One of the core functions of a city government is to help its residents communicate issues to city leaders and city departments that can help with those issues. In a world that finds many communicating more through their mobile phones, it’s important that a city gives residents a myriad of options to get it touch quickly, effectively and through multiple communication forms.
The City of Gardendale recognized this when it began providing a service about 18 months ago that allows residents to use their mobile devices to text a particular issue through a service that can make sure the reported issue gets to the right city department to respond to the issue.
While the service can be a fast and effective way to communicate issues to the city for anything from reporting potholes, garbage issues, road issues and other issues residents may have, Melissa Honeycutt, the City of Gardendale’s Finance Director and City Clerk, told The Gardendale News that “in 6 months there has not been a single report from a citizen reporting an issue through the service.”
The service is easy to use as The Gardendale News tested the service. You simply text a word like “trash” to the number and the service will ask you a question or two before reporting the issue to the proper department.
If you would like to find out more info and see how to use the service, just follow this link, https://www.cityofgardendale.com/contact, and click on the thumbnail image.
This shouldn’t be confused with the “emergency city alerts.” While the general reporting texting option has not yet been embraced by residents, Ms. Honeycutt states that the city alert “has been successful [in] the emergency notification that allows me to push out emergency alerts (tornado shelter openings, city closings, road closures, etc.) to citizens that have signed up. We have about 400 people signed up today and it has been helpful in announcing storm shelter openings and closures of offices (especially in times of Covid). “
At the same link above, you can get the simple text sign up for “emergency city alerts.”
The Gardendale News would like to hear from you on these city communication tools. If you try them, send us an email or comment on Facebook and let us know what your experience is in using them.
