Title
a. Approve the County GIS Data Sharing Policy; and
b. Authorize Information Technology staff to implement the Policy as a County Service.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
a. Approve the County GIS Data Sharing Policy; and
b. Authorize Information Technology staff to implement the Policy as a County Service.
SUMMARY:
It has been recommended by the County Department Heads' GIS Subcommittee that County Geographic Information Systems (GIS) repository data be made available to the public and other public entities. Much of the data pertains specifically to Monterey County and is either unique to the County's GIS data repository and could not be found elsewhere, or could only be found in disparate locations across the Internet or elsewhere in less useful formats. At a modest cost to the County, this valuable data collection could be shared with the citizens of Monterey County. In addition, by making this data available to the public as recommended, access to the data could be obtained on-line as a greater convenience to those utilizing it, and County staff would no longer be required to provide the information in response to individual requests, saving valuable staff time and resources for other purposes.
DISCUSSION:
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data is used to create informational data bases and maps that can provide basic geographic information, as well as detailed attributes and multi-dimensional views of parcels and geographic areas. Among other uses, GIS data can describe individual parcels, inform regional marketing decisions, facilitate planning for community services, and aid in multiple areas of research as described in Attachment 1. In response to an increasing demand from the general public, members of the local business community and local service providers for GIS data in the possession of the County, County Department Heads with an interest in the GIS data have met to consider a...
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