City shows off revamped GIS system

New features and functions are continuing to pop up on the city’s recently revamped GIS program, a sophisticated tool that gives the public access to thousands of bits of property data.

The city last year undertook a massive upgrade to its GIS, or Geographic Information System, opting to switch to a new software from a California-based firm called ESRI.

The changeover, part of a larger system conversion that cost about $228,500, allowed officials to pack more information into the online mapping system and introduce new tools that make it easier for users to sort through data and create unique maps to suit their individual needs.

The new system, formally rolled out in February and described as state-of-the-art by the city, is also easier to maintain and more compatible with systems used by the state, local officials say.

The city’s GIS division is still working to bring new improvements to the program. Last week, analysts gave a public demonstration of the system’s features, highlighting recent additions such as a tool that allows users to customize maps by digitally drawing on them.

Other additions made since February include a function that will export a map location into Google Street View or Bing Bird’s Eye View, a set of independent online mapping programs that provide photographic images of locations.

“This is very cutting edge,” GIS Manager Allison Johnson said, adding that Lynchburg was recently held up as a model at a state conference on GIS programs. “People are looking at the City of Lynchburg site and saying this is what we want to have.”

The city system allows users to modify their online map to reflect dozens of different pieces of information. Users can get terrain, aerial, street and parcel maps that provide information about each individual property parcel in the city.

The GIS program is merged with the real estate assessor’s online database, which contains around 31,500 property records.

Each record contains a myriad of information, including who owns the property, what it sold for and how much its property tax bill is. If the parcel has a building on it, a photo is also provided along with a basic sketch of the floor plan.

The GIS division plans to continue exploring new ways of making the system more informative and user-friendly.

Johnson said the cost of future upgrades is included in the city’s license agreement with the GIS software company.

The original money used to finance the software conversion was allocated three fiscal years ago, according to the city, cobbled together from a variety of funding sources.

The city will continue to pay an annual fee of $50,000 to maintain its rights to the software. It paid the same amount in license fees under the prior system.

The new GIS program appears to have been well received by those who use it most frequently, specifically real estate agents, builders and others in development-related fields.

Lynn Shapiro, a real estate agent with John Stewart Walker Inc., said she uses the system on a daily basis in order to compile detailed profiles of each of her listings.

“The city has done a great job getting information out there. It’s really fabulous,” she said. “You can add layer after layer of information. It’s just been really helpful. It’s a fabulous tool.”

Shapiro specifically made note of the “plethora” of options the program provides, saying she herself was still discovering new features.

The city has added a “What’s New” tab to the GIS menu bar to help users keep track of changes and additions. There is also a “Help” tab that explains how to navigate the site and use the various functions. More live demonstrations may also be scheduled in the future if a need is seen, officials said.