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GIS Strategic Plan

GIS Division Technology Services Department

Washoe County

June 2010

By

Thomas Lo, GIS Manager GIS Division Staff

Table of Contents

Executive Summary 5 1. Introduction 7 1.1 GIS Vision Statement 7 2. Development History 9 2.1 Introduction of Departmental GIS: 1984 – 1996 10 2.2 Formation of Regional Basemap Committee and Enterprise GIS Database: 1997 – 2002 11 2.3 Growth of GIS and Implementation of Web-Based GIS: 2002 – 2008 11 2.3.1 Migration to the SDE Geodatabase 14 2.3.2 Development of County GIS Websites 13 2.3.3 Update and Expansion of Regional GPS Network 15 2.3.4 Improvement and Expansion of GIS Data Layers 18 2.3.5 Development of Street Atlas, Wall and Image Maps 18 2.3.6 Controversy of Converting “Ground” Coordinate System Back to Grid System 18 3. Current GIS Status and Department Support 20 3.1 GIS Organizations and Personnel in Washoe County 20 3.2 Current Hardware Platforms 20 3.3 Status of Software Use and Ownership 20 3.4 Enterprise Databases 25 3.5 Department Support 25 3.5.1 Fire Mitigation / Fire Districts 25 3.5.2 Assessor’s Office 27 3.5.3 Registrar of Voters 28 3.5.4 Community Development 28 3.5.5 Public Works 29 3.5.6 Regional Parks and Open Space 29 3.5.7 Health Department 30 3.5.8 Water Resources 30 3.5.9 Sheriff’s Office 31 3.5.10 Truckee River Flood Project 31 3.5.11 Senior Services 31 3.5.12 District Attorney / Public Defender 32 3.5.13 Manager’s Office 32 3.5.14 Emergency Management 33 3.5.15 Other Department Support 33 3.6 Public and Private Sector Support 33 3.7 Training Status 34 3.8 Current Washoe County Issues 34

GIS Strategic Plan – August 2009

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Table of Contents 4. Regional Basemap Committee and Regional Cooperation 37 4.1 Basemap Committee Organization 37 4.2 Basemap Committee Functions and Performance 37 4.3 Current Regional Basemap Committee Issues 38 4.4 Recommendations 39 4.5 Northern Nevada / California Spatial Data Coalition Status 40 5. Future GIS Development Trends 42 5.1 User Environment 42 5.2 Hardware Environment 43 5.3 Software Environment 43 5.4 Data Environment and Business Integration 43 5.5 Professional Skill Set Environment 43 6. Recommendations for Washoe County 45 6.1 Washoe County Mandated Mapping Services 45 6.2 Washoe County Critical GIS Services 45 6.3 Recommendations for Washoe County 45 6.3.1 Work on Projects to Meet Mandated Mapping Services 45 6.3.2 Support Public Safety and Emergency Management 46 6.3.3 Redesign Web Portals to Provide More User-Friendly Functions 46 6.3.4 Locate Non-Spatial Databases to Integrate with GIS 46 6.3.5 Establish Database Interface Address Key 46 6.3.6 Encourage In-House Application Development 47 6.3.7 Consolidate or Increase Staff 47 6.3.8 Enhance Advanced Skill Sets and Effectiveness of GIS Staff 47 6.3.9 Expand Field Mapping Support 47 6.3.10 Acquire Orthophotos on a Biennial Basis 47 6.3.11 Refine Quality Control Measures 48 6.3.12 Maintain Allegiance with ESRI While Evaluating Other Emerging GIS Companies 48 6.3.13 Improve Server and Network Infrastructure 48 6.3.14 Develop Department GIS Champions / Expand GIS Training for County Staff 48 6.3.15 Encourage Communication among Department GIS Users 48 6.3.16 Support Google Maps and Other Online Mapping Websites 49 6.3.17 Evaluate and Acquire LIDAR Data 49 7. Magnitude of Investment, Revenue Sources and Project Timelines 50 7.1 Magnitude of Investment 50 7.1.1 Enterprise GIS Capital Outlay 50 7.1.2 Software, Hardware and Personnel Expenditure 50 7.2 Resource Allocation 54 7.2.1 Resource Allocation for Enterprise GIS Project Support and Database Management 54 7.2.2 Resource Allocation for Department and Public Support 54 7.3 Revenue Sources 54 7.3.1 Other Existing Revenues 54 7.3.1.1 GIS Data License Revenues 55 7.3.1.2 Technical Map Check Revenues 55


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Table of Contents 7.3.2 Potential Revenues 55 7.3.2.1 Regional GPS Network License Fee 55 7.3.2.2 GIS Services Charged to ARRA Projects 55 7.3.2.3 Grant Supported Orthophoto Project 58 7.4 Benefits and Savings 58 7.5 Projects and Timelines 58 8. Conclusion 60 Appendixes 61


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Executive Summary Geographic Information Systems (GIS) was a new tool when it emerged in the late 1970s to enhance mapping. Through the years, after several generations of innovation, GIS has become an essential tool in supporting government services and private business. Washoe County was introduced to GIS 25 years ago (1984) by the Planning Department. It eventually developed into a countywide enterprise system in 1999, fusing into the mainstream of information technology. Today, the GIS Division, as part of the Technology Services Department, serves the majority of the county departments, other local government agencies and the general public. The forming of the Regional Basemap Committee in 1998 was a big stride forward for regional cooperation. In early years, the Regional Basemap Committee achieved the goal of a single regional software platform and data structure and consolidation of data acquisition services. Currently, the Regional Basemap Committee is semi-active. It needs to reorganize, enlarge membership and requires strong support from senior management of all jurisdictions involved. In the past five years, the popularity and wide use of GPS navigation, Google Map/Earth and Microsoft Virtual Earth, has fueled public and county staff requests for more spatial information, especially those available through a user-friendly web page. County GIS staff is expected to provide better and faster service to fulfill those needs. Many of the ideas put forth in this strategic plan are based on a stable economic environment and relatively healthy county budget. With the current major economic downturn, reorganization ahead and a County paradigm shift from expansion of services to survival, some of the following recommendations may not be feasible to carry out in the near future. Recommendations below, numbered by priority, for a continued strong enterprise GIS include:

1. Work on projects to meet mandated mapping services; 2. Support public safety and emergency management; 3. Redesign Web portals to provide more user-friendly functions; 4. Locate non-spatial databases to integrate with GIS; 5. Establish database interface address key; 6. Encourage in-house application development; 7. Consolidate or increase staff; 8. Enhance advanced skill sets and effectiveness of GIS staff; 9. Expand field mapping support; 10. Acquire orthophotos on a biennial basis; 11. Refine quality control measures; 12. Maintain allegiance with ESRI while evaluating other emerging GIS companies; 13. Improve server and network infrastructure; 14. Develop department GIS champions/expand GIS training for County staff; 15. Encourage communication among department GIS users; 16. Support Google Maps and other public mapping websites; 17. Evaluate and acquire LIDAR data.


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A list of projects and timelines is outlined for the next five years in Chapter 7. The plan is to remain flexible to be able to best use our available resources to meet the mandated and critical needs of both short and long-term county business interests. Through the years, the GIS Division continues to receive praise from throughout county government, as well as from external agencies, organizations, vendors and members of the public. GIS staff pledges to continue advancing GIS technology throughout Washoe County.


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1. Introduction In 2004, Washoe County commissioned a consulting firm, Pacific Technologies Incorporated (PTI), to develop a technology strategic plan. PTI spent the next two years developing recommendations that were reported to county management in early 2006. One of the recommendations of the report suggested the county develop a strategic plan to address regional and county coordinated geographic information system (GIS) mapping, spatial data layer development and services delivery needs. PTI recommended the county acquire external expertise to review county based GIS activities and develop a strategic plan. Funding to hire an external consultant was cut from the FY2007/2008 budget and no funding was available in the FY2008/2009 budget for this purpose. The GIS strategic plan was created through the combined efforts of the GIS Division manager and staff. The focal points of the strategic plan take stock of the current status of county GIS issues including regionalization efforts; the demands associated with current county GIS programs and projects, and the need to develop priorities and an overall work plan. Developing an in-house strategic plan takes advantage of employee knowledge and saves the money required to hire outside professional help. At the same time, in-house expertise and knowledge are often confined by the very same experiences and biased opinions, particularly when dealing with the subject of GIS regionalization. It is recommended that external expertise be consulted to confirm and/or modify the findings when funds become available. The benefits of employing GIS technology for Washoe County business processes are well known and documented. It is not our intention to provide a detailed evaluation of return on investment (ROI) in this strategic plan to convince senior management, but rather to highlight the role of GIS in alliance with county mission goals such as improving accountability, business efficiencies, competitive advantage and resource utilization. Most of the information presented in this document was gathered from person-to-person feedback, department and division heads, casual GIS users and GIS professionals from other local agencies, including the cities of Reno and Sparks. Documents were also collected to provide background information, including the 1996 Washoe County GIS Strategy and the Regional Basemap Interlocal Agreement (See Appendix I & II). Finally, the strategies and planning recommendations presented in this document are primarily based on the experiences of the GIS manager and staff and the result of an in-depth assessment.

1.1 GIS Vision Statement The GIS Vision Statement was developed in 1999 to help guide the direction of the GIS Division. The statement reiterates the overall goal of the GIS Division to provide high-quality; user-friendly and timely GIS services to county staff, other local government entities and the general public. The vision statement also addresses the following:


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GIS as part of the County’s Information System – Treat geospatial data as part of the enterprise information system, with concurrent data management procedures, security measures and mandated backups. Data quality and currency – Improve the quality and currency of spatial data, including positional accuracy, completeness and correctness of attribute information. Data sharing – Encourage data sharing to reduce costs and eliminate redundancies. Develop mechanisms and common standards to enable the sharing of data across organizational lines. Centralized databases – Create centralized, enterprise-wide GIS databases to ensure data accessibility, data usability, data compatibility, data link ability and data backup. Make it simple – Provide simple user interface tools for efficient collecting, displaying, analyzing, reporting and plotting of spatial data. Access to all – Make geospatial information easily accessible to county staff; other public and private organizations; the general public through the county intranet; World Wide Web (Internet) and over the counter access (sometimes for a fee). Training and support – Provide training coordination and technical support to county staff in the proper use of spatial information and GIS software tools. Central coordination – Support a central GIS function that will ensure common direction of GIS development and the efficient use of GIS resources. Leadership – Provide regional leadership to stimulate and encourage the effective application of GIS technology and integration of other information for decision-making and government functions.

Based on the above vision statements, the primary objectives of this strategy document are to: 1. Assess current status of GIS deployment and use in Washoe County. 2. Assess regional cooperation efforts among local government agencies and the health of the Regional Basemap Committee. 3. Examine developing GIS trends. 4. Provide innovation and organization recommendations. 5. Estimate required resources. 6. Set project implementation priorities.


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2. Development History

2.1 Introduction of Departmental GIS: 1984 – 1996

Washoe County’s planning managers and staff began building the foundation of a departmental GIS in 1984. It took a leap of faith and determination by the Planning Department to set out and create their own stand-alone GIS. At that time, whether due to budget constraints, differences of priorities, or a lack of familiarity with GIS technology, other county departments, the cities of Reno and Sparks and local government agencies declined to be part of the new program.

Creating a GIS from the ground up was not easy. Factors such as tight budgets, high hardware and software costs and the nascent level of GIS technology in the 1980s limited what the new GIS could accomplish. The new software was complex and cumbersome, requiring extensive staff training. Despite obstacles, the Planning Department stuck to its vision. The first step was to develop a database of county parcel boundaries. Section corner control points were digitized from USGS 7.5-minute topographic quads, a necessity due to the size of Washoe County (6600 square miles) and the limited amount of surveyed control point data. Boundary lines for approximately 100,000 parcels were traced from Assessor maps onto Mylar sheets for “best fit” within the control points, then digitized into a seamless database using a large-format digitizer, a process that would eventually take ten years to complete. Although creating an automated land parcel map for the entire county was the highest priority, the development of other spatial data sets occurred at the same time, e.g., soil and hydrologic units and city and county boundaries. Creating this many new data sets was costly. Over the succeeding five years, approximately $1.5 million was spent developing the capabilities of the County’s GIS. The Planning Department went on to win numerous awards for their GIS products and services, including Environmental Systems Resource Institute’s (ESRI) Presidential Award in 1989.

