County hopes to get GIS fixed

BY BRIAN L. HUCHEL
Commercial-News

DANVILLE May 08, 2008 11:17 am

— Problems with Vermilion County’s geographic information system forced officials to OK a second contract with the company.
Shawn Blobaum, a representative with Bruce Harris and Associates, appeared before a joint meeting of the county’s executive and transportation committees during a meeting Wednesday night.
The county is facing problems with the GIS with a large amount of excess data on the server. The excess data makes it unclear what is the correct version of information the GIS should use, disabling the system.
County Board Chairman Jim McMahon approached committee members with a plan to enter into a second contract with Bruce Harris and Associates — which handled the installation of the GIS — in order to correct the problems.
Specific costs for the work aren’t yet available, McMahon said, indicating the company must first go in and assess the situation. A cost analysis then could be prepared.
Blobaum said estimates by the company placed a general price of up to $9,000 to reformat and reinstall the system, although it could be as little as half that amount.
When it’s up and running, the system carries its own weight, McMahon said.
“The problem is it’s going the opposite direction,” he told the committees.
Committee members voted unanimously to approve the measure, sending it to the county board for a vote at next week’s meeting.
Recommendations offered by Adam Aull, GIS manager for the City of Danville, indicated using Bruce Harris and Associates on a consulting basis and using the company for help with maintenance of the system.
The GIS is hooked up to the tax cycle with the reassessments of property in the county under Bulletin 810 last year. If the GIS fails, then the county would be left without those numbers.
Naseer Shafique was hired by the county to serve as full-time geographic information system coordinator and handle the county’s new GIS. He resigned earlier this year.