Since it went live just over two weeks ago, the City of Emporia’s new mass notification system has been put to use with significant frequency, and now more residents are able to receive those notifications.
During a recent installment of KVOE’s Talk of Emporia, City Manager Trey Cocking announced the CodeRed notification system is now available in Spanish. Cocking says it makes sense to have the feature given the large Spanish-speaking population within Emporia.
When it comes to additional languages being added to the notification system in the future, Cocking says that will be dependent on demand.
CodeRed came in handy for the city shortly after its launch when the city saw three separate water line breaks in roughly a week between Nov. 15 and 21.
Separately, the city is continuing its efforts to secure a buyer for two separate properties in the Emporia community. According to Cocking, the city has received multiple proposals for use of the Carnegie Library building, a property that has been the focus of more than one study session in recent months. Cocking says in addition to potential uses, the city has also conducted a recent study into the possible cost for demolishing the building outright.
Meanwhile, back in October city commissioners approved a resolution listing White Memorial Park as surplus property setting off a chain of events that could last into early next year and ultimately end with the property’s sale. According to Cocking, proposals for that property were due by Tuesday.
While it is unclear how many proposals were submitted, Cocking says there were at least two submitted prior to the deadline. Cocking also says that when it comes to a final decision on either property, it does not have to be the most “lucrative” option.
Additional conversations are expected to continue into next year.