As GIS was implemented in other departments, the Assessor’s Office and Truckee Meadows Fire, there appeared a need to address informal evolution and project growth issues. In recognition of future growth, the County Manager and Board of County Commissioners authorized the preparation of a formal GIS strategy report in 1996 (See Appendix III). Included in that strategy report were a total of 29 recommendations which addressed hardware, software, organizational restructuring, enterprise database maintenance and application, and workflow procedural issues. Most of the recommendations were adopted over succeeding years, with organizational restructuring most difficult to implement. In 1997, GIS staff moved to the Manager’s Office in order to coordinate and consolidate the countywide use of GIS resources in accordance with recommendations outlined in the 1996 GIS strategy report. GIS staff later moved to the Information Technology Department, serving the same functions.


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2.2 Formation of Regional Basemap Committee and Enterprise GIS Database: 1997 – 2002

Obtaining a highly accurate parcel database was the main impetus behind the creation of the Regional Basemap Committee in 1998, by a consortium of public and private interests. The Committee’s charter outlined goals intended to improve accuracy and currency of the parcel database; to centralize technical map checks for Washoe County and the cities of Reno and Sparks, and to fund the acquisition of spatial data such as orthophotography and topography contours. Forming the Basemap Committee was, at the time, the highlight of regional cooperation among local government and private industries. Initial formal members of the Basemap Committee included Washoe County, the cities of Reno and Sparks, and Sierra Pacific Power. Nevada Bell, the Regional Transportation Commission and Truckee Meadows Water Authority, have since become subscribers to the Basemap Committee data sets.

In April 1998, Sparks, along with representatives from Reno and Washoe County, selected a vendor to help automate its parcel level data within its jurisdiction. The same vendor was hired by Washoe County and Reno in 1999, to convert their respective areas of the digitized parcel data layer to a database that included coordinate geometry line attributes. After the vendor completed the conversions in May 2000, it took GIS Division staff an additional 18 months to fine tune and quality check the approximately 130,000 re-engineered parcels resulting, with the exception of downtown Reno and very old neighborhood areas, in: parcel line accuracy in the southern portion of the county, now, generally within 2.5 feet of grid (or mean sea level coordinates) and new developments usually accurate to within a few inches. Concerned about maintaining the accuracy of the new parcel database, Basemap Committee members funded the installation of five GPS base stations in November 1999, to support growing regional GPS network surveying companies and other real-time tracking applications. Due to those actions, surveyors and engineering firms, as well as county personnel, now have online, 24-hour access to GPS correction files via a county-hosted website. To address accuracy and data format standards, an agreement was reached with local developers and surveyors that all project drawings would be submitted digitally to the Public Works Department instead of being submitted with the (then standard) paper maps. Today, digital submittals help speed up the process in which Public Works’ staff post address and parcel number information to a website for new county subdivision projects (usually within 24 hours). The digital submittals have also been instrumental in reducing the amount of time needed to update the parcel database from two months in 1999, to approximately five working days in 2008.

Local public entities had been acquiring orthophotography to suit their individual needs, which resulted in regional photo data that was incompatible in terms of film type, scale, file format and accuracy. This incompatibility and other issues created problems when mapping projects requiring orthophotography extended across jurisdictional boundaries. After the Basemap Committee began funding regionally compatible orthophotography acquisition in April 2000, products from that program, still in use today, include 6-inch resolution orthophotos for urban areas and 1-foot resolution orthophotos for rural areas. Additional acquisitions of 2-foot interval contour data and Landsat 7 satellite data have added important


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tools for use in flood management, engineering design needs, and regional mapping and analysis.

Selling data for a fee can often be a difficult and time-consuming task. GIS data is no exception. It has been a Washoe County practice to provide spatial data to the public at minimal cost and many organizations have grown accustomed to the service. In 1997, the Nevada Legislature created a new law that allows state public entities to recoup the costs of data collection and maintenance. To justify the new data fees to the local user community, GIS staff held workshops that educated community members about the costs associated with acquiring, processing and managing spatial data. At the same time, Washoe County was careful not to compete in pricing with private industry data sellers. Data sales from 2000 to 2002, although modest in the first year, generated approximately $237,000 of revenue.

After the creation of the new parcel database, all Washoe County GIS data was moved to the Nevada State plane coordinate system, a change that initially brought on controversy due to the use of a local relief modifier. Data format standards included ESRI-based coverage and shape files. Washoe County was responsible for maintaining all Basemap Committee data, including the parcel database, street centerlines, orthophotos and contours. Reno, Sparks and Sierra Pacific Power have online access to GIS data stored on County servers or FTP sites.

From 1999 to 2002, Washoe County and Basemap Committee members coordinated efforts to establish a solid regional GIS technology foundation. Enhancements to data maintenance procedures, new data format and coordinate system standardization, and a continuing focus on maintaining highly accurate and current data were instrumental in the successful expansion of local GIS activities. Noting strong countywide support and a spirit of regional cooperation, Washoe County senior management and department heads, well aware of the benefits associated with an enterprise-wide GIS, backed their enthusiasm by providing funding and resource support for GIS core projects and by keeping barriers to a minimum while working across departmental boundaries.

2.3 Growth of GIS and Implementation of Web-Based GIS: 2002 – 2008 With the enterprise GIS foundation set in place and high quality basemap layers made available, the GIS Division channeled energy into several directions from 2002 – 2008, including expanding support to departments and programs; migrating to new databases; implementing GIS Web portals and acquiring additional data layers. GIS staff helped Public Works complete a major expansion of the GPS network.

2.3.1 Migration to the SDE Geodatabase Washoe County’s enterprise GIS currently supports many departments and Internet and intranet applications. Users include staff from: Community Development, Assessor’s Office, Public Works, Sheriff’s Office, District Health, Parks and Open Space, Water Resources and the County Manager’s Office. Enterprise GIS data layers are also available to citizens through online applications such as: the Map Warehouse, Quick Map and the 2008 Election website.


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Coverage and shape files were the foundation of the county’s GIS database prior to 2003. A “coverage” represents a single feature data layer, such as parcels, roads, Commissioner District boundaries, etc. The coverage data model is outdated and cannot be edited with the newer GIS software technology. A “shape file” is a simple vector data storage format for the location, shape and attributes of geographic features. The geodatabase data model was introduced in early 2000, by ESRI, to “modernize” and expand the versatility of spatial data. It is a collection of geographic data sets ranging from feature classes, attribute tables, rasters, networks and topologies. To facilitate Web-based development, Washoe County began implementing the geodatabase model around early 2003, in combination with the Spatial Data Engine (SDE) module. Conversion of the County’s spatial data to the geodatabase model was completed by the end of 2003. In the fall of 2007, the enterprise GIS system migrated to a new server (WCGIS) and new SQL database architecture. This migration included expanding the number of previous geodatabases from five to seven, as shown in Figure 1. The SDE default geodatabase was divided into three new geodatabases: “GISCORE”, “ROV” and “ASSESSOR”. Additionally, the “VOTERS” geodatabase data layers were moved to the “ROV” geodatabase. Within the new architecture, each geodatabase has its own repository files (tables which store and manage all properties of the geodatabase), allowing each database to operate independently of each other, or to continue operating if they are moved to another location. A seventh geodatabase, “PUB”, was created to facilitate ease of editing and viewing workflows.


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Figure 1: Washoe County Enterprise Geodatabase Architecture


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2.3.2 Development of County GIS Websites Through the years, the Map Warehouse website has been enriched with numerous data layers and diversification of information. A new recreational tab links users to hiking trails, bike trails and river rafting courses and a new FEMA data layer allows users to help determine whether they need to purchase flood insurance for their property. A set of live webcams were added to monitor select environmental conditions and special situations such as snowstorms and wildfires. By 2007, users of the Map Warehouse had access to 90 different data layers. While the Map Warehouse relies on technology created a few years ago, newer mapping technologies have developed that address a sticking point for many Web users (online user experience). ESRI is also addressing this issue with the release of their ArcGIS Server software that promises to create a more pleasant user experience at websites developed on this new platform. A new mapping website, named “Quick Map”, has been developed with ArcGIS Server technology to better facilitate quick searches for parcel and jurisdiction information. Quick Map was deployed in March 2008, to assist county front-line staff in answering questions from citizens, such as in which commissioner district, voter precinct, or general improvement district they reside. Users may query the application by address, parcel number, or street intersection, and Quick Map will search the map layers related to that location and present results in a tabular format.

Parallel to the above effort, a Heath Information System website was developed in 2004, for the Health Department. The website contains hazmat, wells, septic and other related spatial information that helps Environmental Health Division staff plan, analyze and monitor contamination and other issues in effective ways, in addition to evaluating permit applications. The loss of the GIS Specialist assigned to the Heath Department has prevented proper maintenance of the data used by the website for over a year. Currently, Environmental Health Plan Permit staff is assigned to enter new information part time. Also in 2007, Water Resources’ GIS staff developed an intranet-based utilities mapping website using Autodesk software. The website, designed specifically for Water Resources’ engineers and field crew, depicts detailed location information about water lines, sewer lines, public wells, water tanks, water meters, manholes and other utilities. It has become a very effective communication and planning tool for the department. To support national and local election results, the Washoe County Live Election Mapping website debuted for the 2006 General Election. The application monitored vote counts and provided viewers an additional component of near real-time updated maps at the voter precinct level. Two years later, although hampered by a few glitches that denied viewers immediate live updates, the Live Election Mapping website displayed voting results for the 2008 Primary and General Elections within 24 hours of each election. Currently, the GIS Division is developing a new mapping application for emergency management. This application will organize and display relevant GIS data for emergency managers and emergency operations staff. The application is being developed on the new ESRI ArcGIS Server platform and will include a smooth and intuitive user interface.


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Washoe County GIS websites: Map Warehouse: http://wcgisweb.washoecounty.us/website/Map_Warehouse/ Quick Map: http://wcgisweb.washoecounty.us/website/QuickMap/ 2008 General Election Results: http://wcgisweb.washoecounty.us/website/Voters2008/ Health Information System: http://wcgisweb.washoecounty.us/website/HIS2/ Water Resources Electronic Map: http://wcwrgis.washoecounty.us/Electronicmap/ Washoe County Emergency Map Portal: http://wcgisweb.washoecounty.us/WashoeCountyEmergencyMapPortal/ 2009 Washoe County Home Foreclosures http://wcgisweb2.admin.washoecounty.us/Foreclosures.htm 2.3.3 Update and Expansion of Regional GPS Network The initial GPS network, established in 1999, provided a radio broadcast of correction data from each base. Ideally, this signal could be received within a six-mile radius of each base by the surveyor in the field. In 2003, the network was upgraded to a real-time network solution system based upon the user location in the field via cellular connectivity with GPS bases. A network user can either connect their cell phone to the base of their choice, or let the network compute a virtual base, which is calculated according to the closest physical base in relation to the user’s field location. From 2004 to 2008, five new base stations were added to the following locations: Fernley, Carson City, Fallon, Incline Village and Gardnerville (See Figure 2). These new base stations were made possible through the cooperative efforts of NDOT, the City of Fernley, Washoe County Public Works and the GIS Division. Each base station covers an effective 21-mile radius within each service area. Currently, the network is accessed by over 90 users, which include members of local and state government agencies, and private engineering companies as shown in Table 1. The GPS network has greatly improved the accuracy of surveys taken in northwestern Nevada and has helped local surveyors recognize major savings in areas such as the amount of time spent in the field.


