Terms & Conditions

Terms & Conditions

1. Acceptance of Terms

This Terms of Use Statement covers the nirpc.org web site, managed by the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission. Please read these terms carefully before using this web site. By accessing and using the NIRPC site, you agree to be subject to the terms and conditions described in this document. If you do not agree to these terms of use, please do not use this site. NIRPC reserves the right to update the Terms of Use Statement at anytime without prior notice to you, so please check this document periodically for changes.

In addition, when using any particular nirpc.org service, you will be subject to any posted guidelines or rules applicable to such service, which may be revised from time to time. All such guidelines or rules are hereby incorporated by reference into these Terms of Use.

2. Description of Services

nirpc.org currently provides users with access to a rich collection of online resources, including various communications, government records, and online information, administrative services, personalized content, and branded programming through its network of properties (“the Site”). You understand and agree that the Site is provided “as is,” and that nirpc.org and its authorized agents and contractors assume no responsibility for the timeliness, deletion, mis-delivery, or failure to store any user communications or personalization settings.

In order to use the Site, you must obtain access to the World Wide Web, either directly or through devices that access Web-based content, and pay any service fees associated with such access or utilize free public access available through public libraries or other sources. In addition, you must provide or obtain access to all equipment necessary to make such connection to the World Wide Web, including a computer and modem or other access device. nirpc.org and its authorized agents and contractors maintain this Site for online services, information, education, and communication.

Please feel free to browse the Site. You may print or download material displayed on the Site for noncommercial; personal use only, provided you also retain all copyright and other proprietary notices contained on the materials. You may not, however, sell, reverse engineer, distribute, modify, transmit, reuse, repost, use, or create derivative works based on the content of the Site in whole or in part for any purpose, without written permission from nirpc.org, its authorized agents and contractors, or the owner of such content in each instance.

3. Your Obligations

When using nirpc.org, you agree to:

(a) provide true, accurate, current and complete information about yourself as prompted by various forms and
(b) maintain and promptly update your information as needed to keep it true, accurate, current, and complete.

If you provide any information that is untrue, inaccurate, not current, or incomplete, or nirpc.org or its authorized agents and contractors have reasonable grounds to suspect that such information is untrue, inaccurate, not current or incomplete, nirpc.org or its authorized agents and contractors have the right to suspend and refuse any and all of your current or future use of the Site.

You, not nirpc.org or its authorized agents and contractors, are solely responsible for all content (i.e., information, data text, software, music, sound, photographs, graphics, video or messages or other) you upload, post, email or otherwise transmit.

You are prohibited from posting or transmitting any unlawful, threatening, libelous, defamatory, obscene, scandalous, inflammatory, harassing, pornographic, or profane material or any material that could constitute or encourage conduct that would be considered a criminal offense, give rise to civil liability, or otherwise violate any law.

You further agree not to upload, post, email or otherwise transmit any confidential information, trade secrets, “junk mail,” “spam,” “chain letters,” “pyramid schemes,” any other form of solicitation, or software viruses.

You acknowledge that nirpc.org and its authorized agents and contractors do not pre-screen content posted or transmitted by others, but that they shall have the right to remove any content that violates the Terms of Use or is otherwise objectionable in the sole determination of nirpc.org and its authorized agents and contractors.

nirpc.org and its authorized agents and contractors do not guarantee the accuracy, integrity or quality of content posted or transmitted by others. nirpc.org and its authorized agents and contractors are under no obligation to monitor or review discussions, chats, postings, transmissions, bulletin boards, and the like on the Site and assume no responsibility or liability arising from content nor for any error, defamation, libel, slander, omission, falsehood, obscenity, pornography, profanity, danger, or inaccuracy contained in any information within such locations on the Site. nirpc.org and its authorized agents and contractors will fully cooperate with any law enforcement authorities or court order requesting or directing nirpc.org and its authorized agents and contractors to disclose the identity of anyone posting any such information or materials. Any unauthorized use of this Site may be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

4. Account Password and Security

Certain fee-based services may require a password and account designation. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of the password and account, and are fully responsible for all activities that occur under your password and account. You agree to:

(a) immediately notify nirpc.org of any unauthorized use of your password or account or any other breach of security, and
(b) ensure that you exit from your account at the end of each session.

nirpc.org and its authorized agents and contractors cannot and will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from your failure to comply with this section.

