For the users, you can specify a region for each individual chat. Any messages sent to this chat group will be earmarked as "flo" and only routed by repeaters that are programmed to relay flo area packets. In the example shown here, take note of the region:flo in the title bar.

You could have a chat that was for florence area, and other chat for the whole state. or the whole country.

The idea here is that these chats are encrypted and since non-users can't read them anywya, why allow them to escape our area? this will reduce network utilization going forward.

It is probably best to do this now and then when the repeater owners make the switch you'll be ahead of the game.