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http://wcgisweb.washoecounty.us/website/Map_Warehouse/

http://wcgisweb.washoecounty.us/website/QuickMap/

http://wcgisweb.washoecounty.us/website/Voters2008/

http://wcgisweb.washoecounty.us/website/HIS2/

http://wcwrgis.washoecounty.us/Electronicmap/

http://wcgisweb.washoecounty.us/WashoeCountyEmergencyMapPortal/

http://wcgisweb2.admin.washoecounty.us/Foreclosures.htm

Figure 2: Regional GPS Base Station Network of Northwestern Nevada


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Table 1: Regional GPS Network Users Organization Number of Accounts Washoe County 10 TMWA 12 Reno 3 Churchill County 1 NDOT 11 Woolpert 1 Trimble 3 Sparks 4 Summit Eng 1 Lumos Eng 5 NV Energy 14 Vpoint Eng 2 Wood Rodgers 3 CFA 1 Carson City 1 Monson Eng 3 HS Survey 2 TriState 1 Cornerstone Survey 3 PBSJ 2 NV Bell 1 JCPD 2 Gray & Associates 2 Ecologic Eng 1 Andreg Eng 2 CSDS 1 GA Eng 1 GC Wallace 1 Manhard Consulting 2 Auerbach Eng 1 Granite Construction 1 Stantec 2 Odyssey Eng 2 Places 1 Oko Eng 1 Total 35 104


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2.3.4 Improvement and Expansion of GIS Data Layers Establishing highly accurate basemap data led to the creation of a large number of new spatial data layers. From 2002 - 2008, the enterprise GIS data repository expanded from 80 data layers to over 200 data layers, all co-developed by the GIS Division, other county departments and local agencies. As local development picked up rapidly in 2004, the Regional Basemap Committee recognized a need to increase aerial photo flights from every other year, to an annual basis. State-of-the-art digital orthophotos, with additional color infrared data layers, were taken in the spring and summer of 2006, 2007 and 2008. In order to provide technical support to the flood management project, the Basemap Committee initiated mapping of 1-foot contours, covering 22 square miles of potentially flood prone areas. Building footprints of urban areas were also mapped in a three-dimensional manner to facilitate realistic 3D mapping and modeling. Other data added during this period included: hill shades, bus routes, care facilities, hiking trials and utilities. Most of these new data layers are updated on a regular basis. 2.3.5 Development of Street Atlas, Wall and Image Maps The first Washoe County street atlas and emergency wall map series were developed in late 2001, to support emergency operation activities. Since then, the street atlas and the wall map series have been updated five times. The latest versions were published in September 2008. Each update brought new enhancements, including all major facilities and index information. The street atlas and the wall maps have been distributed to departments and county users as prime mapping references. Other types of map atlases produced during this period of time include: a regional snow plowing atlas to support snow plowing activities; a railroad atlas to assist voluntary railway patrolling; and fire hydrant atlases to support fire response teams of the North Lake Tahoe and Sierra Fire Protection Districts, and the Red Rock Volunteer Fire Department. Through the years, the GIS Division has produced a large quantity of image maps to support county functions. These include satellite image maps providing overviews of the county and larger region and orthophoto image maps covering city and neighborhood views. Such special image maps are essential spatial reference tools used by many county employees to identify geographic features within their surrounding environments. 2.3.6 Controversy of Converting “Ground” Coordinate System Back to Grid System Following the guidance of the Regional Basemap Committee in 1999, Washoe County adopted a coordinate system referred to as “ground.” The ground coordinate system was a variation of the Nevada State Plane Coordinate System, NAD1983, and West Zone, which use measurements based on mean sea level. The ground variation was adjusted to an average elevation in Sparks, creating a difference of approximately 3500 feet between the two coordinate systems. In 2004, Sparks initiated changing the coordinate system back to the original sea level based version grid due to data-matching issues and the inability to use “new projection on the fly” technology. The transition consisted of running both coordinate


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systems simultaneously for a period of nine months, with a final push that moved all Internet applications, data maintenance and data users back to the grid coordinate system in late 2005.


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3. Current GIS Status and Department Support

3.1 GIS Organizations and Personnel in Washoe County Currently, the organization of Washoe County GIS activities is based on a centrally distributed system. The GIS Division is the core group responsible for the maintenance of enterprise-wide spatial databases, providing services to other county departments and local government agencies. The Assessor’s Office retains a separate group of four GIS professionals for parcel record mapping that relies on GIS Division staff to provide technical support and database management. Water Resources retains five GIS/Drafting positions to support the department’s needs. The group is versatile and independent, developing inter-department mapping applications and intranet services and maintaining the department’s spatial database and GIS software licenses. Other county departments have part-time GIS users, with the exception of the Health Department, which leaves one GIS Specialist position unfilled. 92 county staff are identified as ArcGIS software users: 20 are considered professional, 21 proficient and 51 casual. Table 2 (a, b, c) provides a list of users, their titles and departments. 3.2 Current Hardware Platforms

Figure 3 depicts the hardware configuration of enterprise GIS, which contains five virtual servers (3.85 TB of total disk space), two GPS servers (400 GB of total disk space) and three printers/plotters. Figure 3 does not show plotters and servers owned and maintained by other departments. There is a great need to increase server size and server input/output capabilities to improve Web development and services.

3.3 Status of Software Use and Ownership County desktop GIS activities are powered by ESRI’s ArcGIS software with most users currently using the 9.3 release. ESRI’s Spatial Data Engine (SDE) software is used to transmit spatially-enabled data from a Microsoft SQL database to the ArcGIS desktop application. Web development is supported with ESRI’s ArcIMS and ArcGIS Server software. Other types of essential software used by county GIS professionals include AutoCAD and ER Mapper. Public Works, Water Resources and GIS staff use AutoCAD tools to manipulate engineering drawings, while ER Mapper is used for remote sensing, image processing and manipulation. Table 3 lists the types of installed GIS software. With the exception of Water Resources, departments that are heavy users of GIS software have to purchase their own licenses, while maintenance costs and implementation tasks are borne by the GIS Division. Table 4 lists department software purchases.


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Table 2a: Washoe County GIS Users – Professional Level (August 2009) Department User Title Software Assessor Carol Buonanoma* Mapping Supervisor ArcInfo Assessor Keirsten Beck* GIS Specialist ArcInfo Assessor Tom Troutman GIS Specialist ArcInfo Assessor Noel Haycock GIS Specialist ArcInfo Community Dev Chad Giesinger Sr Planner ArcInfo IT/GIS Tom Lo IT Manager ArcInfo IT/GIS Gary Beekman Tech Project Manager ArcInfo IT/GIS Gary Zaepfel* Systems Developer II ArcInfo IT/GIS Moni Fox* Systems Developer II ArcInfo IT/GIS Kobe Harkins Systems Developer II ArcInfo IT/GIS Matt Lawton Systems Developer II ArcInfo IT/GIS Marsha Cardinal* Systems Developer II ArcInfo IT/GIS Dixie Rudebusch* GIS Specialist ArcInfo IT/GIS Brad Kaneyuki GIS Specialist ArcInfo Water Resources Brent Thomas Systems Developer II ArcInfo Water Resources Dale Casale Programmer Analyst ArcInfo Water Resources Dawn Aragon GIS Specialist ArcInfo Water Resources Teddy Atkinson GIS Specialist ArcInfo Water Resources Jim Hillman GIS Specialist ArcInfo * GISP (GIS Professional) – GIS Certification Institute Table 2b: Washoe County GIS Users – Proficient Level (August 2009) Department User Title Software Assessor Steve Clement Appraiser III ArcInfo Assessor Pete Kinne Appraiser III ArcInfo Community Dev Bob Webb Planning Manager ArcInfo Community Dev Sheri Ingley Planner ArcInfo Community Dev Don Morehouse Planner ArcView Community Dev Roger Pelham Sr Planner ArcView Community Dev Trevor Lloyd Sr Planner ArcView Health Lei Chen Sr Epidemiologist ArcView Health Yann Ling-Barnes Environmental Eng II ArcView Parks and Open Space Lynda Nelson Planning Manager ArcInfo Public Works – Eng Greg Belancio Sr Licensed Eng ArcInfo Public Works – Eng Marty Easter Geomatics Tech ArcInfo Public Works – Eng Vic Erickson Geomatics Tech ArcInfo Public Works – Eng Joaquin Tabbada Civil Eng II ArcView Public Works – Eng Leo Vesely Licensed Eng ArcView Public Works – Eng Steve Weber Geomatics Tech ArcView Sheriff Karen Burch Dept Computer Spec ArcView Sheriff Jason Verty NNCTC Intel Analyst ArcView Sheriff John Beck Deputy Sheriff ArcView Sierra Fire Mike Heikka Battalion Chief ArcView Water Resources Raughley Koehler Environmental Engineer ArcView Water Resources Joe Stowell Licensed Engineer ArcView


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Table 2c: Washoe County GIS Users – Casual Level (August 2009) Department User Title Software Assessor Barbara Stephenson Programmer Analyst ArcView Assessor Susan Shipman Appraisal Assistant ArcView Community Dev Bill Whitney Sr Planner ArcView Community Dev Eva Krause Planner ArcView Community Dev Eric Young Planner ArcView Community Dev Grace Jensen Planner ArcView Community Dev Sandy Monslave Sr Planner ArcView Community Dev Renee Schebler Planning Tech ArcView Community Dev Paul Kelly Planner ArcView Community Dev Kim Robinson Planning Manager ArcView Health Laurie Griffey Office Support Specialist ArcView Health Ricardo Cruz Env Health Specialist ArcView Health – Vector Control Sue Lampman Plans/Permits Application

Aide ArcView

Trudy Enfield Parks and Open Space Jennifer Budge Park Planner ArcView Parks and Open Space Cheryl Surface Park Planner ArcView Parks and Open Space Phil Brazier Park Planner ArcView Parks and Open Space Bill Carlos Horticulturist ArcView Public Works – Gerlach Mitch Ugalde Roads Supervisor ArcView Public Works – Incline Dick Minto Roads Supervisor ArcView Public Works – Roads Bill Oroszi Roads Division Director ArcView Public Works – Roads Scott Gilgovan Roads Supervisor ArcView Sheriff John Cryer Deputy Sheriff ArcView Sheriff Pamela Herrera NNCTC Intel Analyst ArcView Sheriff Eric Spratley Sergeant ArcView Sheriff Shannon Kelly NNCTC Intel Analyst ArcView Sheriff Alynn Magee NNCTC Intel Analyst ArcView Sheriff Wendy Befort Support Specialist ArcView Sierra Fire Mike Green Chief ArcView Sierra Fire Jim Marquis Battalion Chief ArcView Sierra Fire Chuck Witte Operator ArcView Sierra Fire Tim Leighton Acting Battalion Chief ArcView Truckee Mdws Flood Ctrl Paul Urban Sr Licensed Eng ArcView Truckee Mdws Flood Ctrl Eric Scheetz Licensed Eng ArcView Truckee Mdws Flood Ctrl Jay Aldean Deputy Director TRFMP ArcView Truckee Mdws Flood Ctrl Mimi Fuji Communications Director ArcView Water Resources Mark Johnson Env Engineer II ArcInfo Water Resources Wes Henson Public Service Intern ArcInfo Water Resources James Sutherland Hydrogeologist II ArcInfo Water Resources Mike Widmer Sr Hydrogeologist ArcInfo Water Resources Randy Van Hoozer Sr Hydrogeologist ArcInfo


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Figure 3: Hardware Configuration of the Enterprise GIS


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Table 3: Enterprise GIS Software Licenses and Counts

License Count ArcInfo (floating) 27 Network (floating) 4 TIN (floating) 4 COGO (floating) 8 GRID (floating) 2 Publisher (floating) 2 Arc Press (floating) 4 Survey (floating) 3 Viewer (floating) 14 Maplex (floating) 3 PLTS (floating) 1 DREAMaps 6 ArcView (single use) 7 ArcIMS + additional CPU 1 SDE + 2 CPU 2 ArcGIS Server Standard 1 MapObjects 2 TerraGo Map2PDF for ArcGIS 5 TerraGo Bundle 1 Lizardtech 1 AutoCAD Map3D 1 AutoCAD LT 1 ER Mapper 1

Table 4: Enterprise GIS Software License Ownership

Software Owner + Number of Licenses ArcInfo GIS/Community Dev – 12 Assessor – 7 Water Resources – 5 Public Works – 2 GIS/Parks – 1 Network – TIN GIS/Community Dev – 3 Water Resources – 1 GRID GIS/Community Dev – 3 Sheriff – 3 GIS – 2 Water Resources – 1 COGO Assessor – 7 GIS/Community Dev – 1 ArcPress GIS/Community Dev – 2 Assessor – 1 Public Works – 1 Publisher GIS – 1 Sheriff – 1 Assessor - 1 ArcView (Floating) Community Dev – 10 Assessor – 1 Sheriff – 3 ArcView (Single Use) GIS – 3 Assessor – 1 Public Works – 1 Health (Vector Control) – 1 Sierra Fire Protection District – 6


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3.4 Enterprise Databases The most valuable resources of the County’s Geographic Information System are the collection of spatial data assets (which represent 90 percent of the total resources invested), hardware and software (which represent about 10 percent of the value). The spatial accuracy, the currency, the completeness of the data, and the richness of the attribute information determine the usefulness of the system and how critical a role GIS plays in an organization.