5. Privacy

Our Privacy Policy informs you about the types of information we gather online when you visit nirpc.org or any of our associated web sites, how we may use that information, whether we disclose it to anyone, and your choices regarding our use of, and your ability to correct, that information.

5.1 Sites Covered by This Statement

 

This Privacy Statement covers the collection and use of data on the nirpc.org website and any affiliated sites managed by NIRPC.

 

5.2 What Information We Collect

 

The information collected on our Site(s) generally falls into the following two categories: Personally Identifiable Information and Non-Personally Identifiable Information.

Personally Identifiable Information: This refers to information that lets us know the specifics of who you are. The Personally Identifiable Information we collect when you use our Site(s) may include:

  • your name,
  • mailing address(es),
  • phone number(s),
  • e-mail address(es),
  • credit card number and expiration date,
  • identification numbers,
  • login names and passwords,
  • public postings,
  • employer, and
  • job title.

We request Personally Identifiable Information when you:

  • request a service,
  • participate in certain promotional activities,
  • fill out surveys, and
  • correspond with us.

We also collect Personally Identifiable Information when you ask that we send information directly to other people; in these cases, we will collect the information you submit about the recipient.

Non-Personally Identifiable Information: This refers to information that does not by itself identify a specific individual. The non-personally identifiable data we collect when you visit our Site(s) may include the Uniform Resource Locator (URL1) of the pages you visit on our Site(s) and our Internet Protocol (IP2) address. This Statement also contains More Info about how we use cookies and other technology to collect this data.

We do not connect the Personally Identifiable Information and Non-Personally Identifiable Information we collect on our Site(s).

 

5.3 Why we collect your information

 

Our primary goals in collecting information are:

  • to provide constituents with superior service, and
  • to provide all visitors a smooth, efficient, and personalized experience while using our Site.

We use your Personally Identifiable information to process your request or provide the requested information. We use Non-Personally Identifiable Information on an aggregated basis to help us understand how visitors use our Site(s) and to measure interest in the various pages. We use this information to improve the content of our Site(s) and to make our Site(s) easier to use.

 

5.4 How We Use Your Information

 

We gather and use information in a number of ways, including the following:

Surfing: We collect certain Non-Personally Identifiable Information when you visit our Site. We collect this information to help run our Site(s) more efficiently, to gather broad demographic information and to monitor the level of activity on our Site(s). Learn more about how we use cookies and other technology to collect this information.

Online Services: We collect Personally Identifiable Information when you request services online, for example property tax payments. We collect this information to process your request, to obtain payment when applicable, and to communicate with you about the status of your request.

Online surveys: We collect Personally Identifiable Information from customers who volunteer to complete surveys. We use this information to improve our services.

Newsletters and e-mails: We collect Personally Identifiable Information when you ask to receive newsletters, e-mails, and other information. We use this information to provide you the information you request.

Contact information: If you contact us, we may keep a record of your correspondence or comments, including Personally Identifiable Information, in a file specific to you. We use this information to help us provide better service in the event you contact us again.

 

5.5 Sharing your information

 

NIRPC will not rent, sell or give away any Personally Identifiable Information entered into the website to third parties for marketing or mailing list purposes. However, Your Personally Identifiable Information may be shared as required:  for a third party to process the request, and otherwise by law.

Third Party Processing: nirpc.org will send Personally Identifiable Information about you to other companies, agencies, or people when:

  • We need to share your information to provide the product or service you have requested. For example, we might use a third party billing company, and we send information for billing purposes only; and
  • We need to send the information to companies who work on behalf of nirpc.org to provide a product or service to you. Unless we tell you differently, these companies do not have any right to use the personally identifiable information we provide to them beyond what is necessary to assist us.

