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A Publication Featuring The Information
Services Technology of Maine State Government
| Volume VII, Issue 5 | May 2004 |
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David McKittrick, DeLorme
Nearly everyone has made the trek to city hall to find information regarding their own property or other local properties. This type of data, although readily available, often requires a significant effort to access. Recognizing the importance of data accessibility, municipalities throughout the country are turning to the Web to deliver information to their citizens.
Assessors and tax officials, needing to meet their constituents’ needs, as well as comply with state and federal mapping and data initiatives, have found the Web to be an efficient and effective way to share property data. Planners, wanting input from local citizens on zoning updates, are able to offer instant access to their proposals. Emergency officials can provide critical information and immediate updates in the event of a crisis. One result of this burgeoning technology is that many more citizens have the ability to become active in the decision-making processes within their locality.
A key component of such web-based endeavors is providing access to accurate maps and spatial data. For many communities, however, web-based mapping has been beyond their means for technical and financial reasons.
DeLorme, the Yarmouth based leader in affordable GIS (Geographic Information System) and GPS (Global Positioning System) mapping solutions, has developed software that fits the budgetary and technical constraints of municipalities of every size. Offering interactive access to maps through a dedicated site hosted by DeLorme, XMap Web 3.0 makes web mapping simple. The beauty of the XMap system is that it enables the site to be locally managed through the use of XMap/GIS Editor, a desktop mapping and spatial data suite that puts the power of GIS and GPS within everyone's reach. Tools within XMap/GIS Editor allow the administrator to control the publishing and updating of map data, to alter the look and feel of the maps, and even to build custom data searches.
The City of Bath, in Maine’s mid-coast region, has adopted XMap for their web mapping service. Paul Mateosian, the city Assessor, initially used XMap/GIS Editor to integrate the city’s parcel boundaries with the tax database. This information he overlaid on DeLorme’s high-resolution TopoBird aerial imagery. “Having the TopoBird imagery as a backdrop definitely adds to the impact” said Mr. Mateosian.
After building a number of queries to offer immediate access to specific parcel data, the parcel map was published to Bath’s XMap Web site
(http://xmapweb.delorme.com/SABath/XMap.asp). Mr. Mateosian took the further step of creating a link from Bath’s on-line assessor’s database search engine to XMap Web. Each property search result includes a link that opens XMap Web centered on that particular parcel.
Mr. Mateosian’s use of XMap isn’t limited to on-line map administration. “Using XMap/GIS Editor on my laptop, I created a query to select all the parcels that had sold in the last two years. These I chose to display with a red outline. With the DeLorme Earthmate GPS receiver as my guide, I was able to efficiently travel to the locations and review the sales while following my progress on the TopoBird image. Truly remarkable!”
Bath is currently exploring the applicability of XMap for its law enforcement, fire and safety and public works departments. “Flexibility and simplicity are the key,” said Mr. Mateosian, “I see XMap being put to use for a lot of our mapping projects”
The Bath GIS Web site will provide:
Questions? Call DeLorme Professional Sales at 1-800-293-2389 or visit http://www.delorme.com/professional.
About DeLorme: Located in Yarmouth, DeLorme has over 25 years of cartographic and software experience and over 125 employees dedicated to creating the best in mapping GIS and GPS products. Digital products are rooted in the DeLorme XMap development platform, which is scalable for future growth and endorsed by millions of dedicated digital mapping software users worldwide. DeLorme is investing in innovative technologies that generate affordable and easy-to-use navigation and mapping products.
