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Commission approves trial subscription for county website chatbot to speed public access to information
Summary
The commission approved a prorated trial subscription for a chatbot/search tool for the county website, noting a prorated cost of $37.50 and an annual price cited near $9,000; commissioners said the service will be funded through the end of the year for evaluation.
The Duchesne County Commission on Aug. 4 approved a prorated subscription for a website chatbot and search tool intended to help residents find county information and reduce routine phone calls.
Committee member (S2) moved to approve the prorated subscription; the motion was seconded and authorized by commissioners for signature by a named commissioner. Staff explained the subscription will display a small chatbot box on county pages to answer queries and that the county had tested the product across departments and multiple languages.
The meeting included discussion of costs and vendor practices. The clerk (S1) noted a prorated cost of $37.50 shown in the packet; staff (S6) and commissioners also referenced an annual price of about $9,000. A staff member raised concerns that the vendor had bypassed IT directors in outreach to administrators, saying the sales tactics had created a “negative bias” among IT staff even where the technology might be useful. The staff member said departments had tested the product and generally found answers accurate during initial tests.
Commissioners agreed to fund the subscription through the end of the year as a trial and to review whether the product reduces phone traffic and provides accurate responses during the budgeting cycle.
What happens next: the subscription will be implemented across county sites for the pilot period; staff will collect usage data and report back for budget decisions next cycle.
