Privacy Policy

Last updated June 4, 2026

This Privacy Notice for Mastodon Township, Michigan ("we," "us," or "our"), describes how and why we might access, collect, store, use, and/or share ("process") your personal information when you use our services ("Services"), including when you:

• Visit our website at https://mastodontownship.com/, or any website of ours that links to this Privacy Notice
• Engage with us regarding township services, public meetings, notices, permits, tax information, or other township business

Questions or concerns? Reading this Privacy Notice will help you understand your privacy rights and choices. We are responsible for making decisions about how your personal information is processed. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use our Services. If you still have any questions or concerns, please contact us at clerk@mastodontownship.com.

SUMMARY OF KEY POINTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. WHAT INFORMATION DO WE COLLECT?
2. HOW DO WE PROCESS YOUR INFORMATION?
3. WHEN AND WITH WHOM DO WE SHARE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION?
4. DO WE USE COOKIES AND OTHER TRACKING TECHNOLOGIES?
5. HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR INFORMATION?
6. HOW DO WE KEEP YOUR INFORMATION SAFE?
7. DO WE COLLECT INFORMATION FROM MINORS?
8. WHAT ARE YOUR PRIVACY RIGHTS?
9. CONTROLS FOR DO-NOT-TRACK FEATURES
10. DO UNITED STATES RESIDENTS HAVE SPECIFIC PRIVACY RIGHTS?
11. DO WE MAKE UPDATES TO THIS NOTICE?
12. HOW CAN YOU CONTACT US ABOUT THIS NOTICE?
13. HOW CAN YOU REVIEW, UPDATE, OR DELETE THE DATA WE COLLECT FROM YOU?

1. WHAT INFORMATION DO WE COLLECT?

Personal information you disclose to us

In short, we collect personal information that you provide to us.

We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us when you express an interest in obtaining information about us or our products and Services, when you participate in activities on the Services, or otherwise when you contact us.

Personal Information Provided by You. The personal information that we collect depends on the context of your interactions with us and the Services, the choices you make, and the products and features you use. The personal information we collect may include the following:

• • names
  • phone numbers
  • email addresses
  • mailing addresses
  • contact preferences
  • contact or authentication data
  • billing addresses

Sensitive Information. We do not process sensitive information.

Online tax and utility payments are processed through BS&A Software. Mastodon Township does not collect, store, or process payment card information on its website. Payment information is handled directly by BS&A Software according to its privacy and security practices↗.

All personal information that you provide must be true, complete, and accurate, and you must notify us of any changes to such personal information.

Information automatically collected

In short, some information — such as your Internet Protocol (IP) address and/or browser and device characteristics — is collected automatically when you visit our Services.

We automatically collect certain information when you visit, use, or navigate the Services. This information does not reveal your specific identity (like your name or contact information) but may include device and usage information, such as your IP address, browser and device characteristics, operating system, language preferences, referring URLs, device name, country, location, information about how and when you use our Services, and other technical information. This information is primarily needed to maintain the security and operation of our Services, and for our internal analytics and reporting purposes.

Like many businesses, we also collect information through cookies and similar technologies.

The information we collect includes:

• • Log and Usage Data. Log and usage data is service-related, diagnostic, usage, and performance information our servers automatically collect when you access or use our Services and which we record in log files. Depending on how you interact with us, this log data may include your IP address, device information, browser type, and settings and information about your activity in the Services (such as the date/time stamps associated with your usage, pages and files viewed, searches, and other actions you take such as which features you use), device event information (such as system activity, error reports (sometimes called "crash dumps"), and hardware settings).
  • Device Data. We collect device data such as information about your computer, phone, tablet, or other device you use to access the Services. Depending on the device used, this device data may include information such as your IP address (or proxy server), device and application identification numbers, location, browser type, hardware model, Internet service provider and/or mobile carrier, operating system, and system configuration information.
  • Location Data. We collect location data such as information about your device's location, which can be either precise or imprecise. How much information we collect depends on the type and settings of the device you use to access the Services. For example, we may use GPS and other technologies to collect geolocation data that tells us your current location (based on your IP address). You can opt out of allowing us to collect this information either by refusing access to the information or by disabling your Location setting on your device. However, if you choose to opt out, you may not be able to use certain aspects of the Services.

2. HOW DO WE PROCESS YOUR INFORMATION?

In short, we process your information to provide, improve, and administer our Services, communicate with you, for security and fraud prevention, and to comply with the law. We may also process your information for other purposes with your consent.

