Washoe County, Nevada Washoe County Map Warehouse (2004-Single Process)

System Summary Quite often a catastrophic event is the forerunner in the development of more accurate and detailed spatial data sets. This was the case in Washoe County when a 1997 flood inundated the cities of Reno and Sparks along the Truckee River. The flood of 1997 highlighted the deficiencies and shortcoming of current spatial data sets and the lack of current aerial photography. Obtaining a highly accurate parcel database was the main impetus behind the creation of a regional base map committee in 1998. Coincidentally, the development of other spatial data sets occurred at the same time, e.g., land use, elevation data, city and county boundaries. Creating all those new data sets was costly: Over the next five years, approximately $1.5 million was spent developing the capabilities of the county's geographic information system (GIS). The cost of developing and maintaining a robust GIS database makes the task of delivering and presenting that data even more important. In reality, the value of data, GIS or other, can really be measured only in terms of data efficiency or how the data is used and delivered to solve everyday questions and problems. Certainly, we cannot justify that the data be used only in times of disaster or catastrophes or only by those proficient in complicated GIS software. Instead, methods and means must be made available to ensure that even the most inexperienced user can consume GIS data. A plethora of Internet mapping sites exist today. Most are highly focused towards a particular user, e.g., assessor departments publishing parcel data and community development departments providing land-use data. In addition, most are map-driven, i.e., they require users to turn layers on and off and to use an identify tool to answer questions about a particular feature. Washoe County's Internet Map Warehouse is an exemplary system because it provides an alternative to the map-driven Internet sites. With the Map Warehouse, spatial data is broken down by areas of interest, e.g., administrative, land use, census, etc. Furthermore, within an area of interest, users are able to step through a series of questions that will produce a map with data of precisely what they are interested in, such as: What schools are zoned for my neighborhood? or Who is my county commissioner? or What is the land-use designation for a parcel? Additionally, users are still able to interact with the map interface using the conventional suite of map tools and buttons. By utilizing the Map Warehouse gateway, even the most inexperienced user can consume Washoe County's GIS data. The Map Warehouse provides a single source where county employees, private businesses, and the public can query and interact with more than 60 spatial data sets with one easy-to-use interface. Additionally, users can print letter or tabloid-size maps, download premade PDF or TIFF maps such as road atlases, parcel maps, and Census 2000 maps, or visit links to other data sources. The Map Warehouse complements the county's GIS division by providing easy access to expensive GIS data in a simple-to-use Internet browser and by providing answers to what are often very simple questions. Motivation for System Development The Washoe County GIS division supports effective decision making in Washoe County government by providing high-quality, current, relevant, and well-documented geographic information in digital and hard-copy formats. The division's primary activity is the development of an enterprise spatial database that is accurate and current. In 2001, the Washoe County GIS division launched an interactive mapping Web site for the county assessor using ESRI's ArcIMS technology. The primary function of this Web site is the dissemination of parcel and associated ownership data to internal and public users. The data that was published was compiled and released twice a year at the close of each tax role. The site is extremely popular; it receives several thousand hits a week. …