Sherman County commissioners on an unspecified meeting date voted to enter a three‑year partnership with TextMyGov, a cloud‑based two‑way text messaging platform that county staff said can be used by multiple departments for outreach, service requests and emergency communication.

County staff presented the platform’s features and costs before the board approved the partnership. Staff described TextMyGov as primarily text‑based, with a local phone number for public replies, a website widget, and workflow features that can convert citizen messages into emails or work orders for departments. The presenter said the platform would allow residents to send photos and location information (for example, to report road damage) and receive automated, structured follow‑up questions to help staff triage reports.

The board approved the agreement after a brief discussion of costs, message allowances and records retention. Commissioners also completed routine business including approving the agenda and minutes, paying bills, signing a support letter for a Goodland Transportation van, authorizing land‑acquisition negotiations, reappointing a county representative to a regional homeland security council, accepting a local stump‑removal bid, extending WIC services through the end of the month, and setting holiday/meeting schedules.

County staff outlined the cost terms discussed with the vendor. The presenter said the implementation/setup fee is $2,650 (one time) and that the first year total would be $7,950, which the presenter said includes an annual component of about $5,000. The presenter said the recurring annual cost thereafter was negotiated to $5,300; the presenter also described an initial messaging allotment the vendor agreed to during negotiations and noted the county could need to purchase additional message blocks if usage exceeds the included amount. The presenter said the county uses Code Red for emergency alerts and plans to continue Code Red during rollout, then evaluate whether to transition from Code Red to the new platform in future years. The presenter also said the TextMyGov product includes tracking features useful for Freedom of Information Act compliance.

Formal votes recorded in the meeting transcript were routine roll‑call‑style ‘‘aye/oppose’’ votes without individual roll‑call tallies given in the audio. The board adopted all motions described in the transcript as passed.

Commissioners gave one additional direction: the board authorized a county staff member named Brett to negotiate a potential land acquisition from the Tompkins family; the motion passed with the same aye/oppose procedure.

The board’s actions will allow county staff to implement TextMyGov, begin vendor onboarding and track usage. County staff said they will continue Code Red for emergencies during the platform buildout and will revisit emergency‑alert services once TextMyGov is in regular use.

Votes at a glance

- Adopt agenda — approved (motion moved and seconded)
- Approve prior meeting minutes — approved (motion moved and seconded)
- Pay bills (amounts described in audio; transcript text garbled) — approved (motion moved and seconded)
- Sign support letter for Goodland Transportation van — approved (motion moved and seconded)
- Approve TextMyGov three‑year partnership agreement (implementation/setup fee and annual fees discussed) — approved (motion moved and seconded)
- Authorize Brett to negotiate land acquisition from the Tompkins family — approved (motion moved and seconded)
- Reappoint Chrissy to the Northwest Homeland Security Regional Council — approved (motion moved and seconded)
- Accept stump‑removal bid from Zeb Smith (~$900, speaker estimate) — approved (motion moved and seconded)
- Continue WIC services through the end of the month while federal funding is paused — approved (motion moved and seconded)
- Approve county holiday (Friday, Dec. 26) for county employees — approved (motion moved and seconded)
- Move last November meeting date (new date given in meeting audio; transcript phrasing garbled) — approved (motion moved and seconded)

Ending

Commissioners said staff will proceed with vendor onboarding for TextMyGov and that Code Red will remain in place during implementation. Several routine administrative items and local maintenance procurements were approved; staff will follow up with specifics and notifications to the public as needed.