Privacy Policy
The Town of Esopus (the “Town”) is committed to protecting the privacy of your information that you may provide while using our website at www.esopus.com. As part of this commitment, we want you to be aware of how we manage that information, what type of information is collected, how that information is used, and when and with whom this information is shared.
Scope
This Privacy Policy only covers the practices of the Town, and does not include local boards, community action networks, nor outside corporations.
Collection and Use of Personal Information
Direct Collection of Information
The Town collects information from you in your personal and professional capacity. Information about a business, association or non-profit is not personal information.
The majority of the information collected is voluntarily provided to the Town when an individual registers for programs or services through the Town or participates in a public consultation program.
The Town’s website will collect personal information for the following purposes:
Public Consultation and Feedback Forms
The Town may ask the public for feedback or comments on the Town’s proposals, changes to municipal activities, projects, services or regulatory activities (“Town Projects”). The information collected may contain personal information about individuals in the community, such as your name, address, contact information, and opinion about the Town Project that was commented on. This information is collected for the purpose of the Town’s decision-making processes, and may be considered publicly by a committee of the Town’s Council, and therefore may be a part of the public record. Wherever possible, the Town shall attempt to limit the amount of personal information that is provided to the public.
Employment
We regularly advertise employment opportunities on the Town’s Website. To apply for or inquire about a job posting, you may provide personal information such as your name, contact information and previous employment or education related information. You may also provide your résumé, cover letter or completed application form. This information is used solely for the purpose of processing and responding to your application for employment or employment inquiry.
Contact Information for Elected Officials, Town Staff and Officials
On the Town’s Website, you can find the contact information for the members of Town Government, Town staff members, and other various Town officials. If you contact these individuals, you may provide your personal information, including your name, contact information, and information about your inquiry, complaint or concern. This information is collected for the purpose of responding to your inquiry, complaint or concern, and may be forwarded to another Elected Official, Town Staff Member or Town Official who may be able to respond your inquiry, complaint or concern.
Miscellaneous
There may be occasions when the City may collect personal information for other reasons not specifically mentioned. When we do, the purpose for the collection, the authority for the collection, and who can be contacted if you have questions about the collection will be provided.
Indirect Collection of Information
You may visit the Town’s Website without providing any of your personal information to the Town. However, the Town may automatically collect information related to the use of the Town’s Website by using a browser tool known as a “cookie”. A cookie is generated by the Town’s server, and is sent to your computer and stored there. These cookies contain information about your website browsing session, and are collected for the purpose of remembering your information as you traverse the Town’s Website. These cookies may contain information about the Town programs or services for which you are registering, and information about the products or services you are purchasing from the Town.
The Town uses only “session cookies” which means that the information saved in the cookie is provided to the Town only as long as you keep your browser open (in “session”). The Town does not use persistent cookies which are stored on your computer and read by the server that sent the cookie every time that you visit the website on that server. The Town does not combine the information gathered by its servers with other information in a way that could identify persons.
You may set your browser to refuse to accept cookies. Doing this may affect your ability to view certain portions of the Town’s Website or use certain applications on the Town’s Website.
The Town also uses web analytics software that records site visits, which will include your Internet Protocol (IP) address. This information is collected in accordance with the Municipal Act, 2001 s.10(1) for the purposes of designing the Town Website to better meet the needs of people visiting the City’s Website, including analyzing trends, administering the site, and gathering broad demographic information for aggregate use. The IP address is not combined with other information to identify individuals personally.
From time to time we may report aggregated demographic information in the form of reports or statistics, but this information is not linked to any other information that could be used to identify a person.
Further Communication Arising from Information Provided
You will not receive phone calls, correspondence or emails from the Town as a result of visiting the Town’s Website, unless you have indicated that you would like to be contacted by the Townor your request implicitly requires a response.
Disclosure of Personal Information
Your information may be shared between Town Staff, Town Officials and Elected Officials only where that information is necessary for the performance of their duties.
The Town will not disclose your information to a third party except where provided by this Privacy Policy or in accordance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. M.56 or other applicable law.
Disclosure to Service Providers
Certain personal information may be disclosed to third parties retained by the Town to provide services to the Town.
Security of Information
Because transfer of information over the Internet cannot be guaranteed to be secure, the Town does not guarantee, represent or warrant that personal information will be protected against loss, misuse, unauthorized use or alteration. Furthermore, the Town does not accept any liability for information that you have submitted or for the use, misuse or unauthorized use of your information by you or any third party. The Town uses SSL encryption technology to protect personal information during transmission.
Links to Other Websites
The Town’s Website includes links to websites that are not affiliated with the Town, and over which the Town has no control. These links are provided as a courtesy to the public and the Town has no responsibility or liability for the way that the third parties operate their websites, the content of the websites or how or if the organizations collect, use, disclose or otherwise manage your information. You may want to review that website’s privacy policy to decide whether you want to proceed with visiting that website.