A challenge facing virtually many local government organizations, that have already deployed a 200 scale or larger GIS is keeping their GIS and landbase databases up to date. Keeping landbases current is an absolutely necessary step for departments like Tax Assessment, Emergency Services and others to properly serve constituents with accurate parcel management, fair taxation, public safety and informed decision making. Some satellite imagery is proving itself to be a valuable resource for ensuring that current and appropriate landbase information is available for making well-informed decisions. Allegheny and Union Counties in Pennsylvania are utilizing high resolution Satellite imagery to maintain their existing 200 scale GIS and landbase to serve a variety of applications including emergency management, Parcel management, economic development, planning and zoning, and more. The presentation will outline these projects, explore the advantages and disadvantages of using QuickBird imagery in support of 200 scale GIS operations and describe how the imagery was acquired, tested and used in the everyday operations of the county.
Mr. Sweet began serving Local Government in 1976. He became an advocate for GIS in local government in 1982. He has received many awards from agencies, cabinet members, governors and the white house for his application of information technologies that promote cost effectiveness in local government. In 1994 he pioneered the “locally independent yet regionally coordinated implementation” of GIS in a 6,500 square mile target area in Pennsylvania. Utilizing his unique approach to coordination, leveraged partnerships and cost sharing, 50, 100, and 200 scale state of the art GIS deployments were made possible at local government levels. This effort resulted in savings of 68% while increasing the scale from 400, and achieving a leveraging ratio of over 10:1. In 1999 he was invited to testify on spatial technologies in local government before the U.S. House Committee for Government reform. In 2000/2001 he again demonstrated the value of coordinated approaches utilizing Aerial Photography and photogrammetric methodologies to support data acquisition activities in another 3500 square miles in contiguous counties in Pennsylvania. Mr. Sweet provides leveraged partnership based solutions that continue to refine the locally independent regionally coordinated deployment of GIS including coordination, training and educational activities within the public, private and academic sectors. Mr. Sweet created Sweet Solutions in 1999. Sweet Solutions is a partnership based consulting business to pursue and perfect the locally independent deployment of Geographic Information Systems in regionally coordination fashion. These efforts have included providing activities with Environmental Systems Research Institute Incorporated, Aerial Data Reduction Associates Inc, BAE Systems, U.S. Filter/Chester Environmental Engineers, T3 Global Strategies, Congressman Paul E. Kanjorski, DigitalGlobe and various offices of the Army Corps of Engineers. In the springs of 2000 and 2001 these efforts led to utilizing Aerial Photography and photogrammetric methodologies to support data acquisition activities in 21 contiguous counties in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. In particular Mr. Sweet provides services to the Pennsylvania Geographic Information Systems Consortium (PaGIS) serving as their Chief Operations Officer.