Wednesday, March 07, 2007

GIS to replace paper maps in evaluating land

A new geographical information system, or GIS, NATCHEZ county has been working on for months recently completed a big step.

Among other things, the system replaces old paper tax maps with a computerized version.

A company hired by the county recently finished translating the paper maps into electronic ones. Then, they superimposed the maps on aerial photographs of the same plots, making a much more accurate and easy-to-read map, Tax Assessor Reynolds Atkins said.

“These things are so far advanced, it’s unreal,” Atkins said. “We’re not just using some archaic method of evaluating property.”

The new GIS will replace the old “blue line” paper maps in evaluating property, Atkins said. It’s more accurate and more detailed, allowing him to see buildings he couldn’t before.

The system has other uses, too, Atkins said. From locating an emergency to finding fire hydrants, the electronic GIS will make things easier, he said.

“I like to think of GIS as smart maps,” Adams County GIS project manager Peter Dale said.

“It combines computers, databases, maps, planning and development. It’s designed to help local government make decisions.”

An added benefit the system provides is a tool for businesses looking at the area. [...continue article]

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