Thurmont considers eliminating public posts on town Facebook page

Jun. 14—The Thurmont Board of Commissioners discussed a resolution on Tuesday that would restrict all user participation specifically on the Town of Thurmont Facebook page, but still allow participation on the town's other social media accounts

If the resolution is approved, the Town of Thurmont page would be designated as a page intended to disseminate information, but not allow public comment.

According to Thurmont's social media policy, these types of accounts "shall not permit user participation of any kind under any circumstance." Users cannot post, comment or contribute to any part of the account.

All other Thurmont social media accounts, including other Facebook pages such as the one for Main Street Thurmont, would be designated as social media accounts intended to invite discussion and allow any user to post, comment and participate on posts and discussions.

The resolution comes a few months after Thurmont approved a social media management policy that provides guidelines for how the town should use its social media accounts.

Voting on the resolution was delayed to next week's town meeting, due to two members of the Board of Commissioners being absent.

Mayor John Kinnaird, who wasn't present during the vote in March on the social media policy, said on Tuesday that he originally initiated conversation about regulating Thurmont's social media due to problematic comments users have frequently made on the Town of Thurmont page that don't relate to the page's content.

Vickie Grinder, the town's economic development manager, manages the Main Street Thurmont Facebook page, which has mostly positive comments and the occasional negative critique.

She said that page needs to stay open to user participation because people tag one another on posts, which helps boost events and businesses. In comparison to Main Street Thurmont, she said she's seen that the Town of Thurmont page receives a high volume of inappropriate comments.

Kinnaird said the issue is "upsetting to [him] on a personal level" because he receives comments containing vulgarity and accusations made against individuals on his personal account. He said the comments on the Town of Thurmont page are similar in that they violate boundaries that shouldn't be crossed.

"It's not a place for comments or for critiques on town employees or for criticisms of some other aspect of town life," he said. "I would like our Facebook page to be a friendly, welcoming spot where people can go and easily get information about what's going on in the town of Thurmont and not have to read through some of the vile comments."

Town attorney Clark Adams addressed recurring concerns that the resolution would encroach on the First Amendment's protection of free speech. The First Amendment only applies to spaces intended to be public forums, he said, and wouldn't apply to pages like the one for the Town of Thurmont that are dedicated to sharing information.

"For all these other accounts where people do have the ability to comment, the First Amendment applies. ... If you don't create the space, the First Amendment has nothing to say about it," Adams said.

Kinnaird emphasized that there are multiple ways for residents to provide feedback to town officials, such as attending town meetings or contacting town employees individually to express their concerns.

Commissioner Wes Hamrick voiced his support for the resolution and using the Town of Thurmont page to broadcast important announcements.

"I look at it like a company's traditional old bulletin board for information for employees," he said. "You as an employee have no right to write your opinion on that board that's posted. Same thing here."