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DOUGLAS COUNTY LAND INFORMATION MODERNIZATION AND INTEGRATION PLAN 2006 – 2011 I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A. Identification and Contact Information: Stephen D. Rannenberg, Administrator Planning, Zoning and Land Information Department / Interim Land Information Officer 1313 Belknap Street Room 206 Superior, WI 54880 (715) 395-1389 [EMAIL REDACTED] B. Participants in the planning process Patricia Ryan, Chair - Douglas County Land Records Committee Susan Sandvick, County Clerk David Dusek, Director - Douglas County Information Services Department Robert Earhart, City of Superior GIS Kathy Hanson, Register of Deeds Becky Nordskog, Real Property Lister C. Summary of the Plan The purpose of this plan is to quantify the implementation of the initial Douglas County Land Information Modernization Plan submitted in November 1998 and to establish specific goals and objectives for the next five years. The 1998 plan identified three high priority goals; 1) Update the Public Land Survey System, 2) Complete tax parcel mapping by year 2000 and 3) Develop an integrated GIS by year 2002 with all data residing on a GIS server. Beginning in 1999 Douglas County obtained grants through the Wisconsin Land Information Program to target specific geographical areas for reestablishing PLSS corner monuments utilizing private Registered Land Surveyors, created an Imaging Specialist position and purchased sophisticated GPS surveying equipment. Since 2002 our accomplishments include; completion of county-wide tax parcel mapping, creation of a full-time County Surveyor/Land Information Officer position, collocation of the Land Records staff with the Planning and Zoning staff, creation of a dedicated computer network and consolidation of County and City of Superior GIS staff through a formal shared services agreement. This effort provides Douglas County an opportunity to advance the stature of the county GIS program matching the expectations of our customers and our ability to meet their needs. We anticipate an increase in customer expectations in terms of ---PAGE BREAK--- accessibility, accuracy and responsiveness. This iteration of the planning cycle will assure that we meet those expectations by retaining high quality staff the acquisition of new technologies, maintenance and upgrading of the level of precision of our parcel mapping and integration of digital data sets secured from a variety of sources. II. LAND INFORMATION MODERNIZATION AND INTEGRATION PLAN A. Goals and Objectives 1. The Douglas County Land Information Program is matured beyond the development and integration phase into the maintenance phase. The program provides integrated digital information to property owners, businesses and governmental agencies. The goals and objectives presented below represent our effort to keep pace with current technologies and customer expectations. For the purposes of clarity the term “goals” describes a desired end state and “objectives” are to be considered intermediate benchmarks. 2. Goal Complete Public Land Survey System remonumentation of high density population areas of Douglas County by 2011. The priority is assigned to areas of highest development density in order to maximize the financial benefit to property owners and degree of accuracy of parcel mapping incorporating the county coordinate system. Objective #1A: Perpetuate the full-time County Surveyor/Land Information Officer position in Douglas County. Since 2002 this position has been instrumental in the establishment of a defined vision regarding the elemental importance of a remonumentation program. This position is currently funded through retained fees. Strongly recommend that this position be funded through levy funding effective 2008. Objective #1B: Obtain state-of-the-art GPS survey equipment to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of the County Surveyor by 2006. Objective #1C: Perpetuate the Public Land Survey Remonumentation Program through continuation of contracted services agreements with private Registered Land Surveyors in order to establish county-wide geodetic control during the period 2006-2011. 3. Goal Complete correction of the current tax parcel mapping incorporating survey data collected by 2007. Since 2002 tax parcel mapping has migrated from an AutoCAD environment to an ESRI ARCInfo to an ESRI ARCMap environment today. By incorporating high resolution survey data into a digital format we will improve the quality of mapping products available to our customers. ---PAGE BREAK--- Objective #2A: Maintain sufficient staffing of qualified GIS technicians to accomplish this goal. Objective #2B: Maintain network to support this effort. 4. Goal Complete replacement of existing scanners, plotters and printers by 2008 and develop coordinated hardware replacement cycle to enhance an integrated document imaging system for Land Records and Register of Deeds. Objective #3A: Complete evaluation of current equipment by April 2006. Objective #3B: Create a priority list for equipment replacement by July 2006. Prepare grant application to provide financial support from the Wisconsin Land Information Office. Objective #3C: Complete purchase of replacement equipment by 2008. 