Board of Estimate & Contract:
RESOLVED, that an ordinance adopted by the City Council on May 28, 2025, and signed by the Acting Mayor on May 28, 2025, authorizing the Purchase of Archive Social Services from CivicPlus and Appropriating Funds - ($9,625.60 from Budget Code A1680.216 to cover the full cost of the Archive Social service); be, and the same is hereby approved.
City Council:
AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE
PURCHASE OF ARCHIVE SOCIAL SERVICES
FROM CIVICPLUS AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS
Whereas, in a letter dated May 16, 2025, the Commissioner for the Department of Management Services formally requested authorization to purchase Archive Social services from CivicPlus to support the City’s social media archiving and public records compliance; and
Whereas, the City of Mount Vernon utilizes social media platforms to communicate official information to the public; and
Whereas, according to New York State law, including the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL), all social media content disseminated by a municipal entity constitutes official public records and must be properly retained and accessible; and
Whereas, Archive Social, a service provided by CivicPlus, automatically captures and stores all social media posts, comments, edits, deletions, and livestream recordings, thereby creating a tamper-proof and searchable archive that ensures compliance with state records laws; and
Whereas, recent platform policy changes, such as Facebook’s deletion of livestream videos after 30 days, effective February 19, 2024, present a risk to the City’s ability to preserve essential public records; and
Whereas, Archive Social provides a permanent and verifiable archive of all social media activity, ensuring the City can fulfill FOIL requests, respond to legal inquiries and audits, and maintain public transparency; and
Whereas, the cost of the Archive Social service is $9,625.60, and funding is available in the approved 2025 budget under budget code A1680.216; Now, Therefore, Be It Resolved That
The City of Mount Vernon, in City Council convened, does hereby ordain and enact:
Section 1. Authorization of Purchase. The City Council authorizes the Department of Management Services to purchase Archive Social services from CivicPlus to support the City's social media archiving and public records compliance.
Section 2. Funding Appropriation. The sum of Nine Thousand Six Hundred Twenty-Five Dollars and Sixty Cents ($9,625.60) is hereby appropriated from budget code A1680.216 to cover the full cost of the Archive Social service.
Section 3. Compliance and Transparency. The implementation of Archive Social shall be used to ensure continued compliance with New York State public records law, including FOIL, and to enhance transparency and public trust through reliable digital recordkeeping.
Section 4. Effective Date. This Ordinance shall take effect immediately upon approval by the City Council, subject to concurrence by the Board of Estimates and Contracts.