Over the years, GIS staff, surveying professionals and members of the Regional Basemap Committee have painstakingly built up and expanded the number of data layers in the enterprise GIS. Some of the data layers contain proprietary information intended for a particular audience, however in 2009, over 230 unique spatial data layers were made available to the public without any restrictions. It is expected that the total number of data layers will increase at a rate of 11 percent, or 25 layers per year. The databases in the enterprise GIS are predicted to increase in size by 15 percent per year, if the county decides to acquire photos every other year during the next five years. Table 5 depicts the general themes of data layers accessible to users.

To forge regional cooperation and to prepare for regional disasters, Washoe County acquires GIS data from adjacent counties in northwestern Nevada and the California portion of the Lake Tahoe Basin. Data acquired include: satellite and orthophoto images, major and detailed road networks, and other natural features. 3.5 Department Support 3.5.1 Fire Mitigation / Fire Districts Six fire suppression districts exist within Washoe County: Reno Fire Department, Sparks Fire Department, Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District, Sierra Fire Protection District, North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District and Washoe Rural Fire Protection District. Support for the districts include: mapping services for local and regional fire events, post-event mapping calculations to determine jurisdictional responsibility for fire suppression, and recovery costs and attendance at fire scenario training sessions. GIS staff helped the county Fire Services Coordinator with grant applications to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and to agencies working on the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act. In 2008, a comprehensive project with fire officials created the Wild Land-Urban Interface Hazard Rating data set. The Hazard Rating data set will be used by the Building and Safety and Community Development Departments in their permitting processes.

Four of the fire districts use map atlas sets created by GIS staff. Each atlas set includes fire hydrants, parcel addresses, fire stations, fire district boundaries and other related features. A couple of atlases also include aerial photo backgrounds.


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Table 5: Enterprise GIS Data Layers Care Facilities Fire Gates Photo PointsCasino/Hotels Fire History Reno - Park TrailsCensus 2000 Fire Hydrants Reno - Urban TrailsCensus 2005 Fire Risk TrailheadsChild Care Facilities Flood History TrailsCitizen Advisory Boards Flood Zones Truckee River RaftingCommunities HAZMAT GeneratorsCongested Animals HAZMAT Underground Storage TanksRegistrar of VotersCongested Firearms Health PODS County Commissioner DistrictsFederal Lands Mogul Earthquake Epicenters Fire DistrictsFire Districts Nevada Energy Substations General Improvement DistrictsFire Stations Pipelines General School Board Trustee DistrictsFIRM (Fire Insurance Rate Map) Sand Bag Locations Polling PlacesGovernment Buildings TMWA - Tanks PrecinctsHAZMAT Generators Vista Gauge Flood Perimeters Reno City Council WardsHAZMAT Underground Storage Sparks City Council WardsLaw Enforcement Buildings Images Standard School Board Trustee DistrictsLibraries Landsat Satellite 1999 State Assembly DistrictsParks SPOT Satellite 2006 State Board of Education DistrictsLOMR (Letter of Map Revision) NAIP Aerial 2006 State Senate DistrictsNevada - State Lands WC Orthophotos - 2004, 2006-2008 University of Regents DistrictsNevada - State Boundary Hill shades Washoe County BoundaryPlanning AreasRecreation Buildings Natural Features SurveyReno - Annexation Ordinances Contours GPS Control PointsReno - City Boundary Faults Township, Range & Section BoundariesReno - Exerted Sphere of Influence Geology Survey MonumentsReno - Police Beats Hydro BasinsReno - Pre-Sphere of Influence Lakes TransportationReno - Sphere of Influence Slopes California - RoadsResidential Care Facilities Soil Dirt RoadsResidential Housing Streams, Creeks and Rivers Highway ShieldsSchools Summits NDOT - Traffic StationsSchool Zones Truckee River Railroad - OverpassesShopping Malls Wetlands RailroadsSparks - Annexation Ordinances Roads - HighwaysSparks - City Boundary Parcels and Addresses Roads - IntersectionsSparks - Exerted Sphere of Influence Addresses Roads - Local RoadsSparks - Pre-Sphere of Influence Parcels Roads - Major RoadsSparks - Sphere of Influence Parcels - Miscellaneous Roads - McCarran BlvdSubdivision Boundaries Parcels - Multi-Level Roads - OverpassesTruckee Meadows Service Area Permits Roads - RampsUniversity Buildings RTC - Bike PathsWashoe County - Police Beats Public Land Use RTC - Bus RoutesWashoe County - Boundary Historical Old Zoning RTC - Bus StationsWebcams Land Use PAVERZip Code Boundaries Specific Plan Areas


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Fire Department Atlases: Sierra Fire Protection District Atlas Set 1 222 pages Sierra Fire Protection District Atlas Set 2 110 pages Truckee Meadow Fire Protection District Atlas Set 1 111 pages Truckee Meadow Fire Protection District Atlas Set 2 65 pages North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District Atlas 20 pages Red Rock Voluntary Fire Department Atlas 30 pages In addition to providing hardcopy maps for fire disasters and fire prevention, the GIS Division developed a light-weight ArcView GIS application using a variety of fire-related data sets that are installed on five mobile laptops. The application allows fire chiefs to bring up GIS information: orthophotos, contours, fire hydrants, fire districts, and political boundaries, etc.; on the screen, in the field, during a fire scenario. The application has been installed on four laptops for the Sierra Fire Protection District and one laptop for the Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District. Two more installations are planned. 3.5.2 Assessor’s Office The primary responsibilities of the Assessor’s GIS mapping division are to maintain parcel information in a book/page format, assign parcel numbers, and maintain records of individual parcel deeds. In early 2010, the Assessor’s GIS mapping division will adopt the maintenance responsibility of the enterprise parcel database. In 2008, the Assessor’s GIS mapping division began transitioning to a new data model and format in accordance with ESRI’s geodatabase technology, which allows the maintenance responsibility shift to occur. Over the past ten years, Technology Services’ GIS staff has maintained the seamless enterprise parcel database, a mosaic of Washoe County individual parcels. This shift should improve efficiency by reducing redundancy of similar tasks currently being performed. The migration from antiquated ArcInfo mapping software to a newer ArcGIS environment, in accordance with ESRI’s geodatabase technology, has opened the door to endless possibilities in utilizing GIS capabilities in the assessment process. Using our new geodatabase, the Assessor’s GIS mapping division will be able to produce more accurate and professional looking digital and hard copy maps for use by our staff and the public. An entire new set of 6700 Assessor maps will be produced in the months to come and as we perform quality control processes on the new database. In addition to the Assessor’s parcels, information in the new geodatabase will include: Reno and Sparks city limits, Washoe County land use, recorded subdivision boundaries and Assessor’s map book boundaries. This information will be shared with all regional GIS users. The Assessor’s CAMA data is used with the parcel database to maintain a set of taxation district maps covering the entire county and is available on our website. The Assessor’s GIS mapping division also creates and maintains versions of each Assessor’s map showing city/county zoning and land use information for use in the property appraisal process. On the GIS analysis side, the Assessor’s Office has implemented GIS to define assessment “neighborhoods” which are groups of parcels that have similar characteristics considered during the appraisal process. The completion of this project and the ongoing use of GIS to


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fine-tune the defined areas, will enable the Assessor to conduct a yearly reappraisal of all parcels in Washoe County. This project involved all 171, 430 parcels within Washoe County and could not have been accomplished without the use of GIS technology. Budget and staff reductions will increase the GIS technology needs of the Assessor to continue to accomplish mandated duties. The use of digital orthophotography will be an important tool for the Assessor’s office. Due to rapid growth over the past decade and a decrease in staff, field visits to properties are not always practical. The Assessor’s Office continues to explore the possibility of acquiring and using oblique photo images within the GIS for appraisal processes. A great deal more GIS-assisted analysis of property data will be implemented in upcoming years in order to efficiently appraise our growing county. 3.5.3 Registrar of Voters GIS staff supports all the mapping needs and maintains voter-related data and maps for the Registrar of Voters (ROV). Currently, there are 114 data layers within the ROV geodatabase used to support 672 precinct and 95 district maps. GIS staff administers an election website that displays voting results by precinct, after the results are tallied, the night of an election. The election results displayed on a map show how local citizens are voting geographically for an office or ballot issues and helps political pundits to develop future campaign strategies. GIS staff is developing a plan to integrate the ROV Data Information Management System (DIMS) database with the enterprise GIS. The integration of these databases will help ROV staff ensure accurate precinct and district boundaries, and determine the best locations for polling places. Integrating these databases also will simplify and improve the speed and accuracy of ROV workflows. 3.5.4 Community Development Community Development staff are considered heavy GIS technology users. All planning staff have various levels of GIS skill sets to carry out planning tasks. The Washoe County Area Plan Map Series, along with all other general mapping and analysis, are performed by a GIS Developer in coordination with a Community Development Senior Planner. Many data sets are created and maintained by these two in support of an enterprise-wide planning database for the county. Data for land use planning has historically been edited within this group. Recently, the land use data was merged with the countywide parcel base. Currently, updates and edits are performed by a GIS Division staff member assigned to Community Development. Future tasks for the GIS Division staff member will be to continue maintenance and updates to the data layers authored by Community Development, along with all analysis and mapping needs for the department. Recent discussions regarding the creation of another zoning data layer to address a long range Master Plan will, if implemented, add to the mapping needs of Community Development along with another Area Plan Map Series.


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3.5.5 Public Works The Engineering and Roads Divisions are primary users of GIS technology in the Public Works Department. ArcGIS software is used by seven employees in the Engineering Division and six employees in the Roads Division. Roads’ staff access data layers such as manholes, culverts, ditches, signs and street striping. Engineering employees, on a daily basis, use many data layers in the Public Works asset database to manage the PAVER system and to perform quality control checks on digitally-submitted project drawings from developers and surveyors. A variety of map products have been created by the GIS Division and Public Works, including maps showing sections of state-maintained roads destined to change to county ownership; existing and proposed road maintenance storage sites and jurisdictional ownership of area roads. Other map products include a priority street snow plowing atlas and a map illustrating county surplus properties for sale. These mapping products are often created from the results of analyses that use enterprise spatial data, such as the recent FEMA Community Rating Survey map that ultimately helped to reduce flood insurance rates for many county residents. The new FEMA Digital FIRM was published in the spring of 2009, after review by Public Works and GIS staff. The data was added to the SDE geodatabase & is available in Map Warehouse County surveyors use Trimble software and hardware to field-collect location information about county-owned public works assets for inclusion into the Public Works asset database. In March 2009, the Public Works asset database contained over 50 data layers and over 85,000 unique features. This asset database will eventually integrate with the MaintStar asset management system. Additionally, GIS staff is investigating the feasibility of using mobile GIS technology to facilitate data updates in the field. 3.5.6 Regional Parks and Open Space The Regional Parks and Open Space Department began using GIS tools about six years ago, 2003. The GIS Division supports the department by providing mobile hardware data collection solutions: tablet PCs, handheld GPSs, etc.; technical/software training; support for ESRI software and customized map development. Regional Parks and Open Space satellite offices on Plumas Street and at Rancho San Rafael have had a difficult time with viewing large data sets over the network. To overcome slow network issues, the GIS Division provides individual copies of the orthophotography images and other data sets. To complete an Open Space plan a few years ago, a great deal of environmental data from a variety of sources was assembled and analyzed. The project eventually was turned over to a consultant for further work. With direction from Parks’ planners, GIS staff administers data layers including trails, trailheads, bike routes and county park districts. A Wilbur D. May Arboretum tree database is maintained in the field by Parks’ staff with assistance from GIS staff.


