Watkinsville Building E-mail Notification System

An e-mail alert system is gaining momentum in the

The idea came about following a that was issued in early February. Some citizens suggested to Watkinsville council members that there could be a more efficient way to notify residents in the event of such emergencies, a matter council discussed at their . Talks of a telephone notification system began, and the city started collecting e-mail addresses from citizens to reach them that way, Watkinsville Mayor Joe Walter said.

When Watkinsville faced a threat of severe thunderstorms on Monday, city officials sent out the first e-mail blast.

Monday's e-mail was simply a forwarded message from Deputy Director Mark Melvin, but it was a start, said Walter.

"The beauty of this is that e-mail can be accessed from anywhere," Walter said.  "So if something happens on a Saturday or Sunday, the city can still send out alerts quickly."

So far only about 45 recipients are on the master e-mail list, but Walter said city residents can join by calling City Hall at 706-769-5161  or e-mailing clerk Julie Sanders to add their contact information to the system.

Watkinsville will continue to explore telephone-based notification options with Oconee County government,  he said.