Walworth County Website

Privacy Statement for Walworth County Website

Walworth County has created this privacy statement in order to demonstrate our firm commitment to privacy. The following discloses our information gathering and dissemination practices for this website.

Walworth County Privacy Notice

State laws exist to ensure that government is open and that the public has a right to access appropriate records and information possessed by the government. At the same time, there are exceptions to the public's right to access public records provided by both 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 Walworth County website information that is not readily identifiable to an individual is automatically collected and stored. We use this information to improve our services.

We may use your Internet Protocol address to help diagnose problems with our server and to administer our website.

Information Collected & How It is Used

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

1. The Internet Protocol address and domain name used but not the email address. The Internet Protocol address is a numerical identifier assigned either to your Internet service provider or directly to your computer. We use the Internet Protocol Address to direct Internet traffic to you;
2. The type of browser and operating system you used and your connection speed;
3. The date and time you visited this site; and
4. The web pages or services you accessed at this site.

The information we automatically collect or store is used to improve the content of our web services and to help us understand how people are using our services. Our website logs are not personally identifiable, and we make no attempt to link them with the individuals that browse the Walworth County website.

If during your visit to the Walworth County website you participate in a survey or send an email, the following additional information will be collected:

1. Email correspondence: The email address and contents of the email;
2. Surveys: Any information you volunteered in response to a survey.

The information collected is not limited to text characters and may include audio, video, and graphic information formats you send us.

We use your email to respond appropriately. This may be to respond to you, to address issues you identify, to further improve our website, or to forward the email to another agency for appropriate action. Survey information is used for the purpose designated.

Public Disclosure

State laws exist to ensure that government is open and that the public has a right to access appropriate records and information possessed by state government. At the same time, there are exceptions to the public's right to access public records that serve various needs; the privacy of individuals is included among these exceptions. Both state and federal laws provide exceptions.

This site collects the information necessary to deliver our services. All information retained at this site becomes public record that may be subject to inspection and copying by the public, unless an exemption in law exists.

In the event of a conflict between this Privacy Notice and the Wisconsin Open Records Law or other law governing the disclosure of records, the Wisconsin Open Records Law or other applicable law will control.

Cookies

Our site may use cookies to save requested login information to validate the user in subsequent pages.

What is a Cookie?
A cookie is a small amount of data, which may include an anonymous unique identifier, that is sent to your browser from a website's computers 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. A website that has set a cookie can only access those cookies it has sent to you, it cannot access cookies sent to you by other sites.

Why are Cookies Used on Websites?
Cookies are one 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 "state 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 can be read by the website that set them whenever you enter the website. They are often used on websites that require you to log in to save you entering all of your log-in information. They may store information on your unique identifier and the areas of the website you have visited before. These cookies are stored on your computer's hard drive after you have left your website visit and consequently 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.)

Our site's registration forms may require users to input contact information (such as name and email address). The customer's contact information is used to contact the visitor when necessary. This information is not shared with or sold to any other organizations outside of Walworth County Government.

This site contains links to other sites. Walworth County is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of such websites.

Walworth County’s website has links to other websites. These include links to websites operated by other government agencies, nonprofit organizations and private businesses. When you link to another site, you are no longer on the Walworth County website and this Privacy Notice will not apply. When you link to another website, you are subject to the privacy policy of that site.

Security

This site has physical and electronic security measures in place to protect the loss, misuse and alteration of the information under our control.

Access & Correction of Personal Information

You can review any personal information we collect about you. You may recommend changes to your personal information you believe are in error by submitting a written request that credibly shows the error. If you believe that your personal information is being used for a purpose other than what was intended when submitted, you may contact us. In all cases, we will take reasonable steps to verify your identity before granting access or making corrections. See Contact information section.

Contact Information

If you have any questions about this privacy statement, the practices of this site, or your dealings with this website, you can contact:
WEB Administrator
Email Web Administrator
Walworth County
Information Systems Department
1800 County Road NN
Elkhorn, WI 53121

Disclaimer of Liability

Neither Walworth County (County), nor any of its boards, committees, commissions nor any of its elected or appointed officials or employees shall be held liable for any improper or incorrect use of the information described and/or contained herein and assumes no responsibility for anyone's use of the information, nor shall they be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special exemplary, or consequential damages (including, but not limited to, procurement of substitute goods or services; loss of use, data, or profits; or business interruption) however cased and on any theory of liability, whether in contract, strict liability, or tort (including negligence or otherwise) arising in any way out of the use of this system, even if advised of the possibility of such damage. This disclaimer of liability applies to any damages or injury, including but not limited to those caused by any failure of performance, error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, computer virus, communication line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to, alteration of or use of record, whether for breach of contract, tortious behavior, negligence or under any other cause of action.

Disclaimer of Warranties & Accuracy of Data

Although the data found using the County's access systems have been produced and processed from sources believed to be reliable, no warranty, expressed or implied, is made regarding accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of any information. This disclaimer applies to both isolated and aggregate uses of the information. The County provides this information on an "as is" basis. All warranties of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, freedom from contamination by computer viruses and non-infringement of proprietary rights are disclaimed. Changes may be periodically made to the information herein; these changes may or may not be incorporated in any new version of the publication. If you have obtained information from any of the County's web pages from a source other than the County website, be aware that electronic data can be altered subsequent to original distribution. Data can also quickly become out of date. It is recommended that careful attention be paid to the contents of any data associated with a file, and that the originator of the data or information be contacted with any questions regarding appropriate use. If you find any errors or omissions, we encourage you to report them by emailing the Web Administrator.