LOCAL
Wallowa.com
Wednesday, August 25, 2021
A5
Commissioners OK new smart texting system
TextMyGov gives public better access to county systems such as payments, city news and more
By BILL BRADSHAW
Wallowa County Chieftain
ENTERPRISE — A pre-
sentation on a new smart tex-
ting system was made to the
Wallowa County Board of
Commissioners on Wednes-
day, Aug. 18, after which
they agreed to purchase and
install the system.
Attending the meeting
via Zoom, Russell Mur-
phy, of TextMyGov, demon-
strated to the commission-
ers how the system works
both for the county and for
county residents.
According to the compa-
ny’s website, TextMyGov is
a software company out of
Logan, Utah, that uses smart
texting technology to com-
municate with citizens 24/7.
Local government agencies
can answer questions, send
links to their website and
provide details on garbage
pickup, utility payment, city
news, events, offi ce hours,
department locations and
more.
Murphy has been work-
ing with Stacey Fregulia,
the county’s information
technology director and the
commissioners’ executive
assistant on the system.
Murphy said he’s been
working with other Oregon
counties, as well as with
local governments in other
states. In addition to contact
between the county and resi-
dents, the administrators can
allow other select groups to
be involved.
“We work with all kinds
of populations and demo-
graphics,” he said.
The three main functions
of the system are to allow
texting to:
• Report issues, such as
those concerning public
safety.
• Find information on any
variety of topics.
• Request permits issued
by the county.
“We wanted to make it
simple so it’s simple for the
citizens to get in,” Murphy
said.
Search parameters use
keywords such as “fi re,”
“fair” or “events” and can
include additional ones as
system administrators deter-
mine the necessity.
“I like it,” Commission
Chairman Todd Nash said.
“It seems like a product that
is really user friendly.”
Commissioner John Hill-
ock had his thoughts on pos-
sible uses for the system.
“The Road Department
could use it if they had a
road delay, fi re emergencies,
there are a lot of things that
we could defi nitely use it
for,” he said.
Commissioner
Susan
Roberts said a certain level
of responsibility is needed
by those using it, as the sys-
tem appears to include.
“A citizen has to sign in,
that’s an important thing,”
she said.
Fregulia, in her role as IT
director, gave her thumbs up
to the system.
“It’s very user friendly,”
she said. “It’s very non-
complicated for department
heads.”
Roberts said the system
costs the county $2,500 a
year with a $1,000 setup
fee. It starts with an initial
two-year contract and after
that each year is a separate
contract.
The cost of the sys-
tem pays for 50,000 texts
and additional texts can be
purchased.
“We have to be careful
of that limited number of
texts,” Roberts said. “Every-
body and their dog is going
to be texting.”
The
commissioners
agreed it will take some
monitoring to control the
number of texts used in the
system.
“There will be some
learning we’ll have to do,”
Nash said.
Roberts noted that the
board has until Aug. 25 to
approve the contract, so they
voted Wednesday to do so.
They will notify the public
when the system is up and
running.
Other business
In other matters, the
commissioners:
• Approved two ser-
vice-provider agreements
between the county and
Community
Connections
of Northeastern Oregon for
the Statewide Transporta-
tion Fund. The agreements
involve grant applications.
• Agreed to reopen pub-
lic roads closed due to fi re-
safety issues.
• Formally received
unanticipated revenue to
the Wallowa County Fair in
the amount of $14,000 in an
anonymous donation.
• Adopting an intrafund
transfer of $11,000 from the
county’s Contingency Fund
to the Website Maintenance
Fund.
• Approved a request by
Rose Favino for an ease-
ment on the Troy Road for
access to a private residence.
The easement was initially
listed on the agenda as for
Dunham Road but corrected
at the meeting.
$ 5
Commissioners honor 911 dispatcher
frozen
pizzas
8AM TO 8 PM
WED, THUR, SUN
Brooke
Langerman
helped keep vital
service going
while supplies
last
8AM TO 9PM: FRI & SAT
541 569 2285
By BILL BRADSHAW
Wallowa County Chieftain
M BIRKMAIER &
CODY ROSS, TO
WYATT WARNOCK
Bill Bradshaw/Wallowa County Chieftain
Wallowa County 911 dispatcher Brooke Langerman, right, is congratulated by Commission
Chairman Todd Nash for exemplary work Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2021, as Commissioner Susan
Roberts applaudes and fellow dispatchers watch in background.
sick with coronavirus and it
was just her and her super-
visor keeping the operation
going.
“We
were
working
12-hour shifts,” Langerman
said.
The working mom of
three kids, ages 3, 5 and 6,
said that the long shifts and
shorthanded situation lasted
about two weeks.
Nash turned the presen-
tation of the award over
to Commissioner Susan
Roberts.
“Since it was decided that
we have employees who
went above and beyond, we
decided we needed to give
those employees something
special when they did some-
thing special,” Roberts said.
“So, the local glassblower
made the Golden Feather of
Achievement for us. We do
understand that the line on
the fl ag for 911 operators is
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a gold line.”
The fi rst time such an
award was presented was
June 16 to Wallowa County
Deputy Jennifer Harmon.
Stockgrowers Ranch
The Wallowa County the weekend and saw
er
Rodeo took place ov people win events. Cody
n
more than a doze t prolific winner, taking
Ross was the mos Birkmaier and Wyatt
Tom
three events, while , won the famous rockjack
Warnock. pictured building competition.
udly
Pro onsore d b y
Sp
OF
THE
ENTERPRISE — The
coronavirus pandemic may
be causing problems, but it
also allows for stars to shine
— in this case, a star of the
Wallowa County 911 dis-
patch division.
On Wednesday, Aug. 18,
dispatcher Brooke Langer-
man was awarded the sec-
ond-ever Golden Feather
of Achievement award by
the Wallowa County com-
missioners at their regular
meeting.
“For the second time
ever since I’ve been here,
we’re
recognizing
an
employee for exemplary
work,” Commission Chair-
man Todd Nash said. “This
goes to Brooke Langerman.
She apparently got tricked
into coming over here. We
really appreciate the above
and beyond and your will-
ingness to hang in there and
keep a vital part of Wal-
lowa County operating at
the 911 station there. You
gave up family time in a
time of trepidation where
you could’ve said, ‘It’s just
too dangerous and I’m not
coming in.’ But you kept
that operation going and we
really appreciate your ser-
vice and we want to rec-
ognize that. There’s a lot
of extra people who came
here today just to make sure
you are recognized for your
duties here, so thank you
very much.”
This was met with
applause from those pres-
ent, which included Sheriff
Joel Fish, several Enterprise
Police offi cers and other 911
dispatchers.
Langerman said after the
presentation that four of the
six 911 dispatchers were out