Board debates GIS access and fees after Central Michigan District Health request
Summary
Commissioners discussed Central Michigan District Health Department's request for parcel data access, why Roscommon charges a fee while some counties provide access through Fetch, and whether statutory duties should require CMDHD to budget for the data rather than rely on county GIS services.
The board discussed a multi‑month dispute over access to county GIS parcel data after the Central Michigan District Health Department sought that information. A commissioner said the county was portrayed as the only local government charging for access, but staff explained that other jurisdictions use the Fetch platform to provide access and therefore do not pass the same county fees through a county GIS department.
"When we heard from Central Michigan District Health Department that we were the only one who would not give it to them for free, it spread through other townships..." a commissioner said, describing public perception. Staff and the controller noted Roscommon's GIS has been self-funded since prior budget trims and that internal charges exist to fund ongoing GIS services. The board discussed consistency, statutory responsibilities, and whether district health's need for parcel-level updates should be part of its own budget rather than charged to county GIS operations.
Controllers noted certain donor-funded purchases covered mapping in limited townships and that the health department also has the technical ability to manually update parcels through the county's online access if it chooses. Several commissioners favored maintaining consistent policies across users rather than providing ad hoc free access.
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