{ { { Meeting Date 08/03/10. City of Largo Agenda Item 24. Leland Dicus, P.E., City Engineer

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1 City of Largo Agenda Item 24 Form Revision Date: 10/19/09: Meeting Date 08/03/10 Presenter: Leland Dicus, P.E., City Engineer Department: CD Community Development TITLE: GIS PROGRAM UPDATE The implementation of the City's geographic information system (GIS) program, initiated in FY 2009, is continuing to produce new capabilities and reduce costs of producing maps and accessing geographically referenced information. The initial focus of GIS implementation has been on supporting the sanitary sewer system and the critical work processes for consent order compliance. The system has already provided the capability to update the utility atlas maps in a timely manner and to produce new atlas maps in house at a substantial cost savings. In the fall of 2010 the Engineering Division will begin posting and updating on a regular basis a library of maps and atlases to the City's intranet for use by multi department City staff. Staff will also develop the capacity to provide greater GIS support to other Departments and begin deployment of a Web based GIS portal that will be accessible on the City's website. Please refer to the attached report that provides a more detailed overview of the GIS program initiatives. Budgeted Budget Page (s).: Available Expenditure Additional Budgetary Information: Funding Source(s): City Attorney Reviewed: Advisory Board Consistent { { { Recommendation: For With: Sufficient Funds Available: { Against Budget Amendment Required: { Source: IT Strategic Plan Potential Motion/ Direction Requested: NO CITY COMMISSION ACTION REQUESTED. Staff Contact: Eric Moos, GIS Systems Administrator x4406 emoos@largo.com Attachments: GIS Update Report

2 Largo City Commission Staff Report: GIS Program Update August 3, 2010 City Commission Public Meeting Introduction This staff report is intended to provide a status update on the progress made in implementing geographic information system (GIS) technology, and applying it to help improve information management for the wastewater collection system, and to outline the next steps that will build upon these efforts to expand GIS activities within the organization. Background Engineering consultant firms retained by the City to develop a multifaceted wastewater collection system improvement plan each independently identified GIS as a key enabling technology to help achieve compliance with the U.S. EPA Consent Order, issued in April 2006, which requires the City to undertake steps to substantially reduce sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) from the wastewater collection system. Consequently, at the June 16, 2009 Public Meeting, the Largo City Commission approved a budget amendment to create a GIS Administrator position and to acquire software and hardware that would together form the basis of a GIS Program for the City of Largo. Over the past 12 months, the initial focus of the GIS Program has been to build solutions to help address deficiencies in information management that were identified by consultants, including information about the physical assets within the wastewater collection system, and information related to work activities, such as inspections, routine maintenance, cleaning, repairs, and other operational tasks. In simplest terms, a GIS works by linking graphical elements on a map, called features, that represent physical, realworld objects in their correct geographical location and size, to non graphical elements in a database, called feature properties, that describe various characteristics about the object(s). The link between the graphical map feature and the non graphical database feature properties is established by relating unique identifiers in relational database tables and records to geometric map features that share the same unique identifiers. The primary advantage of GIS software over conventional cartographic systems that simply produce printed maps is that GIS allows users to perform searches of the underlying database, and to browse database query results not only in a traditional tabular grid view, but also visually on a map to provide critical geographical context, which can reveal spatial relationships between and among features that are not easily discerned from simple text reports. Query results can subsequently be exported to create more detailed reports that can enable staff to analyze data in support of decisionmaking processes. GIS Implementation Pursuant to Commission authorization, the IT Department procured and deployed two (2) servers one for a GIS database and one for GIS application software. With the necessary hardware in place, IT staff installed and configured Oracle 11g, from Oracle Corporation (Redwood Shores, CA), and installed and assisted GIS staff in configuring Bentley Map V8i, from Bentley Systems, Inc. (Exton, PA). Bentley Map is an enterprise GIS desktop application that features highly efficient, integrated CAD/GIS data editing tools that allow organizations to design, compose, and publish accurate maps; to build and maintain geospatial data models; to create optimized data creation and editing environments for various GIS applications; to define and enforce business and topological rules for intelligent GIS features; to view and edit geospatial data contained in GIS data files or spatial databases; to annotate map features by producing text labels that are populated with information contained in the underlying database; to assemble and integrate data from different sources to perform spatial analysis; and to produce thematic maps and reports to communicate spatial information. Once Bentley Map was installed and configured in the City's technology environment, GIS staff have accomplished a number of important objectives related to the wastewater collection system that are described below in greater detail. Accomplishments To Date Wastewater GIS Layer