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3.5.7 Health Department The Health Department benefits greatly by using GIS technology tools for their data inventory, workflow and disease tracking processes. The Vector Control program uses GIS to map critical areas that have been treated for mosquito infestations, helping them reduce operational costs and minimize over-spraying of chemical treatments in the targeted areas. GIS staff created the Web-based Health Information System (HIS) and workflows for the department so staff can capture well, septic tank, hazmat and soil information in a user-friendly environment while using other enterprise GIS data layers as references. Health Department staff enter well and septic permit information into the HIS database and then link the information to a geographic feature representing the ground location of where the information came from. The well and septic information can then be viewed and queried with the HIS Viewer. HIS is also used as a document management tool for scanned well and septic permits, maps and schematics.

Along with GIS software training and support, GIS staff creates custom electronic maps for the department, such as Food Inspection Area maps that give health inspectors the ability to refine and distribute work assignments. Another example is support mapping and analysis for the H1N1 flu pandemic showing the inoculation sites and estimated population to be served at these sites.

3.5.8 Water Resources Water Resources’ GIS section performs a variety of duties. One of the primary functions of the department’s GIS section is to maintain county water, sewer and reclaimed infrastructure data. Department data editors administer their own SDE geodatabase that is kept accurate by referencing other enterprise GIS data layers such as parcels, orthophotos, survey and engineering data. The GIS section provides all mapping and analysis needs for Water Planning, Water Rights, Engineering, Operation and Maintenance, Inspection, Finance and Administration Divisions, and is currently supporting the Central Truckee Meadows Remediation District. A host of GIS-based applications have been developed for the department. One application is the “Electronic Map,” which is an intranet application that provides county staff a wealth of utility and water resource data at the “tip of a finger”. A mobile mapping application has also been developed for the Operation and Maintenance Division that gives field crews access to GIS information on tablet PCs. An application housing and allowing easy retrieval off all scanned engineering drawings has been developed and is on the department’s intranet site. A “Total Coli form Rule” water quality application has also been developed to allow field crews to enter water quality data into a tablet PC, which is then used to update the master water quality database. Future development includes a comprehensive water quality database, and a water/sewer/reclaimed asset management application. The department also maintains a separate SDE GIS geodatabase.


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3.5.9 Sheriff’s Office The Sheriff’s Office commits valuable time and personnel resources to their on-going mission to bring their GIS-related activities up to a more functional level. Since 2007, the Sheriff’s Office and Fusion Center employees have attended entry-level ArcGIS software and advanced GIS mapping concept classes conducted by GIS staff. A total of 15 software licenses are currently in use by department employees, who have access rights to the enterprise GIS feature and imagery databases. Analysts at the Sheriff’s Office use ArcGIS software to create crime-based maps that are then distributed to supervisors and managers via the ArcReader viewer. Employing the licensed and cost-free ArcReader viewer reduces department software costs and gives senior level employees an opportunity to view crime statistics through a friendlier visible medium. Hardcopy products created by GIS staff for the Sheriff’s Office include maps illustrating police beats, law enforcement facilities, crime locations, and training exercise overviews. Digital products include three-dimensional architectural views of the county jail facility intended to support development of a jail facility micro-GIS database. In the Sheriff’s Office GIS group's own words, " We are hugely reliant on GIS here at the Sheriff’s Office and will be forever in the future..… One of our goals is to make crime mapping available to all of our personnel through a user-friendly interface that will allow command staff, supervisors, patrol and detention staff to access this technology at any time and use it accordingly. Further, we strive to make this technology available to the public through website." 3.5.10 Truckee River Flood Project The GIS Division has provided numerous data sets to consultants, contractors and the Army Corps of Engineers in support of the Truckee River Flood Project. These data sets include parcels, potential tax districts, multi-year orthophotos, historical aerial photos, 2-foot contours and others. In 2008, the Flood Project helped fund the acquisition of 1-foot contours covering the south Truckee Meadows area. Other GIS support includes installation and maintenance of five software licenses, hands-on ArcGIS classes for Flood Project staff, and customized flood and Truckee River maps. 3.5.11 Senior Services Senior Services uses a wall-sized Residential Care Facilities map created by GIS staff that symbolizes all living facilities and individual residential care locations, and lists the total number of beds, license numbers and addresses for each facility. A comprehensive map atlas created by GIS staff is used by drivers for Senior Services’ Meals on Wheels nutrition program. Additionally, the atlas index lists other public service organizations including


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licensed skilled nursing and intermediate care facilities. In 2008, GIS staff mapped senior citizen Census 2000 data by age, age by sex, poverty, disabilities and non-English speaking skills at the census tract level. In cooperation with Senior Services, a plan for updating the department’s demographic database to United States Postal Service (USPS) addressing standards is being implemented, which will eventually allow integration of the department’s database with feature data residing in the enterprise geodatabase. Senior Services staff will then be able to conduct local senior population-related analysis at the census block, census block group, census tract, zip code, city and legislative district levels. 3.5.12 District Attorney / Public Defender For over eight years, GIS staff has provided mapping support to the Washoe County District Attorney’s Office, the Public Defender’s Office and the Alternate Public Defender’s Office. These photography-based map products are often used as exhibits in trials to provide jury members and other court officials with a “you-are-there” view of crime scenes. All exhibits are saved electronically and the admitted hard copy exhibits are saved by the courts. The GIS Division also provides map books and wall-sized maps to DA staff. The Public Defender’s Office has recently requested an online business application that would place the locations of their clients on a map for the purpose of cross-referencing their cases by geographic location. The GIS Division developed an experimental Web-based interactive mapping application which allows the Public Defender’s staff to query locations that are pertinent to their caseload and cross-reference those locations to clients that may be involved in past or pending cases. The website, however, has experienced limited success due to quality issues regarding the address database maintained by the Public Defender, leading to an address matching success rate of only 40% to parcel and road data layers. To ensure a more complete picture of their client data, the Public Defender needs to fix the errors in their existing address database and strive to adhere to county address format standards. 3.5.13 Manager’s Office Supporting the offices of the County Manager, Commissioners, Public Relations and Emergency Management (major GIS customers described separately below) includes administering commissioner districts, redistricting boundaries, census information, and providing a variety of hardcopy maps to assist senior management’s decision making processes. One example related to work performed for the Manager’s Office, is the Homeless Point-in-Time survey. In January 2009, a Homeless Point-in-Time survey was conducted by public volunteers and the Sheriff’s Office to gather locational and demographic information on the local homeless population. Survey team members visited weekly motels and walked targeted streets, parks and areas along the Truckee River noting the location and other demographic characteristics of individuals and makeshift shelters. GIS staff assisted the survey operation


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by identifying and creating maps of the survey areas. Results from the survey were integrated into the enterprise GIS in the form of feature data layers that Social Services and other county government analysts use to track and monitor the local homeless population. 3.5.14 Emergency Management GIS technology tools play a significant role in preparing for emergencies and also during and after an emergency incident. GIS staff support the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) as members of the Situation Status Unit, which is responsible for collecting field scenario data, depicting near real-time situation status information on maps and in tables, and overseeing the distribution of hardcopy maps to incident commanders and section chiefs. GIS staff support EOC operations during training scenarios designed to practice public safety response to emergency situations such as floods, snow storms, wildfires, earthquakes, dam breaches, terrorist attacks and other large-scale damaging incidents. GIS staff continues to develop and acquire data sets that may be needed for local emergency preparation purposes. Over the years, many data layers deemed necessary for emergency response have been added to the enterprise GIS, including: dam, sand bag, evacuation shelter, care facility and bridge locations; hazmat storage facilities; and historical and modeled flood boundaries. The Washoe County Emergency Web Portal provides regional emergency managers and workers the ability to view and use data from the enterprise GIS in their daily preparations. The map-based application contains over 90 data layers that can be queried through basic search functions, is user-friendly, and does not have a steep learning curve. Other GIS staff support includes administering the EOC website and damage assessment software used by emergency management staff to organize preliminary field damage inspections after an incident, and to collate the results of the inspections into reports sent to state and federal organizations for evaluation. 3.5.15 Other Department Support From time to time, the GIS Division provides GIS website training, customized analysis maps and other Washoe County standard map sets to: Building and Safety, Social Services and Technology Services. 3.6 Public and Private Sector Support Besides supporting internal county departments, GIS staff also provides public and private sector mapping and other GIS-related services. As a regional leader, the GIS Division assists public and private sectors in four key areas: public phone support for online mapping applications, technical and administrative support to users of the Washoe County GPS network, responds to citizen requests for mapping services, and oversees data licensing issues for consultants and engineering companies doing business for the county.


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With our websites becoming ever more popular with the general public, GIS staff is experiencing an increase in phone calls from users asking for assistance. These calls, at times, consume large amounts of hours and resources. Fortunately, requests have declined to a manageable level. Recent feedback from users indicates that many are now beginning to use Quick Map more frequently than Map Warehouse. Although GIS staff provides custom mapping services, only very small requests are accommodated in order to not compete with local commercial vendors. Fortunately, custom map requests have declined, due in part to the large selection of digital maps available for download though county GIS and Community Development websites. GPS users are supported by the cooperative efforts of GIS staff, Public Works and regional IT departments in such areas as network connectivity and firewall access issues, troubleshooting problems with surveying software, administering servers, data storage,user accounts and assisting users with rover connections and usage problems. Washoe County is the main local GIS data distribution center and is responsible for GIS data licensing and associated data consulting. Data distribution transactions have remained consistent with 230 transactions recorded in 2008. Almost all of the data licensees were to consultants or local engineering companies. It is expected that data distribution activities will decrease drastically due to economic downturn projected for the year to come.

3.7 Training Status A major training goal is to encourage county employees to take advantage of the information available from the GIS websites and geodatabases to help them in their daily work routines. Since 2008, six introductory Map Warehouse training sessions were offered to county employees through the Learning Center. Targeted introductory Map Warehouse training sessions were held for the Roads Division, Washoe County Leadership Academy, Manager’s Office interns and supervisors, and managers attaining accreditation in the Public Service Essentials of Management Development certificate program. It is expected that two more introductory Map Warehouse and Quick Map classes will be offered to county employees in 2009. Six completely full classes were held for experienced ArcView users, who were taught advanced data editing and map making techniques. Two were specifically geared toward training Water Resources engineers. GIS staff also provides one-to-one hands-on training targeting specific tasks requested by users. 3.8 Current Washoe County Issues Although the implementation and growth of the county’s enterprise GIS has been very successful, a few issues and challenges still exist:


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1. A need for staff to acquire advanced programming and database skills to help speed up database integration and Web development. Because technology moves at a very fast pace, it is essential for staff to keep up with emerging trends. This will be challenging, as the current economic downturn affects both training budgets and staff resources.

2. Lack of department staff resources to develop and support GIS applications.

Some departments need to use GIS in their daily business processes. The GIS Division provided training to staff for that purpose. However, department staff will often lose newly acquired skills if they are unable to devote enough time to practicing what they previously learned. For example, the upkeep and administration of the Health Department’s Health Information System (HIS) is falling behind after the department lost a full-time GIS Specialist position. However, the Health Department assigned workers to maintain the system part-time and with the assistance of a GIS Specialist, the department is able to keep up with the maintenance to some extent.

3. Improve quality control measures to ensure data integrity and completeness. Some GIS data sets require “zero” error tolerances for legal purposes, which include parcels, jurisdictional boundaries and precinct data. Minor errors may develop into major problems. There is a need to strengthen quality control procedures that ensure data integrity and completeness.

