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Ramsey County to contract Sidwell for GIS training and soils mapping; staff transition planned
Summary
The commission approved bringing Sidwell on for GIS training and soils/mapping services and agreed to keep current staff on through July 1 to ensure continuity.
Ramsey County commissioners voted to bring Sidwell (a GIS vendor) on for mapping and soils-related services and to provide on-site training for county GIS staff.
Commissioners said the county needs to move from an internally run soils/mapping process to a supported commercial platform to reduce single-person dependence and to professionalize soils and parcel workflows used for assessments. Two pricing options from Sidwell were discussed in the meeting: a roughly $38,000 option and a lower $29,000 option that included the “Farms” (soils mapping) software and training. The motion approved the county's engagement with Sidwell with training support for county GIS staff; commissioners agreed to revisit the arrangement after a year.
As part of the transition the board approved keeping the county's current GIS staff (Steve) on through July 1 so the abstract/tax-season work and soil recalculations can be completed before the full handover. Commissioners said they expect the Sidwell service to reduce the county's long-term external costs and to make GIS and soils maintenance less dependent on an individual staff member.
Commissioners approved the motion and directed staff to finalize startup timing and the scope of services. Several commissioners noted Sidwell already works with many North Dakota counties and that the county's GIS manager (Michelle) should be trained promptly ahead of tax season.
