04-13-2005 Council Agenda - Laserfiche WebLink

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g + ez YeLiGe 515 Little Canada Road, Little Canada, MN 55117-1600 (651) 766 -4029 / FAX: (651) 766 -4048 www.ci.lit:tle- canada.mn.us MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor Blesener and Members of the City Council FROM: Joel Hanson, City Administrator DATE: March 29, 2005 RE: Ramsey County GIS Users Group MAYOR Bill Blesener COUNCIL Jim IaValle Rick Montour Barbara Allan John ICeis ADMINISTRATOR Joel R. Hanson In 1995, a number of jurisdictions within Ramsey County banded together to forni the Ramsey County Geographic Information Systems Group (RCGIS). Using county data, a central site for property records, aerial surveys, and other data has been created. This site has since been made available to all local governments within the county. It can be found at http:/ /maps. metro- inet. us/ RamsevCoGIS /DisclaimerRCPublic.htm. (Note: There is a site available to RCGIS members that is even more comprehensive than this one.) I have attached some additional background material. We have not joined this group. The reasons for our delays were our desire to ensure a viable product would be created, we had purchased county digital data about that time and did not see an initial benefit, and the on going costs for an unproven program. Today, those reasons are no longer valid. RCGIS is a proven commodity with many benefits to its members. Up to date access to county property records is the primary benefit. Currently, we pay an annual cost of 5600 to belong to IRIS, which gives us access to some county records through one designated workstation within the City. To join RCGIS, there is a one -time fee of 5500 with the 2005 annual cost to Little Canada at 5938. For this additional cost, all workstations in the City will have access to this data. Furthermore, RCGIS is more functional than IRIS for items such as aerial parcel maps. generation of :nailing lists for public hearings. and mapping overlays. By joining RCGIS. we would discontinue our IRIS subscription at the conclusion of the month. [t should be noted that RCGIS data has already been made available to all Ramsey County jurisdictions at no cost. However. we are one of the few jurisdictions not paying for this service I see membership listing attached). I believe we should be 20ntributing io this program on an equal basis given the benefits that will accrue to us. Amother benefit Ih ilC '.viii likely He forthcomin!T -S 'the Inclusion of two -foot contour aerial surveys within he rialuhdse. '.illi' i 'C\ :Engineer has n i1gesteu -.vc: notaln iIRS intol'mation. - 1 -