The City's goal in collecting personal information online is to provide you with the most personalized and effective service possible. By understanding your needs and preferences, the City will be in a better position to provide you with improved service. The City will maintain the confidentiality of information it receives online to the same extent it is legally able to do so with respect to information obtained through other means.

Communications made through e-mail and other messaging systems shall in no way be deemed to constitute legal notice to the City or any of its agencies, officers, employees, agents or representatives, with respect to any existing or potential claim or cause of action against the City or any of its agencies, officers, employees, agents, or representatives, where notice to the City is required by any federal, state or local laws, rules or regulations.

The City does not warrant:

• That the functions contained in the materials will be uninterrupted or error-free.
  
  
• That defects will be promptly corrected.
  
  
• That this site or the server that makes it available is free of viruses or other harmful components.
  
  
• That the City is responsible for the content or the privacy policies of web sites to which it may provide links.

The City's web servers are maintained to provide public access to City information via the Internet. The City's web services and the content of its web servers and databases are updated on a continual basis. While the City attempts to keep its web information accurate and timely, the City neither warrants nor makes representations or endorsements as to the quality, content, accuracy or completeness of the information, text, graphics, hyperlinks, and other items contained on this server or any other server. Web materials have been compiled from a variety of sources, and are subject to change without notice from the City as a result of updates and corrections. Further, some materials on the City's web site and related links may be protected by copyright law; therefore, if you have any questions regarding whether you may: a) modify and/or re-use text, images or other web content from a City server, b) distribute the City's web content, and/or c) "mirror" the City's information on a non-City server, please contact the City's Office of Communication & Public Engagement.

The City uses reasonable precautions to keep the personal information disclosed to the City secure but cannot guarantee the security of any information.

The City web site employs industry-standard methods to monitor network traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information or otherwise cause damage.

The City of Gaithersburg permits the establishment of links to external websites on the City's official website solely in conformance with this policy. In establishing and maintaining its official website, the City does not intend in any manner to create a forum or other means by which public discourse, exchange of opinions, or discussion on issues of any nature may occur. Rather, the sole and limited purpose of the City's website and permitted external links is to provide non-political and non-religious information of a factual nature about the City of Gaithersburg including various services and resources available within and around the City, or as may be available from other governmental agencies. To avoid any perception that the City endorses or provides favorable treatment to any private person or business enterprise, no corporate or commercial logos or direct links to vendor sites are allowed.

When you select a link to another site you are transferred to the selected site and you are no longer on the City's website. Each link is governed by its own operating rules including but not limited to its respective privacy policy, if any. The City's privacy policy and operating rules apply solely to the City's website.

Consistent with the foregoing policy, it is the City's policy to limit external links to the following kinds of entities and organizations:

1. Chamber of commerce and area economic development and tourism agencies.
2. Local utilities.
3. Other governmental agencies.
4. Hospitals and area emergency services.
5. Transportation services.
6. Museums, libraries, historical organizations and similar kinds of established, bona fide organizations that provide cultural resources to residents and visitors of the City.
7. Private foundations and entities that are primarily dedicated to supporting a program or initiative operated by the City.
8. Public and private, bona fide educational institutions.
9. On-line service for payment of City issued parking tickets (External Contractor).

1. Deny an external link to any business or organization when it is determined that the entity or organization does not meet the criteria set forth in this policy.
2. Remove any external link if the nature of the business or organization to which the link relates no longer complies with the City's external link policy.
3. Revise this policy without prior notice when to do so is deemed to be in the best interests of the City.

Any use of the materials stored on the City's website is prohibited without the written permission of the City of Gaithersburg. The City of Gaithersburg retains all intellectual property rights including copyrights on all text, graphic images and other content.

This means that the following acts or activities are prohibited without prior, written permission from the City of Gaithersburg:

1. Modifying and/or re-using text, images or other web content from a City server;
2. Distributing the City's web content; or
3. "Mirroring" the City's information on a non-City server.