5. Goal Provide tax parcel and mapping information via internet access to land information customers. Currently customers may obtain digital mapping data created by mapping technicians. Objective #4A: Evaluate current tax parcel and mapping programs to determine if quality of data is sufficient without technician manipulation to meet customer expectations. Objective #4B: Evaluate data security system. 6. Goal Obtain large format scanner for electronic archiving of subdivision Plats. 7. Criteria a. The county will ensure that the information is readily translatable for use by any state/county/local governmental agency or public utility through ESRI (GIS vendor) Open GIS Consortium requirements. The County does not and cannot warrant that all systems comply with these national standards. The county does not and cannot warrant that once information is transferred that it will be useable in a system where the design is unknown or developed to meet a special purpose. b. The County will ensure that the information is easily retrievable by any state/county/local governmental agency or public utility through the ESRI Open GIS requirements. c. The County will ensure that the information is geographically referenced for use by any state/county/local government agency or public utility ---PAGE BREAK--- through the perpetuation of the state-recognized County Coordinate System based on NAD 83 (91). 8. The County’s operating system environment and database design supports the county’s goals and objectives relating to land information and supports the county’s information technology vision, mission, goals, strategies and plan. B. Progress Report of Ongoing Activities 1. Maintenance procedures for GIS data/files incorporating section corner information 2. Purchase of survey maps from three retired Registered Land Surveyors incorporated into our research files 3. Update to ARCGIS 9.1, purchased ARCGIS licenses 4. Correction of address number records in tax roll used by 911 system now linked to parcel mapping 5. Consolidation of hardware, software and system support with Douglas County and City of Superior 6. Parcel conversion is complete 7. Digital parcel mapping 100% complete for all incorporated and unincorporated areas of the county 8. GIS used to support activities in Emergency Management, Register of Deeds, Real Property Tax Lister, County Clerk, Zoning Department, City Assessor, City Planning 9. Purchase of GCS property tax package for Treasurer/Real Property Lister 10. Creation of Hazard Mitigation Plan utilizing county data supplanted with data provided through GIS 11. Document Imaging System of all archived survey documents completed and ongoing for new documents 12. Obtained digital orthophotography (NAPP-1998) and City of Superior/villages (1999) 13. All plats of survey, Certified Survey Maps, plats, filed utilizing Douglas County Coordinate System 14. Digital indexing of USGS topographic maps, FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps, zoning district map, Douglas County platbook, WisDOT gas tax map 15. Section corner remonumentation of PLSS section corners by private surveyors through contracted services 16. Register of Deeds staff imaged land records from 1992 to present – data available via Douglas County website C. New Initiatives 1. Proposed Projects • Develop internet web mapping site in conjunction with the City of Superior in a cost share agreement with Douglas County ---PAGE BREAK--- • Register of Deeds office staff to continue effort to scan and index historical land records • Submit statement of property tax assessment to the Department of Revenue via internet • Real property lister to continue effort sot increase degree of accuracy of tax data • Real property lister to gain viewing access of mapping images and electronically transfer property split data to GIS mapping staff D. Custodial Responsibilities 1. Identify the land information data for which your county has custodial and responsibility. Register of Deeds • Recorded deeds, mortgages, maps and associated records • Maintain a tract index of real property Real Property Lister (Located in Treasurer’s Office) • Maintain description and ownership information of parcels of property in rural Douglas County and City of Superior • Create and maintain the parcel ID numbers relating to legal descriptions, acreage and ownership data for taxpayer purposes • Maintain information on school and other special district codes • Maintain tax rates and special assessments, assessment values with land classes • Maintain PFC and MFL data County Surveyor • Maintain information on PLSS corners including tie sheets and section summary sheets • Maintain information on the high accuracy network (HARN) densification • Maintain copies of survey maps submitted to this office County Zoning