Todd County approves TextByGov emergency notification service with $3,100 setup fee

Todd County commissioners voted to adopt TextByGov as the county’s mass-text emergency notification system, approving a first-year cost of $9,300 that includes a $3,100 setup fee and a recurring annual fee of $6,200 thereafter.

Commission members discussed how the system would be used to send targeted messages — for example, alerting residents that a specific stretch of Railroad Lane between Chesma and Herman is flooded while other sections remain open. Speaker 1, who led the discussion, said, “COBRA is around 9,000 a year. … For the first year, TextByGov will be 9,300. 3,100 of it is [the] setup fee. The recurring fee will be 6,200.” The commission compared that cost to an alternative service (referred to in the discussion as about $9,100 annually) and noted TextByGov would be cheaper from the second year on.

On operational questions, the commission discussed establishing response protocols and the ability to send localized texts when single trees or particular road segments are affected. Speaker 1 said residents would sign up by texting a number and would then be enrolled in the system; commissioners agreed staff would define procedures for when and how alerts are sent.

The motion to adopt TextByGov was moved, seconded, and approved by voice vote. The commission noted a Zoom demonstration had been conducted and informed the public on Facebook that the feature will be used to improve communications with citizens.

Next steps: staff will finalize procurement and implementation details and set up internal protocols for alerting and targeted messaging.