App aims to connect Cheswick government with borough residents

Cheswick officials are partnering with a Pittsburgh-based notifications app in an effort to communicate better with residents.

Savvy Citizen, developed and maintained by Management Science Associates, is a notification system built for local governments to send information such as alerts, notifications and events directly to subscribing residents. The company was founded in 1963 by Alfred A. Kuehn, a longtime Cheswick resident.

The system has been used by local governments since 2017, according to Jeralyn Brown, senior account manager for Management Science Associates. In Allegheny County, 29 localities subscribe to the system.

“It’s built specifically for local governments,” Brown said.

Cheswick Borough Council in April voted to enter a yearly contract with Savvy Citizen for a cost not to exceed $2,000 per year.

With the program, local governments can send direct, one-way communication to those who subscribe to the system, Brown said.

Savvy Citizen gives residents a choice to receive information through a push notification on their phone, a text message or an email. The Savvy Citizen app is free and can be downloaded on the App Store or the Google Play Store.

But subscribers to Cheswick alerts don’t have to be borough residents, Brown said. People in surrounding communities also can subscribe to the app.

She said Savvy Citizen avoids the clutter and misinformation of social media, and the app gets people in the know of local happenings. It also features a community calendar that people can view for upcoming events posted by the local governments they follow.

“Management Science Associates is pleased to provide local governments with an effective and affordable tool for their resident communication needs. We are happy that Cheswick Borough chose Savvy Citizen as part of their resident communication strategy,” Joe Reddy, president of Management Science Associates, said in a statement.