3 Using data provided by Cardno TBE Group (Clearwater, FL), an engineering consultant retained by the City to develop a wastewater collection system improvement plan, GIS staff created a feature class, or a collection of related features, to manage wastewater utility asset information. This feature class encompasses all major components of the wastewater collection system, as well as some ancillary data produced by Cardno TBE to support the process of updating, expanding, and recalibrating a hydraulic model, which is a software application used by planners and engineers to simulate the performance of a wastewater collection system under various flow conditions. The wastewater feature class encompasses the following elements: manholes, gravity pipes, force mains, service laterals, lift stations, flow meters, and flow meter basin area boundaries. Once the wastewater data was imported into the Bentley Map environment, technical standards for map symbology, or how the features appear visually on a map with respect to colors, line thicknesses, symbols, or other characteristics, were established along with default map annotation, or text labels that include descriptive information about various map features. All map annotation, including manhole numbers, pipe lengths, pipe materials, and other labels are dynamically generated, using a feature in Bentley Map called property based annotation. The benefit of property based annotation is that if properties in the underlying database for a particular feature change, then all maps that include that particular feature also change automatically, streamlining map update workflows In its present state, the wastewater GIS layer provides the essential data elements necessary to support implementation of a future work and asset management system (WAMS), which will further enhance planning activities related to management of the wastewater collection system. Other Related GIS Layers To produce a complete set of wastewater utility atlas maps, additional graphical information is required to supplement the wastewater GIS layer. A parcel basemap provides essential geographical context to relate features in the wastewater collection system, as well as other map layers, to a real world location, and represents each land parcel as a discrete map feature with the correct size and shape in relation to other abutting parcels. In building the parcel basemap, the City is using the same parcel identifiers established by the Pinellas County Property Appraisers Office in order to ensure ease of data exchange and analysis among potential consumers of data that originate from each respective organization. Additionally, the City has obtained high resolution color aerial orthoimagery from both state and federal government agencies to provide detailed context of surrounding physical objects and environmental conditions not yet expressed as GIS features or separate map layers. Building upon previous investments in mapping work, GIS staff have converted a number of other important information resources into GIS features to add value to both current and future projects that may benefit from GIS analysis. The following additional features have been created in the GIS: jurisdictional boundaries, including the City Limits, the Planning Service Area, the Wastewater Service Area, and the Fire/EMS District; common map reference grids; and related environmental features, including drainage basin and sub basin boundaries, groundwater monitoring wells, and remote sensing devices (e.g., rain gauges, flood stage monitors, and dissolved oxygen sensors). Other sensor types can be added to the GIS in the future, which will also provide a framework for the management and analysis of remote sensing data. Wastewater Manhole and Pipe Lining Work History Over the past year, staff have compiled a dataset from inspection records and wastewater manhole and/or pipe lining contracts performed since 2002, identifying the location of the asset, along with a detailed record of the work performed, including date(s), liner type, liner length or depth, contractor, contract number, and other descriptive information. Using GIS to link this datasource to map features in the Wastewater GIS Layer will enable staff to better track warranty inspections, to coordinate other work activities with lining contractors, and to identify additional manholes and pipes for future lining projects. Private Site Utility As Built Construction Drawings Since 2002, the Engineering Division has required contractors to submit as built construction drawings in digital form for all privately owned wastewater utilities constructed on site development projects within the Largo Wastewater Service Area, as a condition of their respective permit submittals. In the past year, staff have indexed and cataloged these records, and will use them to perform updates to the Wastewater GIS Layer, both to create new private on site utilities, and to improve the accuracy and completeness of public utilities within the abutting rights of way, where applicable. Industrial and Commercial Customers In the past six months, staff have augmented databases and spreadsheets previously compiled and maintained by the Environmental Services Department for tracking privately owned collection and transmission system (POCTS) permits, commercial wastewater users, and industrial wastewater users. A valid parcel identifier was assigned to each permit or customer record, which links these datasources to the City parcel basemap, enabling staff to view wastewater customer locations relative to the existing collection system, to analyze potential service connection points, and to view other related information about each parcel that receives Largo wastewater service.