4. Lack of network bandwidth to communicate to satellite county work sites. Staff

housed in satellite locations often experience difficulties accessing and retrieving data from the enterprise GIS database, in part, due to weak network connections. These weak links greatly hinder an employee’s ability to use GIS-related data during the course of their workday. Affected county work sites include the offices of: Regional Parks and Open Space, Vector Control, Truckee River Flood Management, Roads Division and Incline Village. The current workaround is to deliver static data sets on external hard drives to those offices. From time to time, GIS users located at the county main campuses also experience some slowness.

5. Address database issues hinder the integration of non-spatial databases.

Address database quality issues exist for many counties and cities, including Washoe County. So far, few standard workaround solutions have been developed to fix the problems. It is estimated that Washoe County has over 10 major department-specific address databases that could be used to create maps for pattern analysis, spatial tracking and visual viewing. To integrate an address database with spatial data, accurate and standard address format is required. As opposed to a parcel number which is viewed as a “clean” primary key, an address is considered a “dirty” primary key. Unfortunately, many county demographic databases (including those recording crimes, health and disease statistics, social services cases and senior citizen information) use addresses as locators, which often preclude a high percentage match when geocoding to spatial data. As an example, about 40% of the Public Defender’s address records are easily matched to the enterprise GIS address database without going through a major pre-cleaning effort. Fostering and promoting network database


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integration will require cleaning existing databases and standardizing address entry routines.

6. Need additional staff and other resources to improve databases and customer

services. As the use of GIS tools expands across departments, additional staff and resources will be required to accommodate increased demands. However, with the current economic downturn and limited resources, major mapping applications and data layer acquisitions will placed on the “back burner”.

7. Isolated data sets that are not housed in the enterprise GIS database. There are

data sets developed by departments or other organizations that are housed on individual PCs or department servers that need to be consolidated into the enterprise GIS database.

8. Redundant GIS databases and functions by departments. Although Washoe

County, as a whole, continues to work toward the goal of eliminating redundancies, there are still some areas that may be consolidated to save resources, for example, the duplication of the use of SDE software by the Water Resources Department. Additionally, a consolidation of GIS-related databases and software licenses may also save resources.


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4. Regional Basemap Committee and Regional Cooperation 4.1 Basemap Committee Organization The Regional Basemap Committee was established in July 1998, with the signing of an Interlocal Agreement (See Appendix I) by the Chair of the Washoe County Commission and the mayors of Reno and Sparks. The representatives who instituted the agreement included:

Terry McHenry City of Reno Matt Beckstedt Washoe County Jack Holmes Washoe County Ron Maxwell City of Sparks Ray Martin City of Sparks Kyle Anderson Washoe County

Sierra Pacific Power Company (now Nevada Energy), represented by Joe Pellissier, joined the Regional Basemap Committee in September 1999, with final approval recommended by a joint county and city managers meeting. A data sharing agreement (See Appendix II), signed in August 2001 by the four committee members, outlined data sharing license rules and fees, and set up mechanisms to provide one FTE to Washoe County for distributing and maintaining county-generated data. This agreement also promoted Washoe County to the role of overseeing regional GIS data creation and collection efforts. The Regional Basemap Committee previously reported its activities during regular City/County Managers meetings. The first status report was presented at the City/County Managers meeting on March 28, 2000 (See Appendix III), and the next status report was presented on June 14, 2002. A revised version of the June 14, 2002 report was to be presented at the City/County Managers meeting on October 11, 2002 (See Appendix IV), but unfortunately, the meetings were no longer scheduled after September 2002, resulting in the Regional Basemap Committee losing a top-level formal reporting and dispute-resolving channel. Since the inception of the Regional Basemap Committee, the following individuals have held the position of Chairman: 7/98 – 6/00 Jack Holmes Washoe County 7/00 - 6/02 Thomas Lo Washoe County 7/02 - 6/04 Ron Maxwell City of Sparks 7/04 - 6/06 Ron Maxwell City of Sparks 7/06 - present Ron Maxwell City of Sparks In addition to the original four voting members, other political jurisdictions and private


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companies were invited to join the committee as either partnership members ($100,000 one-time entry fee and $20,000 annual fee), or data subscription members ($20,000 one-time entry fee and $10,000 annual fee). The partnership level allows real-time access to county servers and unlimited data sharing. The subscription level is limited to biennial or annual orthophoto updates and semi-annual parcel database updates. Current partners and subscribers include:

TMWA Partnership AT&T Partnership TMRPA Real-time access to county servers (not a member, no fee) RTC Subscription member WC School District Subscription member Stantec Subscription member UNR Subscription member

Div of Lands (State) Subscription member Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) was invited to join as a partnership member in 2002, but NDOT eventually declined to participate. Data license income during the seven-year period of July 2001 – December 2008, totaled approximately $1.3 million, which partially supported data distribution and data maintenance costs. 4.2 Basemap Committee Functions and Performance

The overall function of the Committee is to facilitate consolidation of mapping standards and regional data acquisitions and to effectively share resources and experiences, notwithstanding the occasional difficult disagreement or issue from time to time. Major tasks already accomplished include:

- Standardization of a regional map projection and datum, data structures, and

software platforms; - Consolidation of technical map checks under Washoe County Public Works; - Improvement of the parcel database in terms of accuracy and currency (initial

consultant improvement work funded by three jurisdictions) under Washoe County GIS;

- Consolidation of regional orthophoto and 2-foot contour mapping; - Consolidation, maintenance and distribution of Basemap and other GIS data

layers; - Development and maintenance of the regional GPS base station network under

Washoe County Public Works and GIS; - Support of other jurisdictional GIS efforts.

The direct benefits to Committee participants and other indirect benefits to area communities include:

- Cost savings - in real money, staff time, project procurement, maintenance and distribution;

- Consistency in data quality and currency across all agencies;


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- Seamless matching of data across borders, making it easy to share data with one another;

- Tremendous cost savings in applying GIS to day-to-day business functions and decision making;

- Emergency management cooperation; - Unified planning and data marketing for the outside world; - Data acquisition cost savings for public utilities, private companies and local

governments; - Better ability to work on multi-jurisdictional projects in a more cohesive manner

such as: homeland security, flood management and regional planning projects. 4.3 Current Regional Basemap Committee Issues For the first four years, there was strong cooperation among Committee members and major groundwork was laid. In the next few years, politics gradually caught up with us as representatives changed guard. Currently, the Basemap Committee agenda is at a semi-active level and major revisions need to be initiated. The Basemap Committee faces the following issues:

- Different philosophies in administration among partners. - Contribution and effort equity among partners. - Lack of commitment and strong cooperation among members. - The chairperson position and official meeting issues need to be resolved. - Need more participation from other organizations to truly represent the region. - Require new rules and new fees for data sharing and licensing. - Unlicensed data sharing among entities.

4.4 Recommendations The following recommendations are proposed by Washoe County GIS staff to provide a major overhaul to revitalize the organization:

- Require senior management of all involved jurisdictions to participate and support the Committee’s work.

- Reorganize the Regional Basemap Committee and update the interlocal and data sharing agreement.

- Enlarge voting membership to include other agencies such as Washoe County School District, Truckee Meadows Water Authority, Nevada Department of Transportation and others.

There may not be a radical idea in the reorganization future to consolidate individual GIS groups into a regional service bureau to provide support to the participated local government agencies. As it is now, GIS is in a better position to do so, as Reno, Sparks, Washoe County and the School District are using same software platform, identical database structure, and the same basemap and other data layers.


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4.5 Northern Nevada/California Spatial Data Coalition Status The Northern Nevada/California Spatial Data Coalition is a loosely organized vehicle encompassing local government agencies and public utilities of northern Nevada and California. Figure 4 shows the region loosely defined as east to Churchill County, south to Lyon County, and west around Lake Tahoe and its adjacent areas. The Spatial Data Coalition participants include the Carson City, Douglas County, Storey County, Churchill County, Placer County, BLM, NDOT, NV Bureau of Mines, TRPA, City of South Lake Tahoe, Washoe County School District, Reno/Tahoe International Airport, City of Sparks, Regional Transportation Commission and NV Energy. The total population of the covered area is about 720,000 people. The immediate goals of the Coalition are to:

- Encourage standardization of spatial data across the northern region of Nevada and California’s Lake Tahoe Region;

- Encourage data sharing and seamless data integration among agencies; - List and prioritize spatial data layers required to meet standard guidelines; - Setup and maintain a regional GPS network; - Provide support to unified regional efforts, such as regional long term planning,

economic development and emergency responses; - Provide a base for more sophisticated cooperation among agencies in the future.

The difference between the Regional Basemap Committee and the Spatial Data Coalition is the geographical area extent: Basemap members, with the exception of NV Energy, lie within Washoe County’s boundary, while Spatial Data Coalition members, on the other hand, occupy a much wider geographical area outside of Washoe County’s jurisdiction. It is unlikely that the Spatial Data Coalition can replace all of the functions of the Basemap Committee. It can, in a way, achieve economic efficiency by consolidating GPS operations, orthophoto acquisition and other mapping activities. Standardization of data layers enables seamless mapping across borders, which will greatly benefit regional emergency management, public utilities, private engineering companies and state-level mapping activities. The participants need to address the following tasks to energize the Coalition:

1. Provide strong leadership. The one major requirement of the Spatial Data Coalition is to foster strong regional GIS leadership. Until now, Washoe County has been the regional leader, but does not have the extensive resources to fully support the organization.

2. Official governing structure agreement. An official governing structure and data

sharing agreement needs to be instituted among participating government agencies and private entities outlining resource allocation and senior management support.

3. Regular meeting agenda. The organization has not had a meeting for about a year due to

various reasons. At a minimum, quarterly meetings should be held to keep open a dialog among Coalition members.


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Figure 4: Areas of Regional Cooperation Efforts in Northwestern Nevada


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5. Future GIS Development Trends

Innovations in GIS technology are occurring at a fast rate to meet the information demands of an insatiable public. Future GIS technology development trends can be examined and reviewed according to the categories of users, hardware, software, data and databases, business integration and professional skills. 5.1 User Environment Over the past few years, spatial information has become more widely used by the public on a daily basis. There will be continuing demands for location and visual information in a digital, interactive mapping format. Take Web-based mapping applications as an example. Web users now have a host of mapping websites from which to choose. Online mapping applications such as Google Maps, Google Earth and Microsoft Virtual Earth offer a wealth of spatial data in which users can query and view, all at no cost. Google Earth allows proprietary data sets to be overlaid onto Google’s maps and orthophotography in what is known as a “mashup.” A growing number of local governments are posting spatial data to the Web for free public use. Mapping tools are being ported to hand-held mobile phone devices such as Apple’s iPhone and various BlackBerry models. Users are benefitting from all of these innovations, in part, due to the emergence of more sophisticated, user-friendly mapping tools and functionality. All levels of government will continue to rely on GIS technology to help gain workflow efficiencies, make better-informed decisions and to help cut business-related costs. The majority of local and state governments recognize the benefits and power of GIS technology, taking steps to continually improve their GIS capabilities. The private sector is also taking part in the GIS revolution. Private businesses, for example, increasingly rely on the use of GIS technology to fine-tune their identification of customer bases to gain competitive edges in their respective industries and markets. Regular monitoring of advances in GIS technology in both the private and public sector is critical to maintaining a foothold in proper GIS techniques and uses. 5.2 Hardware Environment As servers, network bandwidths and storage facilities have increased in size and power, and decrease in cost, hardware is starting to lose its reputation as a serious performance bottleneck in connecting users to spatial data. However, an on-going hardware investment is required to keep up with mapping demands, particularly in the bandwidth area, as higher-quality aerial and satellite photography, along with large, dense vector-based data sets are offered up to the public for personal and business use. Bandwidth issues arise in Washoe County primarily from facilities in remote locations such as Incline Village and Gerlach, where employees must deal with slow rendering times when viewing large GIS data sets. To help the employees in those locations, improvements must be made to county-based data networks. Another option being looked at is the use of virtual desktop technology. This technology allows bandwidth-intensive data rendering or processes to be run on a remote data server instead of an employee’s desktop PC.


