You can now text the city of Aventura

Why it matters: Aventura is trying to cater to older residents who may not receive email updates from the city, while giving the public a way to let staff know about broken traffic lights or other issues in their area.

• City spokesperson Evan Ross told Axios he believes Aventura is the first city in Florida to test out text message communications with real people on the other end.
• Other cities send out automated messages via text or email.

How it works: Residents can text NEWS to (305) 677-8878 to sign up.

• You can choose to receive government news, information about local events, updates on construction and more.
• You can also text the number to chat with a city employee, who will monitor messages during the day and respond when necessary.

Thought bubble: I want to see a city open a BeReal account so we can snoop on our elected leaders.