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Ocean Ridge staff unveil 'Text My Gov' to replace Civic Ready for local alerts
Summary
Deputy sound clerk Katrina Pender introduced Text My Gov as the town's new resident-alert tool to handle localized notices (lost pets, water breaks) while Civic Ready remains reserved for major emergencies; staff reported roughly 638 sign-ups and said the system can target messages to specific neighborhoods.
Katrina Pender, deputy sound clerk, told the Ocean Ridge Town Commission that the town will adopt Text My Gov for routine resident communications while keeping Civic Ready for broader emergencies. “Text My Gov is replacing Civic Ready,” Pender said, and she described the new tool as able to isolate an area and send alerts only to residents within a selected vicinity.
Pender said the system can also deliver nonemergency notices such as billing or garbage invoices and that roughly 638 residents had signed up; staff noted about 94 sign-ups were visible near the meeting's information table. Commissioners and staff discussed practical matters of registration and testing: staff confirmed a test alert went out on May 21 and recommended commissioners check their device registration settings.
The presentation emphasized that residents may opt out but that the town can use the platform to reduce unnecessary alerts to unaffected neighborhoods. Staff offered QR codes and on-site help for residents who want to register and asked commissioners to provide cell numbers for internal commissioner alerts if desired.