Otherwise by Law: nirpc.org will send Personally Identifiable Information about you as required to do so by law, subpoena, court order or legal process.

 

5.6 Accessing and Changing Your Information

 

nirpc.org seeks to ensure that your information and preferences are accurate and complete. If you have registered at nirpc.org, you may access and change your information by visiting the site where it was submitted. All e-mail communications from us, such as newsletters, tell you how to stop receiving them. Please follow these instructions if you no longer wish to receive the e-mail messages.

 

5.7 Use of Cookies On This Site

 

A “cookie” is a small data file transferred by a website to your computer’s hard drive. You are sent cookies when you surf nirpc.org, make on-line payments, respond to online surveys, or request information. Accepting nirpc.org cookies does not give us access to your Personally Identifiable Information, but we can use the cookies to identify your computer. The aggregate information collected permits us to analyze traffic patterns on our Site(s). This can enable us over time to provide you with a better experience on our Site(s) by improving the content and making it easier to use.

Most browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually refuse cookies, or selectively accept certain cookies, by adjusting the preferences in your browser. If you turn off cookies, though, there may be some features of our Site(s) that will not be available to you and some Web pages may not display properly. You can find information on popular browsers and how you can adjust them to control cookies at the following Web site:

AboutCookies.org: http://www.aboutcookies.org/Default.aspx?page=1

 

5.8 Protecting Your Information

 

NIRPC acknowledges your trust and is committed to protecting the information you provide us. To prevent unauthorized access, maintain accuracy, and ensure proper use of information, we have employed physical, electronic, and managerial processes to safeguard and secure the information we collect online.

When you complete on-line transactions on our Site, we use Secure Sockets Layer (“SSL”) encryption technology to safeguard your sensitive information while it is being sent to us. The SSL encryption is designed to make the information unreadable by anyone but us. This security measure is working when you see either the symbol of an unbroken key or closed lock (depending on your browser) on the bottom of your browser window.

 

5.9 Links to Other Web Sites

 

Parts of our Site(s) contain links to third-party websites for your convenience and information. If you use these links, you will leave the nirpc.org website. When you access a non-nirpc.org website,  please understand that we do not control the content and are not responsible for the privacy practices of that site. We suggest that you carefully review the privacy policies of each site you visit. This Privacy Statement does not cover the information practices of those websites linked to our Site. These other sites may send their own cookies to users, collect data, or solicit personal information.

 

5.10 Children’s Privacy Protection

 

NIRPC believes that protecting children’s privacy online is extremely important. NIRPC respects national and international laws, including the Children’s On-line Privacy Protection Act (“COPPA”), which applies in the United States. nirpc.org is not directed to children under 13, and does not knowingly collect personal information from children.

6. Intellectual Property

nirpc.org reserves its rights in all intellectual property contained in the site. You are advised that nirpc.org will aggressively enforce its intellectual property rights to the fullest extent of the law, which may include, without limitation, the seeking of criminal prosecution. Examples are listed below.

 

6.1 Copyright Information

You should assume that everything you see or read on the Site is copyright-protected unless otherwise noted, and may not be used except as provided in these Terms of Use. All other use shall require the written permission of nirpc.org, its authorized agents and contractors, or such third party that may own the materials. nirpc.org neither warrants nor represents that your use of materials displayed on the Site will not infringe rights of third parties not owned by or affiliated with nirpc.org.

 

6.2 Use Of Images

Images of people or places displayed on the Site are either the property of, or used with permission by, nirpc.org. The use of these images by you, or anyone else authorized by you, is prohibited unless specifically permitted by these Terms of Use. Any unauthorized use of the images may violate copyright laws, trademark laws, the laws of privacy, and communications regulations and statutes.

 

6.3 Trademark Information

The trademarks, logos, and service marks displayed on the Site are registered and common law trademarks of nirpc.org and others (collectively the “Trademarks”). Nothing contained on the Site should be construed as granting, by implication, estoppel, or otherwise, any license or right to use any Trademarks without the written permission of nirpc.org, its authorized agents and contractors, or such third party that may own the Trademarks. Your use of the Trademarks, or any other content on the Site, except as provided in these Terms of Use, is strictly prohibited.

