Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Gis Surveyor topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Morgan County unveils new GIS map; commission tasks staff to budget for full-time surveyor
Summary
County staff demonstrated a new county-wide GIS map with weekly ownership updates and department layers; commissioners instructed staff to return with a detailed budget and job specification to hire an in-house surveyor to reduce contracting costs and speed subdivision review.
Morgan County officials on Jan. 6 demonstrated a new countywide GIS portal and moved to explore hiring a full-time in-house surveyor.
County staff said the new Enterprise-based GIS combines departmental layers, shows recorded subdivisions and parcel PDFs, and currently updates ownership data weekly with a planned move toward daily updates. The map, staff said, will give residents and county departments a single place to view parcels, subdivision plats and recorded surveys.
"We are now in Enterprise," staff member Sean said during the demonstration, and he noted the county wants to move from weekly to daily ownership updates once technical transitions finish. Charles, introduced as the county GIS specialist, was credited with much of the work to combine layers and make documents available on the map.
Following the demonstration, county staff asked the commission to authorize work to create an in-house surveyor position. Staff presented a multi-county salary survey that showed annual pay ranges of about $85,000–$100,000 for surveyors and highlighted that over the prior decade the county had spent roughly $1 million on outside PLSS and subdivision review work. County staff argued an in-house position could speed turnaround times and improve interdepartmental coordination.
Commissioners discussed salary range, equipment and office needs, and how to price and recapture any pass-through revenue. Several commissioners suggested a salary range rather than a single target; one suggested $75,000–$100,000 tied to certification and experience. Commissioners agreed to task staff with returning at a future meeting with a full cost estimate, recommended salary range, equipment and implementation plan.
The commission approved a motion directing staff to prepare a formal budget and job specification for a county surveyor and return with cost and implementation details. No hiring decision was made at the Jan. 6 meeting; staff will present the full proposal and budget later.