Administrator • Maintain rural address maps • Maintain Wisconsin DNR Wetland Inventory Maps (1991) • Maintain Flood Insurance Rate Maps and Floodway maps (1984) • Maintain zoning district maps for unincorporated areas • Maintain maps included with planning documents (Hazard Mitigation, Comprehensive Plan) Land Conservation Department • Maintain soils maps and tables County Highway Department • Maintain right-of-way plats and construction plans ---PAGE BREAK--- County Land Records Department • GIS features maintained by Douglas county 1. Parcel layer 2. Road centerlines 3. GIS address map 4. PLS/GPS maintenance 5. Scanned survey maps 6. Zoning district layer City of Superior GIS Services Department • GIS features maintained by the City of Superior 1. Planning/zoning 2. Storm/sanitary sewer system 3. Wetlands 4. Parks/trails/hunting areas 5. Brownfields 6. Sidewalk/alley inventory 7. Garbage collection/snow removal routes 8. Signs 9. Trees 10. BID districts 11. Parking Lots 12. Voting districts/census data 2. Identify the source of your custodial authority. • Douglas County has custodial responsibilities for land information, records and data consistent with that charged to Wisconsin counties. Custodial authority of land records is enabled by county ordinance and policy to include a formal shared services agreement with the City of Superior, Wisconsin Statutes and administrative codes and policy. 3. Douglas County intends to become the custodian of digital orthophotos, USDA soils maps and FEMA Flood Insurance Rate maps as they become available. Douglas County intends to become the custodian of GIS data incorporated into the Comprehensive Plan. 4. Douglas County will determine accepting custody of land information and data on a case-by-case basis evaluating the cost/benefit of the data in terms of the impact on staff workload, direct applicability of the data and system capability. E. Foundational Elements and State-Wide Standards ---PAGE BREAK--- 1. Communication, Education, Training and Facilitated Technical Assistance • The Douglas County Land Records Committee is a special subcommittee of the county board made up of two county board supervisors and representatives of a number of county and city offices • The GIS Users Group is a technical committee that addresses specific issues related to use of the system • The Douglas County Land Records Department created and published a plat book in November 2004. This project is currently updated automatically as changes are made to the data. The plat book is available in a CD format. • The City of Superior GIS Manager provides training to County employees on the use of the GIS system. • GIS users are encouraged to utilize the WLIP Clearinghouse and Technical Assistance List Server. Douglas County Land Records and City of Superior GIS Department will establish and maintain Internet connection with WLIP. • Douglas County Land Records utilizes technical assistance provided by ESRI, our GIS vendor. 2. Geographic Reference Frameworks • Geodetic control networks – Douglas County has two primary WI High Accuracy Reference Network (HARN) monuments and 48 tertiary HARN monuments that are not “bluebooked”. The remonumentation program consists of the combined efforts of the County Surveyor, contracted services with RLS and compensation to RLS for corner perpetuation. • Digital rater graphic – USGS topographic maps rectified to County Coordinate System • Digital Orthophoto – County-wide 1992 and 1998 USGS (three meter pixel) 3. Parcel Mapping • The preparation of parcel property maps that refer boundaries to the public land survey system and are suitable for use by local governmental units for accurate land title boundary or land survey line information. • Douglas County and the City of Superior have completed 100% of the digital parcel mapping of the incorporated and unincorporated areas in Douglas County. The parcel mapping is related to the PLSS and based on recorded documents, survey records and plats. The topology of the maps is designed to accept integration with related GIS data sets. Douglas County has linked the parcel maps with the property tax listing database and recorded documents database. The Douglas County Parcel ID numbering system ---PAGE BREAK--- conforms to the WLIB Parcel Numbering System standards. All future parcel mapping shall be referenced to the PLSS. All section corner data obtained through contracted services are submitted in a digital format referenced to the Douglas County Coordinate System. • The preparation of property maps that do not refer boundaries to the public land survey system that are suitable for use by local governmental units for planning purposes. • All Douglas County tax parcel maps are tied to the PLSS and are suitable to support decision making. The Douglas County Clerk uses supervisory district maps created by the Land Records Department that are tied to a base map. The Land Records Department has the ability to create maps showing the road network or political boundaries that are not tied to the PLSS. In 2001 the Northwest Regional Planning Commission GIS Department has created a number of maps used for land use and comprehensive planning that are not related to the PLSS and are available in a digital format. This data will be updated during the comprehensive planning process to be undertaken by Douglas County in 2006. 