An official media policy was adopted this week by Roeland Park with a vote of 5-4, after Mayor Mike Kelly cast the tie-breaking vote in favor of the guidelines.
The policy routes media requests for an official city statement to the city administrator and the mayor, while still allowing councilmembers to speak to the media about their personal opinion on an issue. The policy states that “City employees and councilmembers (other than the Mayor) shall not make statements on behalf of the City, provide information for distribution, or provide background information unless specifically asked to do so by the City Administrator and/or approved designees.”
According to a staff report the guidelines are meant to encourage engagement and protect the accuracy of information “without hindering elected officials ability to communicate with the media to share their perspectives/opinions.”
The guidelines were modeled after policies used by Overland Park and Merriam.
(Read more: Shawnee Mission Post – Community news and events for northeast Johnson County)