Purpose of Policy

• What personal information about visitors is collected on this site;
• How private information is held;
• How it will be used;
• Under what conditions this information may be shared or released to another party.

County of Sutter (County) policies exist to ensure that government is open and that the public has a right to access appropriate data and information in possession by the County government. At the same time, there are exceptions to the disclosure of data and information provided by County policies, and State and Federal laws. These exceptions include the privacy of individuals. Information collected at this site becomes public record and may be subject to inspection and copying by the public, unless an exception in law exists.

During your visit to the County's website, information that is not readily identifiable to an individual may be automatically collected and stored.

Policy Contents

The following sections of our Website Privacy Policy explain these uses:

1. Information That May Be Collected and How It May Be Used
2. Personal Information and Choice
3. Public Disclosure
4. Cookies
5. Security
6. Disclaimer

A.  Information That May Be Collected and How It May Be Used

If you do nothing during your visit to the County website but browse or download information, we may automatically collect and store the following information about your visit:

• The Internet Protocol (IP) address and domain name used, but not the email address. The IP address is a numerical identifier assigned either to your Internet Service Provider or directly to your computer. We use the IP address to direct Internet traffic to you;
• The type of browser and operating system you used and your connection speed;
• The date and time you visited this site;
• The web pages or services you accessed at this site; and
• The website you visited prior to coming to this website.

The information we collect or store is used to improve the content of our Web services and to help us understand how people are using our services. Additionally, the data we collect helps us route Web traffic and track down viruses and attacks against our site. Our website logs do not identify anyone personally, and we make no attempt to link them with the individuals that browse the County website.

If during your visit to the County website you submit an online form or send an email, the following additional information will be collected:

• E-mail correspondence: The e-mail address and contents of the e-mail;
• Forms: Any information you volunteered on an online form.

The information collected may not be limited to text characters and may include audio, video, and graphic information formats you send us. The information is retained in accordance with the County's policies. County of Sutter may use your email to respond to your message, to assist in obtaining information you have requested, to address issues you identify, to further improve our website, or to forward the email to another agency for appropriate action. Information provided on forms will be used for the specified purpose. 

B.  Personal Information and Choice

Personal information is any piece of information or data about an individual that is readily identifiable to that specific individual. Examples of personal information includes personal identifiers such as an individual's name, address, and phone number. A domain name or IP address is not considered personal information.

Only personal information that is voluntarily provided, through such activities as sending an e-mail or submitting an online form, may be collected. If you choose not to participate in these activities, your choice will in no way affect your ability to use any other feature of the County's website.

Any personal information voluntarily provided to the County via e-mail or the online forms on the County's website will be treated in the same manner as letters to a Board member or a County department.

The collection of personal information requested from or volunteered by children on-line or by email will be treated the same as information provided by an adult. 

C.  Public Disclosure

We strive to protect personally identifiable information by collecting only information necessary to deliver our services. All information that may be collected at this site becomes public record that may be subject to inspection and copying by the public, unless an exemption in law exists. For instance, if personal information is requested or volunteered, County rules and regulations or the Federal Privacy Act of 1974 may protect it from disclosure.

In the event of a conflict between this Privacy Policy and any applicable law governing the disclosure or protection of information, the governing law will dictate the action to be taken by the County. 

D.  Cookies

What Is A Cookie?

A cookie is a small data file which may include an anonymous, unique identifier that is sent to your browser from a website's computer and may either be used only during your session (a "session" cookie) or may be stored on your computer's hard drive (a "persistent" cookie). Cookies can contain data about user movement during the visit to the website. If your browser software is set to allow cookies, a website can send its own cookie to you.

Why Are Cookies Used On Websites?

Cookies are a mechanism for maintaining continuity during a user's visit to a website. They allow data to be maintained for users' benefit as they navigate a site. This is referred to as "session" or "management" cookie. These cookies go away when you terminate your visit to the website as they are maintained only in your browser's active memory during your session.

Cookies may also be stored on your computer so that you can be recognized by a website on subsequent visits. They are read by the website that set them whenever you re-visit the website. They may store information about areas of the website you have visited before and any preferences or settings that need to be preserved for any subsequent visits to the website. As these cookies are stored on your computer's hard drive, they are often referred to as "persistent" cookies.

Choices About Cookies

You can configure your browser to accept all cookies, reject all cookies, or notify you when a cookie is set. (Each browser is different, so check the "Help" menu of your browser to learn how to change your cookie preferences.)

Also, shareware and freeware cookie management tools are readily available from various websites that allow users to selectively delete cookies or to run a background application that will automatically accept or reject cookies based on the user's specifications.

Cookies On This Website

The County uses persistent cookies to remember the state of the collapsing panels in the left and right margins (for IE5+ and Mozilla) and to remember the last picture displayed on the main page. If cookies are disabled, all menus and lists will be fully extended and not collapsible. As additional features are implemented on the website, other information could be retained in cookies in order to provide a pleasant visitor experience. 

E.  Security

Safeguards have been undertaken in an effort to preserve the integrity of the County's network and computing infrastructure. Security measures have been and continue to be integrated into the entire operating environment as part of the County's ongoing commitment to risk management. However, in all fairness, the County does not guarantee the absolute security of information it maintains.

Please refer to the County’s Security Policy for more information.

F.  Disclaimer

County of Sutter includes links to websites of other government agencies, nonprofit organizations and private businesses. When you link to another site, you are no longer on the County website and this Privacy Policy will not apply. When you link to another website, you are subject to the privacy policy of that site.