We process your personal information for a variety of reasons, depending on how you interact with our Services, including:

• • To deliver and facilitate delivery of services to the user. We may process your information to provide you with the requested service.
  • To respond to user inquiries/offer support to users. We may process your information to respond to your inquiries and solve any potential issues you might have with the requested service.
  • To send administrative information to you. We may process your information to send you details about our products and services, changes to our terms and policies, and other similar information.
  • To process online payments for taxes, utilities, permits, and other township-related services.
  • To request feedback. We may process your information when necessary to request feedback and to contact you about your use of our Services.
  • To send township notices, service updates, meeting information, election notices, or other communications related to township operations. For more information, see "WHAT ARE YOUR PRIVACY RIGHTS?" below.
  • To evaluate and improve our Services, products, marketing, and your experience. We may process your information when we believe it is necessary to identify usage trends, determine the effectiveness of our promotional campaigns, and to evaluate and improve our Services, products, marketing, and your experience.
  • To identify usage trends. We may process information about how you use our Services to better understand how they are being used so we can improve them.
  • Information submitted to Mastodon Township may be subject to public disclosure under applicable laws, including the Michigan Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Information provided through forms, emails, or other communications with the Township may become public records unless exempt from disclosure by law.
  • Our website may contain links to external websites. Mastodon Township is not responsible for the privacy practices or content of third-party websites.

3. WHEN AND WITH WHOM DO WE SHARE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION?

In short, We do not sell your personal information, however, we may share limited information with service providers necessary to operate our website and services, such as payment processors and analytics providers.

4. DO WE USE COOKIES AND OTHER TRACKING TECHNOLOGIES?

In short, we may use cookies and other tracking technologies to collect and store your information.

We may use cookies and analytics tools to understand website usage, improve accessibility, maintain security, and improve website performance.

Google Analytics

We may share your information with Google Analytics to track and analyze the use of the Services. To opt out of being tracked by Google Analytics across the Services, visit https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout↗. For more information on the privacy practices of Google, please visit the Google Privacy & Terms page↗.

5. HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR INFORMATION?

In short, we keep your information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Notice unless otherwise required by law.

Certain records may be retained in accordance with Michigan record retention schedules, public records laws, legal requirements, and the Township's operational needs.

6. HOW DO WE KEEP YOUR INFORMATION SAFE?

In short, we aim to protect your personal information through a system of organizational and technical security measures.

We have implemented appropriate and reasonable technical and organizational security measures designed to protect the security of any personal information we process. However, despite our safeguards and efforts to secure your information, no electronic transmission over the Internet or information storage technology can be guaranteed to be 100% secure, so we cannot promise or guarantee that hackers, cybercriminals, or other unauthorized third parties will not be able to defeat our security and improperly collect, access, steal, or modify your information. Although we will do our best to protect your personal information, transmission of personal information to and from our Services is at your own risk. You should only access the Services within a secure environment.

7. DO WE COLLECT INFORMATION FROM MINORS?

In short, we do not knowingly collect data from or market to children under 18 years of age.

8. WHAT ARE YOUR PRIVACY RIGHTS?

In short, you may contact the Township regarding personal information submitted through website forms or communications.

Withdrawing your consent: If we are relying on your consent to process your personal information, which may be express and/or implied consent depending on the applicable law, you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time. You can withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us by using the contact details provided in the section "HOW CAN YOU CONTACT US ABOUT THIS NOTICE?" below.

However, please note that this will not affect the lawfulness of the processing before its withdrawal, nor, when applicable law allows, will it affect the processing of your personal information conducted in reliance on lawful processing grounds other than consent.

Opting out of township notices, service updates, meeting information, election notices, or other communications related to township operations: You can unsubscribe from our notices and communications at any time by contacting us using the details provided in the section "HOW CAN YOU CONTACT US ABOUT THIS NOTICE?" below. You will then be removed from the notice lists. However, we may still communicate with you — for example, to send service-related messages necessary for the administration and use of your account, to respond to service requests, or for other purposes.

Cookies and similar technologies: Most Web browsers are set to accept cookies by default. If you prefer, you can usually set your browser to remove and reject cookies. If you choose to remove cookies or reject cookies, this could affect certain features or services of our Services.

If you have questions or comments about your privacy rights, you may email us at clerk@mastodontownship.com .

9. CONTROLS FOR DO-NOT-TRACK FEATURES

Most web browsers and some mobile operating systems and mobile applications include a Do-Not-Track ("DNT") feature or setting you can activate to signal your privacy preference not to have data about your online browsing activities monitored and collected. At this stage, no uniform technology standard for recognizing and implementing DNT signals has been finalized. As such, we do not currently respond to DNT browser signals or any other mechanism that automatically communicates your choice not to be tracked online. If a standard for online tracking is adopted that we must follow in the future, we will inform you about that practice in a revised version of this Privacy Notice.

California law requires us to let you know how we respond to web browser DNT signals. Because there currently is not an industry or legal standard for recognizing or honoring DNT signals, we do not respond to them at this time.