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5.3 Software Environment The three major GIS vendors —ESRI, Bentley Systems, Inc. and Intergraph Corporation, continue to improve and expand the efficiency, productivity, interoperability, integration and Web capabilities of their GIS software. Other smaller vendors who market GIS software, including MapInfo and Autodesk, provide similar, smaller-scale spatial data solutions. As in 2009, ESRI is leading the world as the largest GIS vendor with maximum penetration of market across 125 countries. Some of the emerging trends in this area include off-site mapping application development, hosting and deployment, and consolidation of once independent mapping and viewing applications into a centralized software development environment. These trends are occurring because of the time and knowledge needed to create increasingly complex mapping applications. Specialized companies doing this type of development are at an advantage because they employ staff that are educated and experienced in these niche software areas. Public employees, on the other hand, are often hired to perform jobs based on certain skills and many are then tasked to learn complex programming techniques that require additional training. 5.4 Data Environment and Business Integration Highly visible Internet companies such as Google provide free universal data sets that enrich their Web-based mapping applications. Mapping websites such as Google Maps, Google Earth and MapQuest, for example, package a variety of geographic features that offer users the ability to determine optimum driving directions and to locate facilities such as fast food restaurants, gas stations and other places of interest. Google Earth allows users to upload data onto Google’s map database for further customization. Customized map functions increase the usefulness of general data, while also catering to the needs of specific customers. Fire suppression and law enforcement professionals, along with other local and federal government agency staff are increasing their use of Web-based mapping applications to assist them in their jobs. Another new trend is the vertical integration of GIS-related businesses. For example, as a means to provide seamless services to customers, firms that specialize in data compilation and distribution are beginning to merge with businesses that focus on hardware and software. In the public sector, the federal government promotes vertical data integration and one-stop shopping. The use of the Internet for data distribution, map viewing and interactive mapping activities is a trend that will continue to grow in the near future. 5.5 Professional Skill Set Environment As mapping becomes highly integrated with application databases and Web presentation, GIS professionals will need to develop hybrid GIS and IT skill sets to master emerging database technologies and Web development languages to take advantage of technological efficiencies. As the GIS discipline expands into new areas, GIS professionals may not be able to master all


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the necessary skill sets and may have to specialize in certain subareas, such as aerial photo and image processing.


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6. Recommendations for Washoe County In the course of writing this strategic plan, the economy has gone from bad to worse. The focus of county business is switching from expansion to survival. In some aspects, the county is only able to fund core business and critical services with reduced resources. This leads to the questions: 1) “What are the core GIS business services in a short-term scenario?” and 2) “What are the core GIS services and innovations required to help maintain the long-term health and efficiencies of county business?” 6.1 Washoe County Mandated Mapping Services The following mapping services are mandated by the Nevada Legislature and the Washoe County Code to provide support to county business: 1. Assessor’s Office parcel mapping;

2. Precinct and voter-related mapping; 3. Political boundary redistricting, including county commissioner districts.

6.2 Washoe County Critical GIS Services

The GIS services identified below, in order of priority and urgency, are extremely important to the functioning of county business: 1. Emergency management and disaster support; 2. Fire District and wildfire mapping support; 3. Sheriff’s Office support; 4. Existing GIS website maintenance; 5. Enterprise GIS database maintenance; 6. Community Development planning support; 7. Health Department support; 8. Water Resources/Public Works support; 9. Regional GPS network support; 10. Census information mapping.

6.3 Recommendations for Washoe County The following recommendations, listed in terms of priority, are based on a stable economic environment, a relatively healthy budget situation of the county and the region, and a steady yet gradually increasing demand of GIS needs. Some of the recommendations may not be feasible to carry out in the next two to four years due to the ongoing economic downturn. 6.3.1 Work on Projects to Meet Mandated Mapping Services

A top priority for GIS resources will be to support mandated mapping services in a timely manner, such as parcel splitting and creation to support the tax assessment functions of the


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Assessor’s Office. Another top priority will be to support precinct and voter-related mapping, including redistricting, for the Registrar of Voters’ Office. 6.3.2 Support Public Safety and Emergency Management

Maintaining a safe community has been high on the priority list of public and county management. Quick GIS support, as a response tool, is extremely useful to help understand the ever changing scenarios in terms of combating wild fires, floods, earthquakes and other emergency scenarios. Major efforts are being directed to support emergency management activities during the planning, response and recovery stages. 6.3.3 Redesign Web Portals to Provide More User-Friendly Functions Pushing more GIS data through the Web interface by using cutting-edge technology is the goal. Map Warehouse and Quick Map were designed based on ESRI’s ArcIMS platform, a 10-year-old technology. Map Warehouse is friendly, but still requires an hour of training for most users. There is a strong need in the near future to design and implement a GIS website that requires little or no training. The relatively new Emergency Map Portal and Public Defender websites are end products of the new technology, ArcGIS Server. As the new technology proves stability and staff skills become more mature, a new GIS website will be implemented in phases to gradually replace the Map Warehouse over a 2-3 year period. 6.3.4 Locate Non-Spatial Databases to Integrate with GIS Over 80 percent of county business activities have a spatial component and can be displayed and analyzed by maps. The ultimate goal is to be able to depict, track and analyze all of that information in a spatial manner. Washoe County has been successful in some areas, such as simple permit tracking and emergency data mapping. In other areas, there is still a long way to go such as epidemic disease tracking and analysis. To allow this to happen, major improvements are needed to the county’s central address database. 6.3.5 Establish Database Interface Address Key Addresses are the keys that link the majority of non-spatial databases with GIS data for viewing, mapping and analysis. However, because each department has different ways of collecting addresses, the quality of address information varies greatly from database to database. Improving existing address databases will require tremendous effort. Most of the counties, cities and public utility companies across the country face the same problem. The GIS Division is planning to put in a major effort to develop and create a central address database and interface mechanism as a standard to solve part of the problem. Improving existing address databases and confirmation of new data entry standards require strong cooperation from all interested departments.


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6.3.6 Encourage In-House Application Development The GIS Division recommends developing applications in-house when possible. The benefits of in-house development include cost savings, elevated staff skill levels and increased motivation. As a whole, Washoe County has been very successful in developing and implementing practical applications. For example, the in-house development of the Quick Map website cost about $15,000, far less than the estimated $75,000 if the development was outsourced. Another advantage of in-house development is greater flexibility in accommodating project scope expansion. 6.3.7 Consolidate or Increase Staff From an enterprise-wide management standpoint, the best efficiency is to consolidate GIS groups from different departments into the GIS Division of Technology Services. Consolidation goals include: a reduction in redundant work, improved workflows and communication, taking advantage of pooled skill sets and consistent services to departments. If consolidation is not practical in the long run, Washoe County will eventually need to add GIS staff, or at least restore vacant positions to their previous levels. Under the current lean budget years, the core GIS group has been devoted to maintaining mandated and critical mapping and GIS services with reduced resources. 6.3.8 Enhance Advanced Skill Sets and Effectiveness of GIS Staff GIS management has evolved into complex database manipulation, system and server integration and website development. It is critical for GIS staff to retrain and constantly advance themselves to keep up with and adapt to new technology and demands. The GIS Division encourages staff to experiment with cutting-edge technology while remaining aware of the issues of using such technology. As training budgets may become virtually non-existent in the next two to three years, staff needs to accomplish/develop new skill sets and knowledge by self-learning and through expert networks. 6.3.9 Expand Field Mapping Support More departments are planning to equip their staff with mobile devices for field mapping, including Health, Sheriff’s Office, Water Resources, Public Works and the Fire Districts. With the exception of the Water Resources GIS group, the core GIS group has generally lacked in-depth knowledge of mobile field-mapping hardware and software to provide robust support. However, recently the GIS core group has undertaken a major effort to beef-up field-mapping support to other departments that require such technology. 6.3.10 Acquire Orthophotos on a Biennial Basis Orthophotos and the parcel base are the foundation of the GIS database. As a slower development pace is forecasted for the region, it is recommended that the county acquire aerial photography on a biennial basis. Flying every third year would be an acceptable option in case


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the economic downturn continues. Tentatively, flights are planned for 2010 and 2012. The 2010 flight will be funded out of the Basemap Committee data licensing income. 6.3.11 Refine Quality Control Measures GIS has been putting in a good effort to improve the accuracy and currency of all its data sets however, two small errors with election-related data went undetected and created some issues. To guard against potential problems, more stringent quality control procedures need to be instituted to ensure the utmost accuracy of critical data sets, including precinct data and all newly modified jurisdiction boundaries. 6.3.12 Maintain Allegiance with ESRI While Evaluating Other Emerging GIS Companies Washoe County GIS has grown with ESRI in the last 24 years and staff have become very sophisticated ESRI software users. The company founder provides leadership and direction to his company and continues to inspire this generation of GIS professionals. As he ages, it is hoped that the lieutenants of ESRI will follow in his steps and maintain the technological edge and culture of the company. Washoe County GIS needs to watch and evaluate the long-term health of ESRI and other emerging GIS software companies to ensure we are on the right track. 6.3.13 Improve Server and Network Infrastructure As databases continue to grow in size, it is recommended that server capacity be maintained or increased moderately, even in these lean budget times. Network bandwidth at the 9th Street County Complex allows for rapid flow of large amounts of data however, network bandwidth in some outlying offices hinders access to GIS data for some users. As resources become available in the Technology Services Department, there will be a great need to substantially improve the bandwidth of those slow network connections. 6.3.14 Develop Department GIS Champions / Expand GIS Training for County Staff To encourage departments to embrace GIS technology, it would be a great help to have a GIS champion in each department. That person would be enthusiastic, have the necessary skills and knowledge of the department’s needs and a commitment to push ideas forward. It would be a plus if the champion also was given the authority to assign resources. Recognition and nurture of a department champion needs to be emphasized. On the other hand, continuation of on-the-job training for department staff is essential. As current budget issues preclude external training opportunities, GIS staff carries the responsibility to train fellow county employees in the use of GIS tools and technology. 6.3.15 Encourage Communication Among Department GIS Users Most departments focus on their own projects and users have very limited opportunities to discuss their projects with other county users. Providing opportunities for county GIS users to interact with one another will help broaden users’ technical horizon and enhance motivation.


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There is a need to gather users in a single room to exchange experiences and project information. It is recommended to organize county GIS user meetings at least twice a year. 6.3.16 Support Google Maps and Other Online Mapping Websites In the last four years, free mapping websites have advanced very rapidly, represented by Google Maps, Google Earth and Microsoft Virtual Earth. Google Maps especially, has become a popular tool for the general public to find locations across the world. Washoe County staff, including those of the Sheriff’s Office and the Fire Districts, use Google Maps often in their jobs. It is expected that more advanced mapping features and data will be added to these sites. It is in the interest of Washoe County and other local government agencies to provide better current information, especially aerial photos to support such mapping sites for local use. 6.3.17 Evaluate and Acquire LIDAR Data LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) is an optical remote sensing technology that measures properties of scattered light to find the range and other information of a distant target. The prevalent method to determine distance to an object or surface is to use laser pulses. The range to an object is determined by measuring the time delay between transmission of a pulse and detection of the reflected signal system. LIDAR is now well-accepted as a very efficient and cost-effective means to create accurate digital elevation and terrain data. It has become a preferred data set to replace traditional contour data acquired by aerial photo stereo plotting techniques. LIDAR provides richer and more accurate information to portray multilayer surfaces of flood plains, land cover and surface structures. It is a priority for Washoe County to acquire a LIDAR data set in the future to improve our basemap data quality.


