and browser types and versions are collected and used for this purpose. The site does not attempt to associate this data with information that is personally identifiable (such as an email address).

Cookies

Google Analytics

The Garfield County Website uses Google Analytics, a web analytic service provided by Google, Inc. (“Google”). Google Analytics uses “cookies.” The information generated by the cookie about your use of the website (including your IP address) will be transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States. Google will use this information for the purpose of evaluating your use of the website, compiling reports on website activity for website operators and providing other services relating to website activity and internet usage. Google may also transfer this information to third parties where required to do so by law, or where such third parties process the information on Google’s behalf. Google will not associate your IP address with any other data held by Google. You may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser, however please note that if you do this you may not be able to use the full functionality of this website. By using this website, you consent to the processing of data about you by Google in the manner and for the purposes set out above.

Use of Constituent Email Addresses

Email addresses obtained as a result of a request to the Garfield County site will not be sold or given to other private companies for marketing purposes. Email or other information requests sent to the Garfield County website may be maintained in order to respond to the request or to forward the request to the appropriate department. You may be able to receive updates on issues important to you, but only if you choose to “opt-in” to that specific service. By “opting-in” to one such service you do not “opt-in” to other services. Should you subsequently choose not to receive such informational updates via email you can remove yourself at any time.

Public Access to Information

In the State of Colorado, laws exist to ensure that government is open and that the public has a right to access appropriate records and information possessed by County government. All content contained within or associated with the Garfield County Internet websites is subject to the provisions of the Colorado Public (Open) Records Act, § 24-72-201 et seq., C.R.S., as amended. At the same time, there are exceptions to the public’s right to access public records that serve various needs including the privacy of individuals. Exceptions are provided by both state and federal laws.

Pursuant to the Colorado Public (Open) Records Act, all of the information collected at this site potentially becomes public record that may be subject to inspection and copying by members of the public, unless an exemption in law exists. Some state laws outside the Colorado Public (Open) Records Act protect specific records. For example, certain medical records held by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the Department of Human Services are kept from disclosure under separate laws. Investigative records maintained by regulatory agencies and business and licensing boards may be exempt. Specific federal law may govern whether certain information or documents may be disclosed. Careful legal research is required to evaluate each request for public records.

In the event of a conflict between this Privacy Notice and the Colorado Public (Open) Records Act or other law governing the disclosure of records, the Colorado Public (Open) Records Act or other applicable law will control.

Online Profiling

Online profiling is the practice of aggregating information about resident’s preferences and interests, gathered primarily by tracking their movements online and using the resulting citizen profiles to create targeted content on websites. Garfield County does not conduct or participate in online profiling.

Advertising

All forms of advertising are prohibited on the Garfield County website.

Linkage Policy

The Garfield County website, www.garfield-county.com and any domain names that point to sites therein owned by Garfield County are provided as a public service. The sites are overseen by the Garfield County Communications Department but content is managed by individual departments. Garfield County makes no representations, guarantees, or warranties as to the accuracy, completeness, currency, or suitability of the information provided via the website. Garfield County specifically disclaims any and all liability for any claims or damages which may result from providing the site or the information it contains, including any websites maintained by third parties and linked to the County’s website or presented within an i-frame on the County’s website. The responsibility for content rests with the organizations that are providing the information. The inclusion of links from these sites does not imply endorsement by Garfield County. Specific questions regarding any content should be directed to the appropriate organization. Garfield County makes no effort to independently verify, and does not exert editorial control over, information on pages outside of the County’s website. Garfield County does not endorse any of the products, vendors, consultants, or documentation referenced in this website. Any mention of vendors, products, or services is for informational purposes only.

Linking to Garfield County

Organizations or entities meeting specific criteria will only be permitted to utilize a hyperlink from the Garfield County website if the stated focus or purpose of such an entity is to directly promote the health, safety, welfare, or general commerce of the residents and visitors of Garfield County. If you link to any Garfield County owned site, you may not portray any person or subject in a false or misleading light. You must also refrain from creating frames, or using other visual altering tools, around the Garfield County pages. Lastly, you may not imply that Garfield County is endorsing your product or services.

Hyperlinks shall not be made available to any newspapers, periodicals, or any other similar news gathering organization or entity, due to concerns regarding the dissemination of political or ideological materials to a captive audience. Notwithstanding the foregoing, press releases prepared by Garfield County, for release to the press, may be made available on the website, and any such news organization may hyperlink from its own website to the Garfield County website.

Security

Garfield County, as developer and manager of the Garfield County website, performs security steps to safeguard the integrity of its data and to prevent unauthorized access to information maintained by the County. These measures are designed and intended to prevent corruption of data, block unknown or unauthorized access to our systems and information, and to provide reasonable protection of private information in our possession.

This Information on the Garfield County websites should not be construed in any way as giving business, legal, or other advice, or warranting as fail proof the security of information provided via Garfield County websites.

Data Security and Quality

Garfield County is committed to security and accuracy of personally identifiable data that is either available from or collected by governmental websites, and has taken reasonable precautions to protect personally identifiable information from loss, misuse, or alteration. Any third parties responsible for this information are committed to the same principles, and also are required by contract to follow the same policies and guidelines as Garfield County in protecting this information.

Warning

Unauthorized attempts to upload information or change information on this website, including unauthorized alterations to the wording of any online forms available on the site, are strictly prohibited. Alteration of the wording of downloadable or online forms renders the forms invalid. Unauthorized interference with the operations and functions of this website, by electronic or other means, is strictly prohibited. Any attempt to use any information, feature or other aspect of the site to engage in criminal conduct will be vigorously prosecuted. Any unlawful actions may be subject to criminal prosecution and may also result in civil liability.