10. DO UNITED STATES RESIDENTS HAVE SPECIFIC PRIVACY RIGHTS?

In short, if you are a resident of, you may have the right to request access to and receive details about the personal information we maintain about you and how we have processed it, correct inaccuracies, get a copy of, or delete your personal information. You may also have the right to withdraw your consent to our processing of your personal information. These rights may be limited in some circumstances by applicable law. More information is provided below.

Categories of Personal Information We Collect

We have collected the following categories of personal information in the past twelve (12) months:

We may also collect other personal information outside of these categories through instances where you interact with us in person, online, or by phone or mail in the context of:

• • Receiving help through our customer support channels;
  • Participation in customer surveys or contests; and
  • Facilitation in the delivery of our Services and to respond to your inquiries.

We will use and retain the collected personal information as needed to provide the Services or for:

• • Category A - As long as the customer uses our services.
  • Category F - As long as the customer uses our services.

Sources of Personal Information

Learn more about the sources of personal information we collect in "WHAT INFORMATION DO WE COLLECT?"

How We Use and Share Personal Information

Learn more about how we use your personal information in the section, "HOW DO WE PROCESS YOUR INFORMATION?"

Will your information be shared with anyone else?

We may disclose your personal information to our service providers pursuant to a written contract between each service provider and us. Learn more about how we disclose personal information in the section, "WHEN AND WITH WHOM DO WE SHARE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION?"

We may use your personal information for our business purposes, such as conducting internal research for technological development and demonstration. This is not considered to be "selling" of your personal information.

We have not disclosed, sold, or shared any personal information to third parties for a business or commercial purpose in the preceding twelve (12) months. We will not sell or share personal information belonging to website visitors, users, and other consumers in the future.

Your Rights

You have rights under certain US state data protection laws. However, these rights are not absolute, and in certain cases, we may decline your request as permitted by law. These rights include:

• • Right to know whether or not we are processing your personal data
  • Right to access your personal data
  • Right to correct inaccuracies in your personal data
  • Right to request the deletion of your personal data
  • Right to obtain a copy of the personal data you previously shared with us
  • Right to non-discrimination for exercising your rights
  • Right to opt out of the processing of your personal data if it is used for targeted advertising, the sale of personal data, or profiling in furtherance of decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects ("profiling")

How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise these rights, you can contact us by visiting mastodontownship.com, by emailing us at clerk@mastodontownship.com, by calling toll-free at 906-875-6232, or by referring to the contact details at the bottom of this document.

Under certain US state data protection laws, you can designate an authorized agent to make a request on your behalf. We may deny a request from an authorized agent that does not submit proof that they have been validly authorized to act on your behalf in accordance with applicable laws.

Request Verification

Upon receiving your request, we will need to verify your identity to confirm that you are the same person we have information about in our system. We will only use personal information provided in your request to verify your identity or authority to make the request. However, if we cannot verify your identity from the information already on file, we may request additional information to verify your identity and for security or fraud prevention.

If you submit the request through an authorized agent, we may need to collect additional information to verify your identity before processing it, and the agent will need to provide written, signed permission from you to submit the request on your behalf.

11. DO WE MAKE UPDATES TO THIS NOTICE?

In short, yes, we will update this notice as necessary to stay compliant with relevant laws.

We may update this Privacy Notice from time to time. The updated version will be indicated by an updated "Revised" date at the top of this Privacy Notice. If we make material changes to this Privacy Notice, we may notify you either by prominently posting a notice of such changes or by directly sending you a notification. We encourage you to review this Privacy Notice frequently to stay informed about how we protect your information.

12. HOW CAN YOU CONTACT US ABOUT THIS NOTICE?

If you have questions or comments about this notice, you may email us at clerk@mastodontownship.com or contact us by post at:

Mastodon Township
1371 Hwy US 2 South
Crystal Falls, MI 49920
United States

13. HOW CAN YOU REVIEW, UPDATE, OR DELETE THE DATA WE COLLECT FROM YOU?

Residents may request information regarding personal information submitted to the Township, subject to applicable laws and exemptions. Certain records maintained by the Township may be public records under Michigan law and may not be eligible for deletion. To request a review, update, or deletion of your personal information, please contact clerk@mastodontownship.com.

14. ACCESSIBILITY

Mastodon Township is committed to providing a website that is accessible to all users, including individuals with disabilities. We strive to comply with applicable accessibility standards and continually work to improve the accessibility and usability of our website.

If you experience difficulty accessing any content on this website, encounter an accessibility barrier, or require assistance obtaining information available on our website, please contact the Township Clerk at clerk@mastodontownship.com or call 906-875-6232. We will make reasonable efforts to provide the information, item, or transaction you seek through an accessible communication method.

For additional information, please see our Accessibility Statement.