4. Parcel Administration • The design, development and implementation of a land information system that contains and integrates, at a minimum, property and ownership records with boundary information, including parcel identifier referenced to the PLSS. • Real Estate Transactions – Recorded documents are scanned and are available to internal users through the server. External users can obtain access to these records through Land Shark. • Tax data – Data maintained by the Real Property Lister using the GCS. All mapping changes are made by the Land Records Department GIS technicians. • Assessment class – Changes to assessment class are submitted by the Town Assessor and City Assessor to the Real Property Lister via GCS. • Optical imaging of recorded documents occurs in the Register of Deeds Department. Optical imaging of survey, maps and supporting PLSS documents occurs in the Land Records Department. • Easements of record are portrayed on tax parcel maps in some cases. Primarily large utility easements (ie; natural gas, oil, power, telecommunications) and major access easements. ---PAGE BREAK--- • Address numbers in the City of Superior are assigned by the City Public Works Department. Address numbers in the incorporated villages and the unincorporated areas are assigned by the Douglas County Zoning Department. The Real Property Lister validates that properties with an assessed value for improvements have an address number. • We do not have a Zip Code map of Douglas County. “Let me tell you a little secret about Zip Codes. They’re meaningless.” – Newman, USPS employee. • Through the integration of mapping data, property ownership information, recorded documents and tax assessment data available on our ARCGIS mapping system, GCS tax system and AS400 server all users are able to access information for viewing. In the event of a public inquiry a user can easily navigate to obtain general information relating to legal descriptions, property address, mailing address and tax parcel number information. Using that information the user can view the tax parcel mapping to include general zoning and wetland overlay districts for example. If necessary the user can view scanned images of recorded deeds related to that parcel. • Tax exempt lands appear in the GCS but are not currently linked to the ARCGIS mapping. • All activities of archiving, storage and retrieval of parcel data is linked to the tax parcel ID number assigned upon the creation of the parcel. 5. Public Access • Public access to mapping data is available through the current plat book, purchase of ARCGIS map products incorporating current orthophotography, tax parcel data and current wetland mapping. In some areas FEMA flood Insurance Rate Maps have been added as an available digital layer. • Mapping products are delivered in hard copy and digital formats via email and CD as requested by the end user. • The Douglas County website www.douglascountywi.org is the official portal for public inquiries. All departments are currently providing information and inquiry access via this portal. • All security parameters are established by the Douglas County Information Technology Department by policy. • Customized maps are available based on size and complexity for private, commercial and governmental entities. • All right to privacy issues are established by the Douglas County Information Technology Department by policy in accordance with all State and Federal Statutes. • External data users can currently view tax data through the Douglas County website. ---PAGE BREAK--- • Provide link to tax data available on GCS system and GIS information via “Landshark” system administered by the Register of Deeds 6. Zoning Mapping • General zoning districts are currently mapped as a layer on the tax parcel mapping. • Customized mapping is available as requested by the Zoning Department collocated with the Land Records Department. 7. Soils Mapping • The USDA soils mapping for Douglas County was released in November 2005. (See “New Initiatives”) 8. Wetlands Mapping • The 1991 Wisconsin DNR Wetland Inventory Map is a layer available on our current ARCGIS mapping. • Wetlands regulated by the US Army Corps of Engineers and Wisconsin DNR are a dominant impediment to development in Douglas County. The maps are useful only as a rough screening tool and acknowledged to be inaccurate. An updated version using current technology is necessary. 