Geographic Information Council (WAGIC)

December 13, 2001

Teleconference originating from

DIS Interactive Technologies, Spokane, WA

 

Introductions – Ian Von Essen, WAGIC Chair – From Spokane, Ian opened the meeting and welcomed council members in Tri-Cities, Bellingham, Vancouver, Seattle, and Lacey. 

 

Meeting Theme: GIS in support of Remote Sensing Activities

 

1.      WA State Remote Sensing Activities

·        The LandSat 7 Data Pilot Project – Jeff Holm

2.      Thurston Regional Planning Council

·        Land Cover Mapping of Thurston County – Veena Tabbutt

·        Lessons Learned from the Seattle Public Utility’s Cadastral Mapping Project – Glenn Brooks

3.      Avista Utilities Inland Northwest Digital Ortho Data Consortium

·        Project Overview – Randi Rich

·        EnerQuest’s LIDAR & 1^st Generation B&W Digital Ortho Project – Ian Von Essen

·        Pixxures’ 2^nd Generation Color Digital Ortho Project – Curtis Kirkeby

 

Overview of Discussion Draft – GIS Model Bill – Jeff Holm - 

Jeff reviewed the history of the Strategic Planning process that began last March at the Ellensburg Workshop.   In June, based on work initiated in Ellensburg, the WAGIC ad hoc planning committee published proposed update to strategic plan objectives and priority actions.  Two of the key priority actions were the need to strengthen WAGIC by addressing the issue of executive leadership and the need to develop a formal connection with the WAGIC authorizing environment.  While a legislative proposal was initially considered, it soon became clear that an administrative approach to developing that formal connection would be most effective in the current budget climate.

 

On December 6^th the concept of a GIS Subcommittee was proposed to the Information Services Board (ISB).  The creation of a GIS Subcommittee would act as the executive committee to the council and would provide the necessary link to a legislatively established authorizing environment.   At that ISB meeting, Everett Billingslea, ISB Chair invited interested board members to work with WAGIC staff to effect the creation of a GIS Subcommittee. The subcommittee will make policy recommendations regarding geographic information technology to the ISB for consideration and adoption as state policy.  It will also represent the strategic interest of a coordinated, enterprise approach to utilizing geographic information technology and; provide leadership for implementation of cost effective, collaboratively developed, spatial data management solutions.

 

Much work still remains for the planning committee including opportunities and challenges.  The challenge is to help shape the composition of the executive committee, develop the high-level work plan and help define the relationship of the executive committee to the WAGIC council. 

 

Update on the recent GDA Meeting – Ian Von Essen

As a council representative, Ian recently attended the GeoData Alliance (GDA) meeting held in early November. The GDA encourages collaboration between the public and private sectors to create and build data sets.  This meeting included reports and presentations by other successful consortiums. Ian will be participating on GDA’s Council of Trustees and will represent the state government sector for one year.  More information on the GeoData Alliance can be found at www.geoall.net

 

Report on the Idaho, Oregon & Washington Framework Meeting in Portland Oregon – Gene Thorley         

In November, the USGS sponsored a one-day regional framework meeting that brought together the framework leadership from Oregon, Idaho and Washington states and the Inter-Organizational Resources Information Coordinating Committee (IRICC).  The purpose of the meeting was to share information on framework initiatives and discuss the commonalities and the value of increasing framework coordination on a regional level.  Each organization provided briefings on their current framework activities and the USGS presented their new initiative, The National Map. A panel discussion led to the consensus that there was value in future coordination efforts.  The council chairs of the three participating states will work with Gene in building an agenda for the next meeting.

 

Update on the WAGIC I-Team Initiative – Carrie Wolfe

Representatives from the national I -Team initiative presented an overview of the framework implementation initiative at the last quarterly Framework Management meeting.  The Framework Management Group is looking to participate in this national initiative and the challenge ahead includes developing a plan for implementation of framework data sets as well as any other data sets that are to be included.  Previously compiled high level documents need to be revisited to provide a deeper level of detail.  Carrie anticipates that the work team will agree on a format for a template for each data theme that will consider current investments by organizations and what resources are necessary to finish data sets as a framework implementation.  The workgroup is also reviewing a survey done in 1998 by NSGIC which will provide a good starting point in looking at what investments are being made today in different data layers.  

 

Closing Site Roundtable – Ian Von Essen

 

 

Next meeting – February 21st at 10:00 a.m.