Privacy Policy

TERMS OF USE AND PRIVACY POLICY

View information related to the Town of Billerica’s terms of use and privacy policy below.

TERMS OF USE 

Here’s what you agree to by using a digital Town service

A QUICK SUMMARY OF MAJOR POINTS

  • By using our website or any digital Town service, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy. 
  • You agree to not use a digital Town service for any unlawful or harmful purposes. If you do, your actions shall be considered a violation of these terms of use, and the Town may limit your access.
  • The Town is subject to the Massachusetts Public Records Law.  If you submit any information or records to the Town, that information will become a public record . 
  • The Town is not responsible for user-generated content (any content that was not created by a Town employee or official but may be featured on a digital Town service). 

WHAT THIS COVERS

The following Terms of Use lay out the purpose and intent of the Town’s website and other platforms the Town may use to provide digital services. Digital Town services include:

  • www.town.billerica.ma.us
  • the BILLERICAWORKS! website
  • the Town’s permit applications system, and
  • any other official Town digital products offered online. 

The Town offers digital services in order to deliver effective service to the public, and create a better community for everyone.

Note: these Terms of Use do not apply to social media sites.

THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

The Town also contracts with third-parties for certain services, like:

  • web traffic monitoring and website optimization,
  • form submissions and workflow tools,
  • web portals, and
  • financial transactions.

Whenever you use a third-party service, you are also agreeing to that service’s Terms of Use.  If you have any questions about if a digital Town service involves a third-party service, please reach out to webmaster@town.billerica.ma.us.

APPROPRIATE USE OF SERVICES

  • There are different ways you can access Town services online. Some involve just reading through a page on www.town.billerica.ma.us, but others require information being entered into an online form. The Town has certain rules to follow when interacting with any of these online services. 

You may not use digital Town services for any of the following purposes:

  • To commit a criminal offense or to encourage others to engage in any conduct that would constitute a criminal offense;
  • To cause any harm that would result in the payment of damages, or encourage others to cause such harm;
  • To impersonate a person or entity, or to claim a relationship with or represent any person or entity you are not authorized to represent;
  • To upload any malicious content that may impact a digital Town service, the Town’s servers or networks, or the hardware or software of any other person who accesses them; or
  • To upload, post, or otherwise transmit any materials that you do not have the right to transmit (like uploading a video with copyrighted music). 

The Town reserves the right to suspend your access to a digital Town service if the Town has reason to believe that your access is being used for any of the prohibited purposes listed above (or for any other inappropriate or unlawful use). If the Town has a way to contact you, the Town will do its best to let you know about the suspension. If you believe your account has been suspended unfairly, please contact webmaster@town.billerica.ma.us.

IF YOU ARE CREATING AN ACCOUNT:

In order to access some digital Town services, you may be required to create an account. When creating an account, you must ensure that all the information provided by you is current, accurate, and complete, and that you’ll keep the information as updated as possible. You agree that you are at least 18 years old, unless the particular site is intended for children under 18. You agree to never use another’s account without permission. You are solely responsible for the activity that occurs on your account. You agree to keep your account password secure. You must notify us as soon as possible of any breach of security or unauthorized use of your account. 

Digital Town services are an additional service provided to constituents as an alternative method for interacting with the Town in-person. However, the Town can remove digital services, or access to those services, at the Town's discretion. If you have outstanding business with the Town, you are still required to fulfill those obligations, even if a digital Town service is unavailable for any reason.

INDEMNITY CLAUSE

To the fullest extent permitted by law, you acknowledge and agree to indemnify, hold harmless, and assume the defense of the Town, its officers, agents or employees, with counsel acceptable to Town, from all liabilities, suits, claims, losses, and costs including reasonable attorneys’ fees) or any other damages against them or any of them arising from any act or omission by you, your agents, officers, employees, or subcontractors in any way connected with your use of our Services, your violation of these Terms, or the infringement, or alleged infringement, by you of any intellectual property or other right of any person or entity.

DISCLAIMERS 

Availability 
 Digital Town services are subject to forces outside of the Town’s control (like the internet), so it’s possible that some services may not be available at certain points. The Town is not liable for issues in availability. 

Accuracy
 Real people are responsible for updating digital Town services, so there are times when information updates may be delayed or inaccurate. The Town is not liable for those times. The Town will endeavor to be sure the information is up to date.

Security
 Digital Town services may include a secured transaction. While your online security is a priority, there’s always a possibility of a breach. The Town works to keep every transaction secure, but, to the extent permitted by law, the Town is not liable if a breach does happen.

External links
 While utilizing an online Town service, you may see external links that link off to a website not managed by the Town (also known as a third-party website). The Town is not involved in creating or managing the content of the third-party website and is not responsible for what happens once you click off of a digital Town service page.

