How All-Purpose is Defined
The Noble County GIS Committee was tasked with finding a better way to manage the information -
property, drainage, land use, planning - needed by various departments as part of their daily
operations. The Committee determined an enterprise GIS would fit the County's needs.
Noble County contracted with vendors and began an enterprise GIS conversion project. The County
developed more than 70 countywide data layers, including everything from streets and addresses to land use and zoning.
Many departments coordinated resources - monetary and human - to make the GIS a success. The Highway
Department devised several practical applications, like streamlining the driveway permitting process
and managing highway structure inventories. 911 dispatchers use the GIS to see a cell phone caller's
phone number and location within a few hundred feet.
Noble County also developed a website which provides employees with GIS information over the internet.
The site contains parcel information from the Assessor's and Surveyor's Offices linked to maps. Users can
view property record information, drainage information, and find zone classifications. Every County employee
will have access to this data around the clock, and without installing special software on their computer.
Results
One of the key goals Noble County envisioned was streamlined local government. The GIS assists with
projects, mandates, grant applications and economic development. With its implementation, parcel
maintenance, planning, zone and code enforcement, crime tracking, 911-emergency response, and
infrastructure maintenance have all been simplified. And as departments continue to become proficient in
applying the GIS technology, its uses continue to grow.
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