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7. Magnitude of Investment, Revenue Sources and Project Timelines 7.1 Magnitude of Investment Over the last eleven years, modest amounts of funding were invested into the enterprise GIS. The investments included capital outlays for data acquisitions, software and hardware expenses, personnel salary, benefit and training expenses. 7.1.1 Enterprise GIS Capital Outlay After the establishment of the Regional Basemap Committee in 1998, Washoe County, Reno, Sparks, and later Sierra Pacific Power Company, began investing resources aimed at improving the quality of regional basemap data. Capital projects have focused on: improving the accuracy of parcel boundary data; acquiring high resolution orthophotos;, mapping of 2-ft and 1-ft contours for engineering design and flood management; and acquiring 3D building footprints and other image data for mapping purposes. Between the years 1999 to 2009, the amount of funding spent by the Regional Basemap Committee totaled approximately $5.4 million, with the county spending $1.94 million, or about 36% of the total expenses. Figure 7.1.1 depicts capital outlay spending by category. This cooperative joint funding effort provided great savings to all jurisdictions involved, especially Washoe County, since the organization had to acquire and improve the entire basemap datasets regardless of whether there were funding partners. Looking into the future, capital outlays will be dictated by the County’s budget condition and Regional Basemap Committee members. One project that must be funded, is the 2012 orthophoto flight. Project costs are estimated to total $500,000 and Washoe County’s share is expected to be $150,000. 7.1.2 Software, Hardware and Personnel Expenditure

The software costs associated with maintaining an enterprise GIS (including all department GIS licenses) over the past five years are depicted in Figure 7.1.2a. Maintenance costs for ESRI software totaled $339,431, an average of $67,886 per year, to support 39 frequent users and 42 casual users. Estimated cumulative amounts of maintenance costs for the next six years (2010-2015) are approximately $429,998, an average of $71,666 per year. Figure 7.1.2b depicts the number of available floating software licenses and the number of projected users. Hardware primarily includes server and disk space investment, and excludes desktop PC and other basic office computing needs. Hardware expenditures from 2005 to 2009 totaled $90,353, and expenditures over the next five years are projected to be $73,200. See Figure 7.1.2c for details. In 2007, Washoe County employed 20.7 GIS FTEs spread out mainly in three departments: Technology Services, Water Resources and the Assessor’s Office (Figure 7.1.2d). By 2011, the county is expected to lose five GIS FTEs. The number of remaining FTEs will be struggling to


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Figure 7.1.1

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Figure 7.1.2d


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properly manage future projects while, at the same time, being tasked to aggressively expand the use of GIS technology throughout the daily workflows of county departments. The restoration of at least two GIS FTE positions is critical to help manage upcoming workloads when the economy recovers. 7.2 Resource Allocation Resource allocation of TS/GIS Division can be divided into two different categories: a) resources spent on enterprise GIS projects support and database management; and b) resources spent to support departments, other agencies and the general public. A time allocation spreadsheet that was used to track time spent on projects in the GIS Division shows that each FTE worked an average of 1,780 hours per year during 2008 and 2009. 7.2.1 Resource Allocation for Enterprise GIS Project Support and Database Management

In order to maintain a properly functioning enterprise GIS, over half of the Division resources were assigned to maintain enterprise projects, including address geocoding, online mapping applications, basemap data maintenance and acquisition. Figure 7.2.1 summarizes the number of hours spent on each project. 7.2.2 Resource Allocation for Department and Public Support

Our other main duties are to support departmental needs, whether it is to provide simple mapping products or to assist in developing GIS-related applications. Figure 7.2.2a summarizes resources assigned to individual departments, other government agencies and the general public based on 2008 and 2009 data. Support to departments may vary widely from year to year. For example, the GIS Division spent over three times the resources (1038 hours) in 2008, than 2009 (328 hours), to support the Registrar of Voters’ Office due to the 2008 election. Support hours are expected to increase in 2010 to the levels seen in 2008. The Division also expects more resources will be required to support the Sheriff’s Office and Water Resources in the near future. Figure 7.2.2b shows 4,061 maps were created in the 2008-2009 time frames, averaging 450 maps per FTE. The maps included large wall maps and small map pages for atlases. Normally, each finished map product requires two to three iterations of the design cycle before completion. 7.3 Revenue Sources Most of the GIS Division’s funding comes from the County’s general fund. However, there are other sources of revenue that have been or will be developed to help subsidize county and regional GIS activities. 7.3.1 Other Existing Revenues Other existing revenues primarily come from the licensing of regional basemap data sets and fees for technical map checks.


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7.3.1.1 GIS Data License Revenues When the data sharing agreement was signed by the Regional Basemap Committee members in 2001, it authorized the Committee to develop data license fees in accordance with NRS 239.054. Washoe County was authorized to oversee the collection of the license fees. Figure 7.3.1.1 depicts the revenues over the last nine years (FY2002 - FY2010) with a cumulative income of $1.44 million. However, the projected revenues for the next three years (FY2011 - FY2013) will be down drastically, about 40% of the previous years. A portion of data license revenues support 1 FTE assigned to Washoe County for performing data maintenance and data distribution duties. The rest of the revenue is used to acquire GIS data, such as regional orthophotos. The balance of license fee income, approximately $260,000, is “after funding” the 2010 orthophoto flight. 7.3.1.2 Technical Map Check Revenues The technical map check fee is a fee paid by developers to the county for having their project drawings checked before approval. Since 1998, the fees have been collected by Public Works on behalf of the Regional Basemap Committee. Technical map check fee revenues collected since 1998 total close to $2.1 million, with a current balance of $264,000. Most of the revenues were used to support Public Works’ technical map check personnel, and the maintenance and upgrade of the Regional GPS base station network. 7.3.2 Potential Revenues Potential revenue sources to support future GIS activities are being evaluated. 7.3.2.1 Regional GPS Network License Fee The initial GPS network was established in 1999, and new base stations and networking capacity were added through the years. The network has become an essential means for local surveyors and engineering companies to perform their surveying work. One new feature of current software and hardware being implemented will allow easy calculation and control of users’ usage of the GPS network. License fee revenues of $35,000 to $50,000 are expected to be generated with the new software tools, enough to support GPS network personnel and maintenance costs and it is also being discussed whether a fee should be collected for user licenses issued to non-Basemap Committee members. 7.3.2.2 GIS Services Charged to ARRA Projects GIS services and data are being provided to support county American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) projects such as homeland security, fuel reduction, and re-vegetation of burn areas. The GIS Division intends to charge for services and data provided to such projects.


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Figure 7.2.1

Figure 7.2.2a


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Figure 7.2.2b

Figure 7.3.11


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7.3.2.3 Grant Supported Orthophoto Project The GIS Division is working on obtaining a $90,000 grant from the Department of Defense, through the US Geological Survey, to support the 2010 aerial flight.

7.4 Benefits and Savings

The ability to weave spatial information into a department’s daily applications and workflows provides direct and indirect benefits to participants. Seamless matching of data across borders allows work on multi-jurisdictional projects in a more cohesive manner, such as homeland security, flood management cooperation, fire fuel reduction program, and regional planning. Using GIS technology and annual orthophoto images has allowed the Assessor’s Office to increase the frequency of their property appraisal cycle from once every five years, to yearly, with staff reduction. GIS technology helps other county programs improve their operational levels without increasing their budgets or staff. As an example, the Vector-Borne Disease Program of the Washoe County Health Department adapted GIS technology in 2003, for mosquito control. Using GPS and orthophotos as a tool, the Health Department mapped out all mosquito larvae growing areas, including large marshes, retention pools and roadside ditches. The digital maps are then used for treatment assignment and air spray planning. Defined areas are delineated based on current orthophotos and uploaded to the helicopter’s navigation system. The helicopter does the precision flying and spraying, guided by the onboard GPS, according to the digital maps. Flight paths and other critical information such as weather conditions are recorded onboard and later compared to the digital plan to assess results. This innovative workflow reduces the cost of chemicals, staff time and helicopter flights. The additional benefit to the environment is priceless. Since the innovation, the treatment of mosquito-infected areas has increased from 83 locations in 2002, to 6,289 locations in 2006. Without the help of GIS, the program manager stated that the Health Department would need to double their budget of $977,000 to accommodate the expanded workload.

7.5 Projects and Timelines Under current economic constraints and future uncertainties, the plan is to remain flexible to be able to best use our available resources to meet the critical needs of both short and long-term county business interests. Following, is the general direction for data acquisition and database maintenance:

1. Delay GIS data acquisition that requires outsourcing and funding. The GIS Division stopped any plans of acquiring important data sets, including 3D building footprint updates, oblique aerial photos for the Assessor’s Office and LIDAR information for surface mapping.

2. Focus on data capture that can be accomplished internally by existing staff. GIS staff

continues to acquire free GIS data or capture raw data in-house, such as mapping of dirt roads, pipelines, HAZMAT information, utilities and others.


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3. It is imperative to maintain, improve and upgrade our enterprise databases to support

countywide mapping activities.

4. Maintain the health of the GPS network for both public agencies and the private sector. Table 7.5 shows current projects with timelines. (Click here to see Table 7.5) Two types of projects have been outlined, continued maintenance projects, and projects with a start and an end date. The lower portion of the table depicts maintenance-mode projects that require weekly or monthly resources to maintain the services such as GIS database maintenance and regular department support. According to resource-tracking statistics, these services represent over half of the resources assigned to the GIS Division. The upper portion of the table shows individual projects. Projects that have a beginning date and an end date are shaded red. Other future potential projects without detailed information are shaded yellow. The projects are listed from top to bottom based on priority.


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ftp://wcftp.washoecounty.us/outtoworld/strategy2009/table7_5/GIS_Project_list_timeline.pdf

8. Conclusion Up to this point, the reader might conclude that Washoe County enterprise GIS has problems, issues and plenty of work to do. While there is room for improvement, many aspects of the enterprise GIS program are noteworthy. GIS staff built a solid foundation of spatial databases, technical skill sets and efficient customer service. Over the last 10 years, and since merging with the Technology Services Department, the GIS Division has continuously advanced GIS technology and integrated GIS tools into many department workflows within Washoe County, demonstrating the capabilities and benefits of using spatial tools for government business. One example of a benefit gained from using GIS technology is to look at the Registrar of Voters’ Office, which used GIS to reduce three divergent mapping systems into one system that is efficient and quick. The GIS Division continues to receive praise from throughout county government, as well as from external agencies, organizations, vendors and members of the public. County Manager Katy Simon, a strong proponent of using spatial information, has said that GIS technology has, “become an integral part of our service to citizens”. Many departments, including the Assessor’s Office, Emergency Management and the Public Defender appreciate the benefits they’ve gained by using GIS in their daily workflows and in helping them make better informed decisions. Compared to similar size counties across the nation, the Washoe County GIS Division is at the forefront of leveraging GIS technology to serve county business and public interests widely and deeply, while remaining the area’s regional leader in supporting other local government agencies. Washoe County GIS has regularly received awards and recognition at national and local levels, including the Exemplary Systems in Government (ESIG) Award of the Urban and Regional Information System Association (URISA) and the Special Achievement Award from ESRI. Articles about Washoe County GIS accomplishments and innovative Web applications have been published in journals such as the Planning Magazine of the American Planning Association and showcased in ESRI’s ArcNews. Although the county faces economic hard times and projections suggest very limited resources will be available in the next few years, GIS’ staff are working hard to maintain needed services and preparing for long-term growth. Besides a paycheck, equally important motivations include “a pat on the back” from their supervisors, appreciation from users, and recognition from their professional peers. Washoe County core GIS staff are eager to go the extra mile and are very proud of their work.


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Appendixes

Appendix I Regional Basemap Committee Interlocal Agreement Appendix II Regional Basemap Committee Data Sharing Agreement Appendix III Washoe County GIS Strategy 1996

Regional Basemap Committee Status Report of March 28, 2000Appendix IV Appendix V Regional Basemap Committee Status Report of October 11, 2002


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ftp://wcftp.washoecounty.us/outtoworld/strategy2009/appendixes/AppendixI_InterlocalAgreement.pdf

ftp://wcftp.washoecounty.us/outtoworld/strategy2009/appendixes/AppendixII_DataSharingAgreement.pdf

ftp://wcftp.washoecounty.us/outtoworld/strategy2009/appendixes/AppendixIII_StrategyReport1996.pdf

ftp://wcftp.washoecounty.us/outtoworld/strategy2009/appendixes/AppendixIV_StatusReport2000.pdf

ftp://wcftp.washoecounty.us/outtoworld/strategy2009/appendixes/AppendixV_StatusReport2002.pdf


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