USER-GENERATED CONTENT 

USER-GENERATED CONTENT FEATURED WITHIN A DIGITAL TOWN SERVICE

Some digital Town services may display content that is user-generated. This means the content was created by a member of the public, not someone affiliated with the Town. For example, user-generated content could be a BILLERICAWORKS! ticket submitted by a user, or a call to the community to submit artwork that is published on www.town.billerica.ma.us. The Town does not endorse, support, or share the viewpoint of any user-generated content on a digital Town service. 

If you are creating content you know will be posted publicly on a digital Town service, you agree not to post anything illegal, obscene, threatening, or fraudulent (you have to be who you say you are). If you don’t follow these rules, the Town can remove the publicly posted content. Also remember that any information submitted to the Town is subject to the Massachusetts Public Records Law (learn more in our Privacy Policy).

Keep in mind: if you post content on a digital Town service, you are granting the Town permission to use your content (for example, the Town can use a photo sent in using BILLERICAWORKS! or use the artwork you sent in). If you publicly post content to a digital Town service that infringes on a copyright, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act give the Town the authority to take it down. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act dictates how the Town will notify you of the infringement claim and what you can do if you think your content was taken down by mistake. 

USER-GENERATED CONTENT CREATED FROM TOWN INFORMATION

It’s possible that a third-party could take information from a digital Town service and host it on a separate platform (for example, taking the food truck schedule from www.town.billerica.ma.us and displaying it on a separate website). The Town is not responsible for information posted by third parties not affiliated with the Town, so cannot ensure the information’s accuracy.

If you are using Town information on a third-party site, please keep in mind:

  • You and your application must not express or imply any sponsorship or endorsement by the Town of Billerica.
  • The text and images used in applications produced using Town information should not be similar to those used by the Town of Billerica. They should not imply ownership, endorsement, or approval by the Town of Billerica. You may not use the Town seal in any way.
  • Town of Billerica services should not be misrepresented. For example, non-Town services should not be represented as Town of Billerica Services.
  • If you are using an API (Application Programming Interface) to source information from a digital Town service, the Town asks that you be mindful of excessive usage (which could slow down service for others). Though there is currently no usage limit, the Town asks that you let the Town know if you plan to make heavy use of an API featured on a digital Town service (please email webmaster@town.billerica.ma.us)

CHANGES TO THIS POLICY

The Town’s Terms of Use are likely to be updated. Every time you visit an online Town service, it’s considered a new transaction, so it’s important to check back to make sure you understand and are comfortable with the terms. The date that this policy was last modified can be found at the top of this page. Any modifications are effective immediately.  This document should be considered the most updated policy and will be considered above any other agreements. 

PRIVACY POLICY 

Here’s how the Town will use the information you provide

A QUICK SUMMARY OF MAJOR POINTS

  • By using the website or any digital Town service, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. 
  • Whenever a user visits a digital Town service, be aware that some information is automatically collected. None of the information automatically collected is personally identifiable (it wouldn’t identify you as an individual). 
  • Some digital Town services (like the creation of a user account) will require you to provide additional information. 
  • The Town is subject to the Massachusetts Public Records Law. If you submit any information to us, that information becomes public record and may be subject to disclosure upon request.

WHAT THIS COVERS

The Town of Billerica is committed to providing users with convenient and secure digital government services while protecting digital privacy. This Privacy Policy describes how the Town collects and treats information when you visit www.town.billerica.ma.usor use any digital Town service. Every time you use a digital Town service, you are consenting to this privacy policy. 

THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

The Town contracts with third-parties for certain services, such as:

  • web traffic monitoring and website optimization,
  • form submissions and workflow tools,
  • web portals, and
  • financial transactions.

Whenever you use you a third-party service, you are also agreeing to that service’s Privacy Policy.  If you have any questions about if a digital Town service involves a third-party service, please reach out to webmaster@town.billerica.ma.us.

INFORMATION THE TOWN AUTOMATICALLY COLLECTS AND RECEIVES

Some information is automatically collected when you visit www.town.billerica.ma.us or any digital Town service. As with many websites, the Town uses server logs, cookies, metadata, and geocodes. The information automatically collected may include, but is not limited to: 

  • the domain name of your Internet Service Provider and/or your computer 
  • the IP address from which you access our website
  • your browser type (e.g., Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, or Mozilla Firefox)
  • your operating system (e.g., Windows or Mac)
  • the type of device you are using
  • the date and time you accessed our Services
  • location data
  • the pages you visited, as well as any applications or forms used, and 
  • the Uniform Resource Locator (“URL”) of the webpage that linked you to our Services. 

The Town does not collect this information to provide targeted advertising. The Town collects this information in order to help better analyze and improve digital Town services. This information allows the Town to learn how many visitors the Town has, where they are coming from, and which of the Town’s services are of most interest to users. The Town analyzes traffic to services in various ways, including using third-party services listed below. The Town reserves the right to change analytic service providers at any time, with or without notice. 

