Build your GIS ... No money Down and no closing costs
Every Team Needs a coach
Identifying and recruiting an effective leader is critical to organizing and mobilizing a Task
Force and GIS efforts. He or she must command respect without being domineering. An
effective leader must encourage in-depth discussions while keeping everyone focused on the task
at hand. Huntington County appointed Jim Cadoret, Director of Community Development to
lead the GIS Task Force. Cadoret was successful in using group dynamics to build support for
the project and he also involved everyone in the decision-making process.
Use mandated programs to support GIS costs
For the cost/benefit analysis, the estimated costs of completing the GIS with digital
orthophotography and the County's share of expenses were projected. It was determined that
certain projects were mandated by state or federal law, and thus required funding. Also, data for
programs such as watershed studies could be managed and performed via the GIS. The
cost/benefit analysis compared the expenses of existing mandated programs to the costs of using
a GIS for the program management. A GIS base fee was also calculated. After evaluating
current mandated program costs, it was concluded that resources currently allocated matched or
exceeded the cost of developing a GIS (excluding the cost of producing new digital
orthophotography). The cost of a GIS, including the digital orthophotography and providing
data for mandatory programs was estimated at $794,500 plus the cost of the GIS project
manager.
As a next step in developing funding support for the GIS, a cost/benefit report was delivered
the weekend before the Council meeting to the Council members at home rather than their
offices. This tactic was effective in eliminating distractions -- other programs -- that
competed for Council members’ attention. Plus, the GIS leader and task force members made
a point of following up with Council members at home, where they could discuss the GIS
casually in a receptive environment. Friendly front porch and back yard chats even took
place, which helped bring the concept home to Council members, who would be among the
"public" users of the GIS. The following layers were produced through the County's GIS
project:
- Digital orthos
- Planimetrics
- Parcel lines
- Parcel annotation
- Subdivisions
- Neighborhoods
- Flood zones
- Soils
- Zoning
- Assessor's land use
- Watersheds
- Legal drains
- GPS ground control
- Software
- Training
- Public access applications
- User applications
Approximately 54% of the GIS was funded with outside support including private contributions
of cash, training, software, and hardware. Also, funds generated through grants made it easier to
encourage other departments to add to the pot. For example, the Soil Conservation Services
contributed $10,000 to the cause to help coordinate layers for soils and watersheds.
GIS Data Tip: Cutting costly orthophotos proves Penny wise, Poud Foolish
The main cost of completing the GIS was producing the digital photography with planimetric
data. From its conversations with other Indiana county GIS programs, the Task Force learned
that often the single most important piece of GIS data is digital orthophotography produced with
maximum ground control points.
Previously, the aerial photography that was produced for the county was not controlled or
rectified. The proposed digital orthophotography would provide the accuracy required by the
county agencies, towns, and other users. With the orthophotography, maximum survey ground
control was utilized to ensure that the section corners and control points were sufficient.
Huntington County has two Indian Reserve areas. To achieve the required accuracy, ground
control points were critical because the reserves don't follow the state's or county's standard
surveying grid.
While not mandated, the county drain books required updating and partial funding had been
granted previously. Under the proposed GIS, the drain books would be updated as each parcel
was split or a transfer of ownership occurred, which eliminated the duplication of work and
resulted in a major saving of staff time.
Eventually funding of the GIS could also be derived from public tax dollars, among other
sources. So, the Task Force focused on educating potential county users such as the Economic
Development Department as well as the public. Presentations were made to various community
groups and the Task Force also briefed Commissioners monthly on progress, status and new
developments of the GIS initiative. The County Surveyor even attended monthly meetings of the
Council over the next year to remind the group of the GIS effort and its value. This focus on
awareness and education helped pave the way for support when it came time to sign GIS
contracts. The Schneider Corporation also organized and hosted a “GIS Test Drive” day. Print
and radio spots invited the public to try out a fully functional GIS in 1-1/2 hour instructor-led test
drive sessions. Five of these sessions were presented throughout the day at the courthouse with
eight computers available for the test drive. Schneider also produced and distributed handouts
with step-by-step instructions for performing typical GIS tasks. This "test drive" day was a big
hit with the County and the public.
Conclusion
The Association of Indiana Counties (AIC) in 2000 recognized the cooperative and creative
effort to study, develop, initiate and fund the countywide GIS with its County Achievement
Award. Then in 2001, the program won the Indiana GIS Initiative’s County Implementation
Award.
A year earlier, a design competition was held to create a logo for the GIS Internet application.
The entry -- ECHO, Electronic Courthouse Online -- was the winner. For the first time,
Huntington County participated in the 1999 GIS Day by inviting the public to the courthouse for
an all-day demonstration of ECHO. The event was a huge success, perhaps the ultimate
benchmark in achieving consensus --generating full support for the GIS from both the county
government and the public.
