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Lee County moves to new telecom vendor to save about $4,300/month and approves TextMyGov pending attorney review
Summary
Commission approved replacing the county’s phone/data vendor with Granite Government Solutions and approved a TextMyGov citizen‑engagement platform subject to county‑attorney review; staff said the telecom change could save roughly $4,300 per month versus current costs.
Lee County commissioners on May 1 instructed staff to move forward with a proposed three‑year contract with Granite Government Solutions to replace the county’s current telephone and data vendor and approved a subscription to TextMyGov, a citizen‑engagement platform, contingent upon county‑attorney review of the contract.
IT staff told commissioners the Granite proposal could reduce monthly costs by about $4,300 compared with the county’s current vendor charges, which fluctuate based on long‑distance and other fees. The proposal would also provide dedicated circuits for failover internet, SD‑WAN connections between county offices, and would consolidate several existing satellite and fiber connections under a single managed service. The IT presenter said Granite estimated migration could start in 60 to 90 days.
On TextMyGov, staff described the platform as a subscription service that permits targeted text notifications, group subscriptions (for example, billing or garbage‑route notices), mapping for area‑based messages and automated reply functionality. The vendor waived a $10,000 setup fee and proposed $20,000 per year; staff said the county would not be billed until October and could budget for it next fiscal year. Commissioners approved a motion to pursue TextMyGov contingent on county‑attorney review of the proposed contract.
Conflict and abstention: One commissioner said they work for Unity Fiber (a telecom company in the process of buying Windstream) and abstained from the Granite vote. The commission approved moving forward with Granite and voted to authorize TextMyGov pending county‑attorney review.
Next steps: Staff said they would send the contract language to the county attorney for review. The transcript does not include the signed contracts or the attorney’s subsequent review.
