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Vernon County land information office outlines imagery acquisition, software upgrades and staffing pressures
Summary
Staff described grant-funded ArcGIS and an image server purchase, NextGen 911–funded ortho imagery planned for spring, heavier-than-usual demand for custom maps, a website URL transition, and concerns about a statewide shortage of surveyors.
Vernon County land information staff on Tuesday told the Land Information Council they are implementing several technology upgrades, preparing for a spring aerial imagery flight and confronting rising demand for custom maps and a potential shortage of surveyors.
The office said a one-time image server purchase will host aerial imagery for the county web map; that initial fee includes one year of maintenance, and staff estimated ongoing maintenance at about $5,000–$6,000 a year. County officials said the image server cost and several ArcGIS-related purchases are covered in part by the Wisconsin Land Information Program grant.
The NextGen 911 grant from the Wisconsin Department of Administration will fund ortho-imagery acquisition planned for the spring flyover. Staff said the project will move county imagery from a 6-inch to a 3-inch resolution and also fund road centerline digitization to improve mapping accuracy for dispatch and other users. Ayers, the contracted imagery vendor, has begun ground-control work and told the county staff they may be visible in the field during the flight season.
Land information staff reported heavy demand for custom mapping since the beginning of the year, with requests coming from highway, emergency management, district attorneys, fire departments, watershed groups, businesses and county board members. The office is using its large-format plotter to produce posters and maps for emergency management and other departments.
Staff also described a website domain migration that is breaking links: the county is moving from "verdoncounty.org" to "vernoncountywi.gov," and staff said they are still repairing broken links and addressing mapping embeds that no longer point correctly to the GIS services.
Training and staffing: staff described several training efforts paid for with state grant funds. Lawrence said he took trainings and was elected president of the Wisconsin County Surveyors Association; Christie (real property lister) is enrolled in ArcGIS Pro training in March. The office will also rehire an intern, Lance, to support section-corner work and mapping through the summer.
Workforce concerns: staff raised a statewide workforce issue: the office reported that roughly half of Wisconsin surveyors are at or near retirement age, which could create long wait times and higher costs for private survey services. County staff said the potential long-term shortage is already affecting turnaround times and that UW–Eau Claire is exploring a surveying program to help address the pipeline.
Why it matters: the upgrades and the imagery acquisition affect emergency dispatch accuracy, public access to map data, and the county's ability to deliver custom mapping products to departments and the public.
Ending: staff said they will continue work on the image server, finalize the NextGen 911 imagery schedule and manage the website transition while continuing to pursue training opportunities and seasonal intern support.
