Designing a data utility
Organization
During the later part of 2000 we created the following organization consisting of a General
Manager and 8 Divisions, approximately 140 staff. Each division has a manager who is
responsible for the following activities.
Municipal Rights-of-Way
In March 1999 Engineering Services was directed to establish a Manager to manage the
Municipal Rights-of-Way for the Corporation. During the last year new legal agreements have
been established with power and telecommunications companies doing business with the City of
Calgary. This formalized and consolidated existing processes related to approval and regulation
of privately owned shallow utilities within City owned rights-of-ways This Division, 18 staff,
includes work groups who have traditionally been involved with related activities.
Utility Records coordinate and give approval to consulting engineers who create utility mapping
and data for new subdivisions, which are eventually incorporated into City owned infrastructure.
Plans are in place to replace the current hard copy submission/approval processes with electronic
submission in an Autocad-Microstation environment in 2002.
Utility Line Assignments assign alignment locations within City owned rights-of-ways for all
City owned and private utilities. They also coordinate the submission of asbuilt information and
maintain subsequent records. Work takes place in an environment consisting of File Maker Pro
and Oracle databases with Microstation CAD.
Building Grades assign location and pertinent elevation data for service connections for private
developments, which tie into City infrastructure. This group also uses oracle and Microstation.
The Print Shop and Microfilm group deliver “front counter” services, mostly in hard copy
format, to internal customers and the Public. During 2001 they migrated from a legacy
mainframe database application to an oracle/PC based document management application.
Currently, this area maintains over 200,000 microfilm and over 57,000 scanned images (tiff and
jpg formats).
Geomatics
The City Land Surveyor who has the technical and professional responsibility for Corporate
Legal Survey interests manages this Division consisting of 29 staff.
The Cadastral Mapping work unit creates and maintains three “core” datasets which are the
foundation for all mapping or GIS in the Corporation; Legal Base Mapping, Ownership Parcel
Mapping and Road Network. The unit predominantly uses Microstation processes linked to
Oracle.
Another core dataset, the Digital Aerial Survey is maintained by in the Microstation environment
by Geomatics Resources who also conduct land title searches and produce specialty mapping
products; Floodway/Flood Plain, City Limits, Alberta Township Sections, Downtown 3 D Model
and Hazardous Slope Maps.
In November 2001 a new GIS work unit was formed in Geomatics to maintain data translation
activities for many corporate datasets (Microstation/oracle to ESRI's SDE). This unit will also
develop GIS applications for the Corporation and our customers.
Legal Survey establishes the survey control system, GPS control surveys and conducts legal
surveys.
Waterworks, Wastewater & Drainage and Roads Drafting
These three Divisions, 49 staff, provide specific Microstation CAD services for capital works
projects, mechanical drawings and standard specification drawings for their respective
customers. These Divisions also maintain three extensive oracle databases for various asset
management applications; Hansen, Cassworks and AM/FM, and many other planning and
infrastructure mapping products.
Engineering Survey
This Division of 31 permanent staff and approximately 10 seasonal staff provide field survey
services for other business units throughout the Corporation. This includes location surveys for
day-to-day utility operations and survey for new land development. By far, the major survey
activities are capital works construction projects primarily for Roads. This group currently
processes geodometer notes into Terramodel and Surplot mapping for detailed design, digital
terrain modeling and calculating volumes.
Corporate Data Marketing
In 2000 Engineering Services was directed to take on the responsibility for licensing and
marketing Corporate electronic data and provide distribution to commercial customers and the
Public. Primary customers are legal firms and real estate companies. This Division, presently 6
staff, includes City Online. City Online was an existing electronic data distribution business
which has migrated completely to being web based and currently has over 700 external
customers.
Business Integration
This Division, the smallest by far with only 2 staff, was created during the corporate
reorganization to better capitalize on emerging technologies and new opportunities for business
as a result of the reorganization.
The Manager is responsible for performing business analysis required to integrate work
processes and technology throughout the Department and analyze the integration of customer’s
business and technologies into Engineering Services. This is especially true when it comes to
implementing GIS technology throughout the Department.
In order to maintain our recognition for providing quality products and services in a growing
business environment this Division is also responsible for initiating and maintaining contact with
new and established customers to ensure customers needs and expectations are understood and
meet.
