The biggest challenge facing Municipalities today is balancing growth with the existing character and financial structure. How can two townships with similar populations, similar natural resources and equally responsible leadership be so fiscally different? While one struggles with maintaining infrastructure the other has a continuous surplus. GIS can provide the most efficient vehicle to catalog and analyze all the communities’ resources. The focus of this study is the evaluation of three individual municipalities, each one with its own natural resources, growth potential, and financial situation. The following data, most of which is publicly available, will be used and evaluated together in a comprehensive GIS to determine the most beneficial and cost effective decisions possible in the municipality: Tax parcel data, FEMA Q3 data, USDA soils information, USGS DOQQ, DEM 7.5 min quads both current and historic, riparian buffer delineations, Act 537 studies, 2000 census information re urban areas, population, and growth potential. Data will be presented in colorful and easy to read diagrams, making the presentation of the material interesting to all levels of the local government. The municipalities are evaluated once the most valuable recourses are determined, and the capacity and expansion potential for existing infrastructure is considered. Using GIS, the combination of all this information is laid out in a comprehensive study, enabling the Township leaders to make the most informed decisions and direct the Township to a profitable future.
Mr. Barkasi is the Principal GIS Analyst for LTL Consultants. Most recently, he has applied his practical knowledge of land use to natural resource conservation and sustainable design. Mr. Barkasi has experience in modeling existing and future land conditions for the hydrologic affect of proposed development by combining the technical platforms of Bentley systems with ESRI software. Experience in construction and land application coupled with the most up to date technologies enables him to address the adverse affects of development with innovative mitigation and natural resource preservation.