The Public Works Geographic Information Systems Team (GIS)
The
GIS Team is composed of a small staff, that provides mapping
support and spatial analysis services to all the divisions within the
Public Works Department. Primarily tasked with the development of the
Public Works Enterprise Geographic Information Systems (GIS), the team
helps provide cost-saving solutions to the various projects and intiatives
that are geographic in nature.
Our
Goal
We are dedicated to advancing the automation and modernization of
infrastructure and asset management practices and leveraging existing
"location-based" projects to maximize their use across participating
agencies.
What
is GIS?
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a computer-based information
system that enables the capture, storage, manipulation, retrieval, analysis,
and display of spatial data.
GASB34
The Public Works GIS Team was tasked with developing and
implementing the compliance of the GASB34 initiative
for the Department of Public Works. By choosing to leverage our data
for departmental assets into a GIS system, we have the capability to
integrate the information into many other parallel applications like
financial, maintenance, and mapping needs for years to come.
Public
Works Enterprise GIS
The Public Works Enterprise GIS is a multi-faceted program that supports
and promotes coordinated "location-based" data development
and access to county employees. It
exemplifies the definition of an "enterprise system" through
a series of coordinated information gathering and sharing activities
conducted by the 5 divisions of the Public Works Department.
Public
Works GIS Technical Committee
The Department of Public Works GIS Technical Committee is a group
comprised of the Divisional Technicians involved with GIS projects and
activities. The Public Works GIS Technical Committee gathers monthly
to discuss current GIS projects and applications in the department.
The Public Works GIS Technical Committee serves as a core group of technical
oriented individuals dedicated to maintain spatial data and applications
to assist participating agencies and the general public. With a focus
on providing GIS services, the GIS Technical Committee is an enabling
organization that establishes technical standards through consensus
and facilitates GIS education through "technology transfer."
In addition
to being a mechanism to improve "location-based" data management,
the GIS Technical Committee facilitates strategic decision-making and
leverages existing GIS expertise.
Public
Works Enterprise GIS Standards: A Framework for Geospatial Data
The Public Works GIS Technical Committee has created a framework that
will allow GIS to continue to develop and grow within the department.
This framework consists of standardized base map layers, department
policies for the collection of spatial data and use of GPS technology,
identification of minimum data elements to be included in data layers,
and guidelines for documenting information about the data (metadata).
The
goal of the Public Works GIS Enterprise standards is to insure that
geospatial data are efficiently collected, used and shared. GIS standards
are there to ease interpretation of a map, to agree upon a description
of content and format of data, and to transfer data from a producer
to the user and allow both to interpret the information in the same
way.
The
Public Works Enterprise GIS follows the Federal
Geographic Data Committee standards on spatial data accuracy as
well as metadata requirements.
Datum and Coordinate System Standard
The intent of this standard is to minimize the effort required to use
data collected from various sources in Santa Barbara County. Specifically,
the intent is to minimize the number of datum and map projection/coordinate
systems combinations in use. The intent is not to require data providers
to convert old data to new coordinate systems, but rather to make clear
a preferred set of standards which make sense and provide maximum utility
for new technologies.
