Winnsboro to develop social media policy

night off. neal barton:facebook and twitter have become a vital communication tool. in all aspects of our lives.that also means it can be used for government outreach.ketk's cara prichard is here to explain why one east texas city is trying to create a social media policy.but not without some controversy.cara? neal, the city of winnsboro says developing a social media policy would help prevent potential violations of the texas open meetings act. however -- some people in that community are not happy about that decision...and they're turning to facebook to air their grievances. public records are no longer just paper...and as new technologies emerge, more questions are raised about open government and social networking.cara prichard, stand up:it's easy for a city council member to get on their phone and post how they feel about an agenda item on social media.but if three or more council members engage...it could be a violation of the open meetings act.craig lindholm, winnsboro city manager: we encourage transparency, we want council members and staff, for that matter, to be able to talk to the citizens and hear the citizens concerns so we can help address those, but we just have to be very careful about the way that we do it. the city of winnsboro has not adopted a communications policy, yet.craig lindholm, winnsboro city manager: this is up to the council to revise up until the time they vote and even at the time they vote, they can amend it. citizens and even a council member have posted their concerns online.katy perez posted to facebook, saying she fears the proposal is an attempt to force conformity and silence voices.craig lindholm, winnsboro city manager: that is not it at all. perez says be cautious, yes.but don't stop all online communication.people we spoke with say either way, social media has gotten out of hand. heather price, winnsboro citizen: people can get on and say whatever they want to without any guidelines, without a filter, without regard of what other people think, how they feel, how it's hurting our small businesses, affecting our town and affecting our city council. people still want the council to know what they think.but, there is still time to figure out a resolution. the city is holding a special called meeting on january 25th...they're working on finding a larger venue for more people to attend. the city attorney will be available at that time to answer questions.reporting live in the studio cara prichard ketk news. 3