SR-400-000 (3)
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council Meeting: December 12, 1990
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Santa Monica, California
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To: Mayor and City council
From: City Staff
Subj ect: Recommendation to Approve Increased Appropriation for
City's Geographic Information System Project
INTRODUCTION
This report requests that Council approve an additional $80,000
appropriation for the City's Geographic Information System Project
to allow the acceleration of GIS implementation.
DISCUSSION
Approximately four years ago, the city embarked on a project to
automate permit issuance and tracking and establish an automated,
geographic-based information system for the City. In the FY 1990-
91 Budget, Council approved $205,700 to complete the automated
permits portion of this project and begin implementation of the
automated mapping hardware and software. At present, the automated
permits system is nearing full implementation in the Building and
safety, Planning and Zoning and General services-Administration
divisions. The introduction of GIS technology will reduce staff
time in performing routine tasks and greatly improve the city's
ability to track and retrieve geographic-based information.
The FY 1990-91 automated mapping efforts include the purchase and
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installation of geoprocessing hardware and software and the
conversion of existing paper maps to a suitable automated format.
It is intended that these automated mapping capabilities will
initially be utilized primarily for planning and zoning or civil
engineering applications. The overall plan is to implement a GIS
system that can be operated by several departments both as a data
manager and a spatial analysis tool and map/plot generator. This
strategy results in a system that would provide engineers with the
level of accuracy that they require as well as allow planners to
have full use of a wide variety of maps which suit their
specialized needs.
During the planning process for the implementation of this
strategy , it has become apparent that current budgeted funds
provide for the raw conversion of parcel and lot maps to automated
maps which are suitable for planning applications but perhaps not
as suitable for the Engineering Division I s more stringent technical
accuracy standards. The opportunity exists to achieve a database
which will be fully consistent with engineering needs by shifting
existing funds from hardware and software acquisition to database
development. The specific enhancements which are proposed include
additional surveying tied to aerial photography, additional
parcel/lot map conversion and photogranunetry (spatial analysis from
aerial photographs). The drawback to this enhanced database
development effort, however, is that few funds are left for
purchase of Engineering and Planning workstations and the
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acquisition of related computer-aided design software.
The $80,000 appropriation increase would enable the purchase and
installation
of
additional
GIS
workstations
and
network
hardware/software in both Engineering and Planning, and provision
of staff training on the various software packages. The funds will
also allow the purchase of additional printers for the automated
permi ts system to improve speed and productivity.
These
expenditures will allow broader access by engineers and planners
to the bolstered automated mapping portion of GIS much sooner than
had been originally anticipated. The approval of these additional
funds will also reduce by an equal amount the anticipated CIP
request for the final phase of GIS implementation which will be
presented to council in the FY 1991-92 Proposed Budget.
BUDGET/FISCAL IMPACT
If the staff recommendation in this report is approved, $80,000 in
additional funds will be appropriated from the General, Water and
Wastewater Fund reserves in proportion to the benefits which will
be derived from the enhanced project. The specific appropriation
amounts and capital expenditure accounts are listed below.
Fund
Account No.
New Appropriation
General
01-710-266-20091-8900-99004
$51,000
Water
25-710-266-20091-8900-99004
14,500
Wastewater
31-710-266-20091-8900-99004
14,500
TOTAL
$80,000
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As a result of these changes, the appropriation needs for the final
phase of the GIS project which will be submitted as a part of the
FY 1991-92 Proposed CIP Budget will be reduced by $80,000.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that Council approve an additional appropriation
of $51,000 from the General Fund reserves, $14,500 from the Water
Fund reserves and $14,500 from the Wastewater Fund reserves to the
CIP accounts described in this report to accelerate implementation
of the City's Geographic Information System project.
Prepared by:
Paul Berlant, Director of Land Use/Transportation
Management
Craig Perkins, Admin/Environmental services Manager
Richard Armida, GIS Project Manager
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