FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas — Fort Bend County launched a vital tool Tuesday for communicating and sharing resources with its residents, according to Judge KP George.
The myFBC mobile app isn't just for disaster alerts from the Office of Emergency Management. Users can also stream commissioners court sessions, chat directly with representatives from any department and a list of other features.
"We had numerous conversations with our information technology department...they've brought us to creating two important tools, so our county residents can communicate with us in a better, effective and more efficient manner," George said. "And also our employees. We wanted to make their lives a little bit better."
Users will be able to pay county taxes, view jury and court information, request public records, send important documents and submit complaints to various departments. Information regarding the county's response to COVID-19 and vaccination updates are also in the app, officials said.
Users have an option to opt in or out of push notifications, officials said.
George and the development team said the platform is secure for those worried about security. It'll also be used by the county's nearly 3,200 employees.
"Over the last year, we've worked to sit down with different offices and departments and learned what they wanted to be able to communicate to the public," Director of Information Technology and Chief Information Officer Robyn Doughtie said.
The county said myFBC will also be especially useful during elections. Information about how to register and polling locations, including wait times, will be available in real-time inside the app.
It can also find your location and give you direct information about your specific county representative, district and precinct.
Officials said the app can be translated into more than 100 languages, making the information accessible to virtually everyone in the area.
George, who oversees one of the fastest growing and diverse counties in Texas, said language was a key element when discussing the apps development. The county hopes to expand the features available in the app over time.
"Information can only move as fast as technology," George said.
The app can be downloaded from the Apple Store for iPhone users and the Google Play store for Android phones. It was created using the county's in-house developer.
On Tuesday, the county also announced it has purchased a second, simpler url for the website. It's now FBCTX.gov.
"We frequently heard that our email address was too long, and thanks to the initiative of Judge George, we were able to acquire this domain," Doughtie said.
Fortbendcountytx.gov is still active and can be used to get to the county website.
George said the new domain and mobile app are a big step in the county showing more transparency and having better communication with residents.