7. Links and Advertisers

It is the policy of nirpc.org to prohibit any advertisements. However, nirpc.org and its authorized agents and contractors have not reviewed the sites linked to the Site and are not responsible for the content of any off-site pages or any other sites linked to the Site. Your linking to the Site, off-site pages or other sites is at your own risk and without the recommendation, endorsement, or liability of nirpc.org or its authorized agents and contractors. Your correspondence or business dealings with or participation in promotions of advertisers found on or through the Site, including payment and delivery of related goods or services, and any other terms, conditions, warranties, or representations associated with such dealings are solely between you and such advertiser. nirpc.org and its authorized agents and contractors shall not be liable for any loss or damage of any sort incurred as the result of any such dealings or the result of the presence of such advertisers on the Site.

8. Reference

Any reference made by this Site or any affiliated web site to any specific commercial product, process, or service (or provider of such product, process or service) by trade name, trademark, hyperlink, or otherwise, does not constitute or imply an endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by nirpc.org or its authorized agents and contractors. Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers or other information expressed or made available by third parties, including information providers, users or others, are those of the respective authors or distributors and do not necessarily state or reflect those of nirpc.org or its authorized agents and contractors.

9. Disclaimer

nirpc.org and its authorized agents and contractors make no warranties or representations as to the accuracy of content on the site. nirpc.org and its authorized agents and contractors assume no liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in the content or operation of the Site.

10. Disclaimer of Warranties

Your use of and browsing in the Site are at your risk. You understand and agree that nirpc.org and its authorized agents and contractors assume no responsibility for the timeliness, deletion, mis-delivery or failure to store any communications, payments or personal settings. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO NEGLIGENCE SHALL nirpc.org, ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES, ITS AND THEIR BOARD, OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES, ITS AUTHORIZED AGENTS AND CONTRACTORS, AND ANY OTHER PARTY INVOLVED IN CREATING, PRODUCING, OR DELIVERING THE SITE BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, INDIRECT, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF YOUR ACCESS TO, USE OF, OR INABILITY TO USE THE SITE EVEN IF nirpc.org OR A nirpc.org AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, EVERYTHING ON THE SITE IS PROVIDED TO YOU “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT. Please note that some jurisdictions may not allow the exclusion of implied warranties, so some of the above exclusions may not apply to you. nirpc.org and its authorized agents and contractors also assume no responsibility, and shall not be liable for, any damages to, or viruses that may infect your computer equipment or other property on account of your access to, use of, or browsing in the Site or your downloading of any materials, data, text, images, video or audio from the Site.

11. Termination

nirpc.org and its authorized agents and contractors reserve the right at any time and from time to time to modify or discontinue, temporarily or permanently, the Site (or any part thereof) with or without notice for any reason or no reason whatsoever. You agree that nirpc.org and its authorized agents and contractors shall not be liable to you or any third party for any modification, suspension or discontinuance of the Site.

12. General Information

This constitutes the entire agreement between you and nirpc.org (and its authorized agents and contractors) regarding use of the Site, superseding any prior agreement between you and nirpc.org. If any provision of these terms shall be unlawful, void or for any reason unenforceable, then that provision shall be deemed severable from these terms and shall not affect the validity and enforceability of any remaining provisions. You may also be subject to additional Terms of Use that may apply when you use affiliate services, third-party content or third-party software. nirpc.org may at any time revise these Terms of Use by updating this posting. You are bound by any such revisions and should therefore periodically visit this page to review the then current Terms of Use to which you are bound. The failure of nirpc.org or its authorized agents and contractors to exercise or enforce any right or provision of the Terms of Use shall not constitute a waiver of such provision. These Terms of Use and the relationship between you and nirpc.org shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Indiana without regard to its conflict of law provisions. You and nirpc.org agree to submit to the personal and exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts for any disputes or matters arising out of the Site or use of the Site.