CITY OF MOUNTLAKE TERRACE PRIVACY POLICY

The City of Mountlake Terrace (“we,” “us,” “our,” the “City”) collects information about you in order to provide you with online services through our city website. This online privacy policy applies to any information submitted throughout our website and online services.

Information Classification

The City classifies information for collection, transmission, storage, and use with the following categorizations: 

Public information?can be or currently is released to the public. It does not need protection from unauthorized disclosure but does need integrity and availability protection controls. This would include general public information, published reference documents (within copyright restrictions), open-source materials, approved promotional information, and press releases.

Sensitive information?may not be specifically protected from disclosure by law and is for official use only. Sensitive information is generally not released to the public unless specifically requested. Although most of this information is subject to disclosure laws because of the City's status as a public entity, it still requires careful management and protection to ensure the integrity and obligations of the City's business operations and compliance requirements. 

Confidential information?is information that is specifically protected in all or in part from disclosure under the Washington State Public Records Act – Chapter 42.56 RCW. 

Confidential information requiring special handling?is specifically protected from disclosure by law and subject to strict handling requirements dictated by statutes, regulations, or legal agreements.

Information We May Collect and Disclose About You

We sometimes have to share information about you with third parties to provide you with products and services. We may collect personal information from a variety of sources, like:

• Information we receive from you on applications or other forms, such as your name, address, or email address.
• Information about your transactions with us such as account balances, payment history, parties to transactions, and credit and debit card usage.
• Information we receive from a consumer reporting agency, such as your credit history.
• Information we obtain from verifications of employment or income, or other forms/applications that you provide.

We may need to disclose any or all of the information we collect to companies that perform services on our behalf or to other financial institutions that have joint agreements with the City. These disclosures typically include information to conduct the operations of the City, to follow your instructions, or to protect the security of our financial records. This category may include, but is not limited to, law enforcement agencies, regulators, and auditors.

This applies equally to current and former website or online services users.

Online Payment Services

You may be required to provide personal identifying information for online payment services. This information enables the City and the companies we work with to provide secure access to your accounts. Information passed between parties as part of a transaction will be transmitted in a secure manner to assure the privacy and integrity of the information. We do not sell your personal information.
 

City Website

When you visit our website, we may use "cookies" on some pages of our website for the purpose of serving you better when you return to our site. A cookie is a small text file placed on your hard drive by our host's webpage server. These cookies do not collect any personal identification information and may be used for administrative purposes, for example, to improve our website design and content.

The City website also includes links to other various sites for the purpose of providing informational and/or community resources.  Before providing personal identifiable information at any of these sites, we ask that you read their Privacy and Security Statements. The City is not responsible for any information you provide to these sites, information gathered at a linked site, or for the content of any such site.

Subscription Services

The City and its agents offer users the option of having specified information sent to them by email or phone text. The City will only collect the user information necessary to provide this service. Only requested or emergency information will be sent using that information.

Neither the City nor its agents sell or rent mailing lists of its subscribers to any organization. The City may provide lists of its subscribers to project partner government agencies, and then only to provide customized information to residents or business owners who may be served by receipt of that information. Please note: The City and its agents may be required to provide email lists to third parties if the information is requested under state public disclosure law.

Subscribers have the option to unsubscribe from any subscription services offered. Subscribers may at any time modify their contact information or remove their address entirely from the system.

Internet Fraud: Phishing

Phishing is a common scam where people employ techniques that create a fraudulent website to lure unsuspecting consumers into giving personal and financial information. One way phishers attempt to fool consumers is by sending fraudulent emails designed to look like they are coming from a business or institution, asking consumers to “take action” by clicking on a link that takes them to a fraudulent website. Thinking that the website is authentic, consumers enter personal information that compromises their privacy and security.

The City does not and will not request personal information via email.  Visit www.antiphishing.org for the latest information about phishing scams.