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Advisory boards urge quick adoption of NRI and vendor-hosted interactive maps for Grand Island

Grand Island Long Range Planning & Strategic Planning Advisory Group · January 29, 2026

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Summary

Advisory boards praised the new Natural Resources Inventory (NRI) as a living resource and recommended adopting it quickly via a town resolution while keeping it updateable; members favored using the consultant’s interactive GIS hosting (Jenny’s site) linked from the town website rather than exposing the town's internal GIS server.

The advisory committee discussed adoption and public access options for the new Natural Resources Inventory (NRI), with several members urging a prompt, practical adoption route.

Members described the NRI as "a valuable tool" and urged the town to incorporate it into the master plan so it can be used for planning, grants and public guidance. The committee debated three adoption pathways: a simple town resolution (fastest), amendment to the comprehensive plan, or a local law (most legally enforceable but likely to prompt extensive review). Several speakers said a resolution with a public hearing would make the NRI an official town document without the heavier legal scrutiny a local law would invite.

Discussion also focused on public access to the mapping and interactive layers. Multiple participants noted that the town’s internal GIS cannot currently host an outward-facing interactive map without security and permissions work. One participant suggested keeping the interactive layers on the consultant’s hosted site (Jenny) and linking from the town’s website so residents can toggle layers (trails, zoning, wetlands) while avoiding exposure of the town’s internal network. Rhonda and staff were asked to coordinate with the consultant and the town’s technology committee to arrange linkages and determine long-term hosting options.

The committee also recommended the NRI be treated as a "living" resource: keep original digital files (searchable PDFs and source shapefiles), publish an interactive map for public use, and create a process for periodic field-check updates to feed back into the inventory. Members requested copies of the final NRI, suggested placing production copies in town offices for reference, and encouraged electronic access (website or consultant-hosted interactive maps) prior to formal adoption.

Next steps identified: (1) circulate the NRI and the model local-law/reference documents to advisory boards; (2) coordinate with Jenny and Rhonda to make an accessible interactive map (consultant host with town link); (3) prepare a resolution and schedule a public hearing so the town board can act quickly while preserving options for a future local law if desired.