9. Institutional Arrangements • A significant institutional arrangement is the current design of the Douglas County Land Records Committee. Chaired by a county board supervisor the design of the committee is such that it encompasses county departments and City of Superior staff. This committee meets every two months. A second arrangement is the GIS Users Group which is designed to allow technical users of the system to discuss functional issues in an informal meeting environment. This group is made up of county and city GIS technicians, information technology staff and internal customers. A formal GIS shared services agreement exists between the City of Superior and Douglas County. This agreement allows for close coordination and interoperability of the GIS system that resides on a shared server. Currently Douglas County does not have any agreements with any outside entity. 10. Reconciled Election and Administrative Boundary System • Douglas County is bounded by two counties and the City of Duluth (St. Louis River) in the State of Minnesota. That boundary appears on our tax parcel mapping. We have no GIS agreements with the City of Duluth, Carlton or Pine Counties. • Douglas County is bounded by Burnett, Washburn, Sawyer and Bayfield Counties in Wisconsin. We have no formal agreements with any of these counties. However, we have shared survey data with these counties. ---PAGE BREAK--- • All minor civil division boundaries appear on our tax parcel mapping. This includes the City of Superior, five villages and sixteen townships. • The county board supervisory district map was last updated in 2001 as a special project. • All designated standards and policies are adhered to regarding establishing and maintaining the integrity of boundaries. 11. Reconciled Rural Addressing System and Road Network System • The Douglas County Zoning Department is responsible for assigning rural address numbers in the five villages and sixteen townships in Douglas County. The department complies with the applicable ordinance (Ordinance 4.28 adopted on January 27, 1993). • The Douglas County Land Records Department is responsible for maintaining accurate road name and right-of-way data for all US and State Highways, County and Town Roads and named private roads. The department utilizes available data provided by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Minnesota Department of Transportation, Douglas County Highway Department, town and village governments. • In accordance with an E911 grant awarded by the Wisconsin Public Service commission in 2005 Douglas County is currently reconciling the centerline data for all roadways. 12. Land Use Mapping • Douglas County anticipates the awarding of a Comprehensive Planning Grant prepared by Northwest Regional Planning Commission in 2006. • A Land Use Plan completed in 2002, but never adopted by the County Board, includes a wide spectrum of land use planning maps produced by that are available on the county website for download. A number of these figures will be incorporated into the new comprehensive plan. 13. Natural Resources • The Douglas County Forestry Department maintains a separate GIS system that contains detailed remote sensing data related to forest management, mapping data related to recreational trails, camping areas, boat landings, a joint Douglas County/Wisconsin DNR/citizens group- managed bird sanctuary. The Forestry Department manages 269,000 acres of county-owned land. ---PAGE BREAK--- • A Forester/GIS Technician creates and maintains this system. 14. Database Design • 15. Infrastructure and Facility Management • Douglas County Land Records does not create or maintain any infrastructure-specific data. • Data received from outside entities or agencies is incorporated into the files of the County Surveyor. F. Integration and Cooperation 1. What integrative/cooperative relationships would your county like to develop? • Douglas County has no existing plan to enter into a formal relationship with any agency/entity. 2. What potential partners and mutual projects does your county plan to pursue? • Douglas County would consider partnering with entities/agencies developing watershed/wetland research along Lake Superior. These entities may be academic or Federal or State agencies to include UWEX, NRRI, EPA, USDA (NRCS), USFS, WDNR. 3. What data would be shared and used in both of the above? • Research data presenting watershed impacts affecting future land use could be integrated into the Douglas County comprehensive plan or updates of the existing Douglas County Land and Water Plan. G. Technical Standards Not Associated With Foundational Elements • Douglas County Land Records in cooperation with the Information Systems Department will comply with the standards of the WLIB and DOA in regards to procurement, optical imaging, imaging and infrastructure H. Administrative Standards Not Associated With Foundational Elements • Douglas County agrees to observe and follow the statutes relating to the Wisconsin Land Information Program and other relevant statutes. • Douglas County agrees to permit the Wisconsin Land Information board access to books, records and projects for inspection and audit. • Douglas County agrees to provide an Annual Status Report as required. • Douglas County accepts any assistance provided by the Board.