Aurora could soon offer text alert services to residents

Yorkregion.com
Oct. 25, 2016
By Teresa Latchford

Aurora residents may soon be able to receive text alerts from the town.

The town is currently exploring options for a service that would allow residents to sign up for text alerts, a relatively cost effective way of ensuring residents are well informed, according to town spokesperson Stephanie Mackenzie-Smith.

“We aren’t into spamming people, it would be an opt-in service only,” she said. “Residents would also be able to subscribe to different kinds of alerts to get the information they want.”

Although nothing is written in stone as of yet, the service will most likely be launched as a pilot project to alert residents of a snow event in winter and remind them to remove their vehicles parked on the street to facilitate snow removal.

If the pilot is successful, other alerts could be added including emergency management alerts, road closures and construction, water and tax bill reminders, council meeting alerts, community event alerts and notice when registration opens for recreational programs.

“We know people use texting to communicate and this would be another way for us to get information to residents,” Mackenzie-Smith said.