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Barre City to pilot Regroup phone alerts for residents, targets seniors and assisted‑living outreach
Summary
As part of a flood‑resiliency communications update, the manager said the city will begin rolling out Regroup phone‑call alerts for Barre City residents, with an initial focus on seniors and congregate living sites to avoid overshooting contract call caps.
City Manager Nicholas briefed the council on communications upgrades in the flood‑resiliency plan and explained plans to expand Regroup’s capabilities beyond in‑app notifications and email. He said the platform’s phone‑call feature will be selectively enabled for residents who need calls — primarily seniors or those with landlines — because the city’s contract includes a call‑volume cap that can create additional costs if uncontrolled.
Nicholas described measures to validate residency and manage costs: staff will prioritize Barre City residents for the phone feature, pursue targeted sign‑up drives (for example, at polling places and faith‑community events), and coordinate with housing providers and the warming shelter to enroll volunteers and staff. “We’re probably sending about 15 to 20 messages on a high month,” he said, and explained that phone calls will be limited to avoid exceeding the service cap. Councilors suggested creative outreach (for example, younger family members registering alerts on behalf of seniors) and asked staff to check that local housing authorities and congregate settings are signed up to receive messages.
