August 31, 1999
 
Athens County Commissioners
15 South Court Street, 2nd Floor
Athens, Ohio 45701
 
                                RE: Monthly GIS Progress Report
 
Commissioners:
 
I have been studying a new ESRI software package that seems like it may fit
with our Athens County GIS very well.  ArcIMS (Internet Map Server) is
their new Web-based mapping and GIS technology.  This software is a
synthesis of the best features from two current ESRI Internet technologies
ArcView IMS and MapObjects.  ArcIMS will be user friendly and easy to
implement (like ArcView IMS) and scalable and customizable (like
MapObjects).  It represents new software architecture for leveraging
GIS data to many users over the Internet.
 
J.D. Overton, an ESRI - St. Louis training person, came to Athens the week
of August 9th.  Ken Highland, John Branner, J.B. Hoy, Mike Finney, Dan and
I were trained on NovaLIS Parcel Editor software at ILGARD's computer
facility.  I met with J.D. on several other issues:  We discussed ESRI
assisting us with a public access system when we get closer to completing
our parcel conversion process, a central GIS hardware configuration, the
need for layer standards in AutoCAD drawings submitted by surveyors, and
a procedure for establishing an ESRI Librarian file system for our parcel
coverages.  A copy of his report is included with this progress report.
 
EmergiTech and Digital Information Systems are progressing with our E-911
project.  This project is on schedule and is now 74% complete.  The
completion date for this project is January 31, 2000.  Attribution of
building structure locations (address database development) is complete,
except for Athens City, Nelsonville, Glouster, Chauncey, Coolville, The
Plains and Trimble.  Doug Bentley and J.B. Hoy are working to provide the
additional information needed.  Attribution of the street centerlines
(development of street centerline database) is complete for those areas
that address attribution has been completed.  Ron Lucus will be sending
address point locations for the City of Athens to Digital Information by
the end of the month.
 
ILGARD is working to create a Pilot Project in which we may demonstrate
and evaluate the CAMA data combined with our parcel data.
 
I received an updated version (3.2) of NovaLIS software.  Among several
improvements is one that will really be of great benefit to us.  The new
SAW (Spatial Adjustment Wizard) addition permits faster and more accurate
adjustments to your data sets.  It allows for importing new data (i.e. a
property split provided on disk) into an existing database (i.e. our
digital parcel maps), placing it in the right spot, and then almost
automatically snapping it into place.  This improvement will enable our
automated electronic parcel maintenance operation to be even more
efficient.
 
We received our "Mr. Sid" compressed orthophotos.  Each Township, as well
as the entire County is available as separate image files, all on one CD.
Previously, we had to store each township on a separate CD.  The "Mr. Sid"
images call up much quicker, and have amazing resolution for the speed
achieved through the compression process.
 
I delivered a copy each of ESRI ArcView 3.1 software and a CD of Mr. Sid
orthophotos to Lenny Eliason, Mark Sullivan, and Doug Bentley.  I also gave
a Mr. Sid Orthophoto CD to Bob Eichenberg, J.B. Hoy, Howard Fokes, and
John Branner, and we copied the Mr. Sid orthos onto Ken Highland's computer
and installed ESRI ARC/INFO on Ken's computer.  I have a copies of ESRI
ArcView 3.1 for Ken and Tami, in the Auditor's Office, and a copy for
Bill Theisen.  Each of these offices will be responsible for registering
and purchasing annual maintenance (If desired) for their copies of the
ESRI software.
 
We installed a copy of ESRI ARC/INFO and COGO software, and a copy of
NovaLIS 3.2 Parcel Maintenance software onto Ken's computer.   A network
card has been ordered, and we have received ESRI software key codes.
These last two items will complete the development of the Auditor's Parcel
Maintenance Work Station and will enable Ken to begin working on our pilot
data project with newly acquired NovaLIS parcel maintenance skills from our
recent ESRI training.
 
I contacted Tom Harner, GIS Coordinator for the Clermont County Auditor,
and will visit their GIS next month.  Their GIS was developed with ESRI
software very similar to ours.
 
The GIS presentation to our County elected and appointed officials was
received well.  About twenty people attended, and several offered very good
questions and comments.
 
Our next GIS Steering Committee meeting will be September 16, 1999
at 11:00 a.m. in the O.U. Facilities Management conference room.
 
Thank you for allowing me to coordinate this important aspect of
Athens County's future, and for your usual cooperation.
 
Archie Stanley
GIS Coordinator