County approves GIS work-order contract; asks staff to draft general detour ordinance

Terrence Matthews, an asset management technician in the engineering department, asked the board to approve a one-time implementation fee of $12,500 plus an annual ISRIA/Esri license fee of $6,175 (total cited at roughly $18,670) to implement a GIS-based work-order management system for the engineering and highway departments. He said the system will enable real-time mobile updates from field crews, dashboards and improved tracking. Following brief questions about the fee breakdown and timetable, the commissioners approved the request on a voice vote.

Matthews also raised a related operational issue: whether the county should adopt a general ordinance enabling temporary detours and 'no truck' restrictions on county roads during future projects, rather than handling each request individually. Commissioners discussed pros and cons, noting different roads and projects may require tailored treatment, but directed staff to prepare a general ordinance for review. The board approved proceeding with drafting that ordinance and indicated the county would consider individual project needs within the broader policy once enacted.

The highway department said the GIS system could be functional about a week after payment and that Paul McBride would operate the system for the county.