In representing your municipality online, every detail counts and each choice affects how people will perceive it. Having a branded email address is a choice that should go without saying if you want your organization to look professional.
Communication is vital for the effective functioning of local governments. What communication looks like, have changed dramatically over the past couple of years. From smoke signals a long long time ago, to pigeons, handwritten letters in the mail, fax machines to the weird and wonderful world of emails today.
One of the most critical aspects of this communication is the use of private emails for municipalities.
For the purposes of this feature, the term “private email for municipalities” will refer to emails for municipal staff. Let’s unpack what private emails are, their benefits for local governments, how Town Web can help you to access these services, and the importance of email archiving in local government.
Private emails refer to email accounts that are specifically designated for official use within an organization, in this case, local municipal government. Unlike personal emails, private emails are created, managed, and maintained by the municipality, ensuring that all communications are secure, professional, and compliant with regulatory standards.
Private emails offer enhanced security features that protect sensitive information from cyber threats. This is crucial for municipalities as they handle confidential data from elections, residents, businesses, legal documents, and strategic plans.
Using official email addresses (e.g., name@municipality.gov) supports the professionalism and credibility of the municipal communication. It indicates to residents and visitors that the communication received, is indeed official communication from the municipality.
Municipalities must adhere to various federal and state regulations regarding data management, records management and communication. Private email for municipalities help ensure compliance with these laws, such as the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), by maintaining a clear record of all official communications by municipal staff.
Emails streamline communication within the municipality and with the public. They provide a reliable and organized means of correspondence, which is important for effective governance and service delivery.
Town Web offers a simple, yet effective solution for municipalities by providing private email for municipalities using Google Workspace. Google Workspace is a cloud-based set of tools developed by Google. It includes a variety of tools like Word documents, spreadsheets and the Drive for storage that are included.
Email archiving involves storing email communications in a secure and searchable format. It ensures that emails are preserved for long-term access and compliance purposes.
1. Regulatory Compliance: Municipalities are subject to public records laws and regulations that require the retention and accessibility of official communications. Email archiving ensures compliance with these laws, such as FOIA, by preserving all emails in a searchable archive.
2. Transparency and Accountability: Archiving emails promotes transparency and accountability within local government. It allows for the retrieval of past communications to address inquiries, resolve disputes, and provide evidence during audits or legal proceedings.
3. Data Protection: Email archiving protects against data loss due to accidental deletion or technical failures. It ensures that critical information remains intact and retrievable.
4. Operational Efficiency: With a well-organized email archive, municipal staff can quickly find and retrieve specific emails, saving time to work on higher priority tasks.
Town Web partners with Jatheon, a leading provider of email archiving solutions, to offer municipalities a comprehensive and reliable email archiving service. Jatheon specializes in providing email archiving solutions to local municipalities.
Private email for municipalities is a vital component of modern municipal governance, offering various benefits in terms of security, professionalism, compliance, and efficiency. By leveraging Google Workspace, Town Web provides municipalities with a powerful email solution that makes communication that much easier and seamless.
Additionally, the use of Jatheon for email archiving ensures that municipalities can meet regulatory requirements, protect data, and maintain transparency and accountability. With these comprehensive services, Town Web helps municipalities navigate the complexities of digital communication and governance with confidence and ease.