4 Other GIS Uses The City is already realizing supportive benefits of GIS technology in other areas, leveraging work already performed in support of the wastewater collection system improvements project. In recent months, GIS staff have performed an analysis of drainage basin boundaries supplied by Pinellas County to determine the contributing areas within each drainage basin that are within the Largo City Limits. Availability of drainage basin boundaries as a layer in the GIS also provides the ability to track and analyze past or future SSO events within each drainage basin to determine impacts on surface water quality. Staff have also assisted in the development of flow meter basin area rehabilitation maps, which help to target inspection and maintenance activities within areas that were identified as having high groundwater infiltration and/or surface stormwater inflow, possibly contributing to SSOs within the wastewater collection system. Finally, staff have also assisted with quality assurance checking of a road network dataset that will be used to develop a Pavement Management System, including verifying roads to be included in upcoming field inspection activities. Next Steps In the next six months, GIS staff will begin the process of extending access to Bentley Map to a small group of staff members in the Community Development and Environmental Services Departments, providing software training and technical support to transition conventional cartographic production workflows to GIS centric workflows. Concurrent with this expanded user community, new projects will be undertaken to maximize the value of existing investments in GIS technology. New Wastewater Map Features Detailed wastewater collection system components will be added to the existing dataset, including force main valves, service connection clean outs, and private, on site wastewater utilities permitted under the POCTS program in Environmental Services, using the indexed private site utility as built construction drawings referenced above. Staff will also map the known locations of residential septic tanks tracked in permit databases from the Florida Department of Health and other available sources. New Wastewater Atlas Maps In fourth quarter of CY 2010, the City will publish the first internally generated updates to the Largo Wastewater Utility Atlas Maps, using Bentley Map to maintain the datasets necessary to produce the map output. A new map publishing workflow will be devised in consultation with Environmental Services staff, with an objective to produce regular, incremental updates to the wastewater utility atlas map set that are distributed in a timely manner to field crews and other staff members. In addition to printed atlas map books, the new wastewater utility atlas maps will also be available in digital form as Adobe PDF files, featuring layers, hyperlinks, embedded geographical referencing capabilities, and indexed text to support keyword searches of map content. An online map library will also be developed to provide a convenient location to download maps in digital form. Capital Improvements Program (CIP) Projects A new GIS feature class and data model will be developed for the upcoming FY Capital Improvements Program (CIP) Project Planning Cycle to track CIP project locations on the City parcel basemap, providing an overlay in the GIS for other map layers. Feature properties will be used to classify project characteristics and to enhance analytical capabilities by supporting thematic mapping of project information, using property based symbology features in Bentley Map. Once the CIP Projects layer is established in the GIS, City staff can export future project information into common GIS data formats and share it with partnering agencies in order to improve capital project coordination and to identify potential joint project opportunities. Future Plans To realize the full potential of GIS for the City of Largo, the focus of GIS implementation will shift from a Project Level GIS to an Enterprise Level GIS, progressively expanding GIS activities to many Departments and Divisions throughout the organization. From a GIS program management perspective, the following are recommendations for evolving the current GIS project into an enterprise scale GIS. Migrate the wastewater GIS feature class, presently maintained as a Bentley Map project file, to the Oracle database, storing wastewater features as a wastewater utility network, using the Oracle Spatial Network Data Model. Building a wastewater utility network provides additional analytical capabilities by establishing relationships between features that reflect real world connections between system components. A key benefit of a wastewater utility network model is the ability to trace the connected system features upstream or downstream from a particular point in the collection system, in order to analyze how wastewater flows through the collection system from service connection points to the wastewater reclamation facility or to identify

5 customers that may be impacted by system failures. Support integration with hydraulic modeling software by storing wastewater utility network information in a common, shared datasource, and using GIS background map layers to provide context for staff performing simulation and analysis within the modeling software. Perform positional accuracy improvements to existing GIS data using multiple data sources and methods, including as built construction drawings, survey data, historical records, field crew notes and observations, and others. Begin the process of drafting an Enterprise GIS Plan that will build upon completed work, and expand use of GIS throughout the organization, providing an institutional management and technical framework to establish policies related to management of the GIS program and related resources, to train and support users, to sustain GIS program activities, and to ensure coordination of GIS implementation activities within the larger technology planning efforts of the organization. Establish Enterprise GIS Framework Data Themes and collect, build, or convert geospatial information that is unique to the City of Largo, and not available from other sources. Examples of these data themes include Future Land Use Map (FLUM) information, stormwater utilities, reclaimed water utilities, roads, traffic signage, and sidewalks, among other essential infrastructure assets. Conversion of these datasets will be coordinated with WAMS implementation, in order to provide reference objects to schedule work orders and to track maintenance activities. Acquire federal, state, and local government GIS datasets, leveraging significant public investments in data collection and maintenance activities at little direct cost to the City, and providing simplified access for City staff by providing a common, shared datasource that is available internally within the City's GIS environment. GIS staff will also use this opportunity to begin building collaborative relationships with other government agencies, utility service providers, and other partnering organizations. A key dataset that will be central to many subsequent planning activities is the pending release of the 2010 decennial U.S. Census data next year, which, when paired with Bentley Map, will provide demographic analysis capabilities that the City has never before been able to perform using in house resources. Introduce digital markup and review capabilities for GIS datasets, allowing both office staff and field crew members to submit changes or corrections to GIS staff, using simple intuitive software tools to create a redline overlay layer in the GIS. Create an online resource for GIS on both the public Internet Web site and internal Intranet site, outlining current activities and future plans, and describing the City's technology environment in greater detail. The Web site would also provide detailed technical standards related to GIS, encompassing geographic coordinate system parameters, supported data formats, and data dictionary template(s), in addition to providing access to Largo GIS datasets in multiple data formats, along with geospatial metadata, that can be downloaded by the public.