SIDNEY -- Cheyenne County is seeking public input on a proposed text information system.

The concept was first brought before the county commissioners in the April 3 meeting by District Court Clerk Mindy Wiegand and Assessor Jordan Hajek. Part of the motivation is admitting methods of communication are changing. Many people are as comfortable or more texting as calling a person.

The survey link can be found on the Cheyenne County website home page: www.cheyennecountyne.net 

The program was proposed as a method for residents to contact the county by text. The question or information sought would then be directed to the most relevant office. The introduction to the survey stresses TextMyGov would not replace any staff or forms of communication. Staff will continue to be available by phone and in person. TextMyGov would add another option in communication with county offices.

The program addresses four general areas: Notifications, "Text In," Complaints and Chat. Residents would have the option of subscribing to available notifications such as road closures, election information, and tax deadlines.

Text In allows a person to communicate by text instead of a phone call.  If the program is implemented, County offices could build a list of frequently asked questions with related answers.

Complaints would allow a person to contact the the county about a specific concern. For example of a county road needs maintenance, a text could be sent referencing a road number. The subscriber might receive a reply asking for the nearest crossroad and possibly a picture. 

Chat is to communicate a subject not directly listed. If the information you are looking for is not answered by one of the other services, a resident will have the option to text CHAT. When you do this, you will be able to send a specific question to the appropriate department and receive a response from one of our staff members.

The cost of this program is $4,500 annually and would be available for use by 12 County departments, making the cost per department $375 annually if all departments participated. There is a one-time setup fee of $2,250.