Unless you affirmatively provide additional information to us (for instance, as part of an account creation process described below), the Town does not collect or store personally identifiable information[JMA1] . 

INFORMATION YOU AFFIRMATIVELY PROVIDE TO THE TOWN

While some information is automatically collected when you visit a digital Town service, there are also times you may provide the Town with additional information. This could include:

User submissions
Some of the digital Town services allow users to submit suggestions, comments, or requests to us. This could be by emailing the Town, filling out an online form, or reporting a problem via BILLERICAWORKS!. This data may include personally identifiable information such as a name, contact information  and email address. If you send the Town a message via email or through an online form, the Town will use that information to respond to the request. The Town may also direct your message to another government agency that can help in fulfilling your request.

User accounts
 Users do not have to register for accounts to browse or read the Town website. However, some of the digital Town services involve the creation of a user account. Creating an account may involve the submission of personally identifiable information. This could include a display name, password, e-mail address, full name, mailing address, telephone number, etc. 

The Town does not use any of this information to send commercial or marketing messages. The Town may use this information to notify you of major changes to digital Town services or provide you with customer service.

Some of the user account systems can be linked with third-party websites, such as social media networks. To link your accounts, you must provide the Town with your display name or user ID on those third-party websites. You may also be required to engage in an authorization process with each of those websites. During the process, the Town will receive a token or account identifier that allows linking of your account on the Town’s system with your account on that particular website. The Town does not receive or store your passwords from those websites.

Secure transactions
 The Town takes data security very seriously. The Town makes every reasonable effort to protect information provided to the Town or third-party service providers. The Town has adopted an HTTPS-only policy for digital Town services. (Some exceptions may apply for legacy websites and digital Town services hosted on www.town.billerica.ma.us.) If you’re making an online payment through a digital Town service, it’s always good to make sure the website address starts with “https”.

Email and text messages
 There are multiple ways you can sign up to receive information from the Town or a specific department or program. Usually, these messages will be sent through email or text messages. 

These email communications may include web beacons. Web beacons allow us to collect information such as: 

  • the time and date the email is opened
  • the IP address of the recipient, and 
  • the recipient’s browser or email client. 

The Town uses this information to make our communications better. 

You can unsubscribe from these email or text notifications at any time. Just following the instructions included at the bottom of each email or in the text. The Town generates email alerts using a number of different systems. If you are subscribed to multiple email threads, you may need to unsubscribe from each one individually. Although you may be unsubscribed from alerts, your email address or phone number may still remain in our system. If you have any questions about these alerts, or if you would like to ensure your information is removed from the system, please contact webmaster@town.billerica.ma.us.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER YOU PROVIDE PERSONAL INFORMATION

The Town’s intention in collecting information is to provide users with smooth and efficient digital Town service experiences. However, because the Town is a government entity, there are a few important things to note.

Information storage
 We are required by law to retain records for a certain amount of time, as laid out in the Municipal records retention schedule. Retention timelines can vary depending on what kind of information you provide (for example, general correspondence like an email must be held for three years).

Sharing information
 The Town may share information or statistics with third parties or the public in an anonymous form that does not directly identify you. This would typically be done to assess a digital Town service (such as using information in our Open Data Portal to assess the efficiency of bus routes). 

Additionally, if a user is having issues with a digital Town service, the Town may share information with outside parties to the extent necessary to troubleshoot the issues or enhance the performance of the system. 

Public records
 As a government agency, any information the Town has in its system is subject to the Massachusetts Public Records Law.  This means the information you provide to us may become available to members of the public upon request under Massachusetts law. 

Subpoenas
 It’s possible that the Town may receive a subpoena, or other lawful order, that legally requires information to be turned over to the court system. A subpoena could include personal information entered into a digital Town service. 

Data security
 The Town has implemented data security measures to protect the loss, misuse, or alteration of the information under our control to the extent possible. The Town also maintains ongoing efforts to identify and block unauthorized use of our servers. However, no website or data storage system is completely secure. To the extent permitted by law, the Town is not responsible for any harm that comes as a result of a breach in a digital Town service. 

Children’s information
 The digital Town services are intended for use by adults. The Town does not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 years of age. However, the Town also does not try to determine whether a visitor is underage. If you are a parent or legal guardian of a child under the age of 13 who you believe has submitted personal information by use of these Services, please contact the Town at webmaster@town.billerica.ma.us.

CHANGES TO THIS POLICY

The Town reserves the right to change the terms of this policy at any time. The Town encourages you to review this page periodically to stay informed of any updates. The date that this policy was last modified can be found at the top of this page. Any modifications are effective immediately. Your continued use of digital Town services signifies your consent to any changes to this policy.

Still have questions? Contact:

Chris Bartlett
Director of Information Technology
365 Boston Road, Room 213
Billerica, MA 01821 

978-667-5204
webmaster@town.billerica.ma.us