REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Informational Report Regarding Bi-Annual Project Status Report of the GIS Services Program
Report
COUNCIL PILLAR
Deliver and Enhance High Quality Efficient Services and Infrastructure
BACKGROUND
The City has made significant progress in establishing an enterprise GIS program. On October 29, 2019, Arini Geographics was awarded a contract for Enterprise GIS Consulting Services. The contract was awarded as a three-year professional services agreement for the initial term of the contract, with an additional two-year term. We are in year one of the two-year term. Council has requested a bi-annual project status report of GIS services. The current reporting period is November 2022 to April 2023.
DISCUSSION
With location a common attribute across numerous city services and assets, the City’s Enterprise GIS Program is a framework of people, process and technology enabling geospatial and asset information across departments managed in a single system. Integrating this information and making it available to staff and the public enables operational effectiveness, data driven decision making, cross departmental and regional coordination, citizen engagement and transparency.
Efforts are focused on (1) projects and (2) day-to-day operations as below.
Projects - Accomplishments during this reporting timeframe are noted with narratives following the table below:
|
Project |
Current Reporting Period Nov 2022-April 2023 |
Next Reporting Period May 2023-Nov 2023 |
|
Arbor Day Celebration Tree Mapping App |
Complete |
|
|
Enterprise GIS Governance & Stakeholder Engagement - infoMap Users Support Group |
Complete |
|
|
Sewer Video Inspection Integration |
Complete |
|
|
Stadium Common Operational Picture Upgrade |
In Progress* |
Completion Planned 2024 |
|
GIS-Based Pipeline Map Books |
In Progress |
Completion Planned 2024 |
|
Water Lateral Data Collection |
In Progress |
Completion Planned |
|
Parkways and Boulevards Asset Management |
|
Completion Planned |
|
Parcel Document Access via infoMap |
|
Initiate |
|
SVP 20-Year Load Impact Estimate |
|
Initiate |
|
Web Map Viewer Upgrade: infoMap 4.0 |
|
Initiate |
*Continued from the last period
• Earth Day and Arbor Day Celebration Tree Mapping App: To support the Arbor Day Celebration held by the city, an interactive tool was created to introduce schoolchildren to mapping technology. Using ArcGIS Online and the ArcGIS Field Maps mobile app, we allowed the young event attendees to map trees in Santa Clara’s Central Park. Staff led groups of school children in a tree mapping exercise. Over 200 local school children from 5 local schools participated in the event.
• Enterprise GIS Governance - infoMap User Support Group: Created an internal cross departmental infoMap User Group. infoMap, is the City’s internal web map viewer. These monthly meetings allow the GIS team to educate and communicate directly with users citywide, collecting improvement suggestions and tracking reported issues. This group allows users to collaborate and request new datasets and for the GIS team to communicate upgrades and new features.
• Sewer Video Inspection System Integration (ITpipes): Per request from the Water and Sewer Department, the Sewer Video Inspection System was integrated into Enterprise GIS. By adding maps and data to the mobile pipeline inspection management system, Water and Sewer can now track progress of the inspections and proactively locate areas of improvement, enabling informed preventative maintenance. The ITpipes application has been upgraded to take full advantage of this GIS integration.
Projects In Progress
• Complete the Upgrade to the Stadium Common Operational Picture: The COP is a comprehensive real-time web-based application providing multi agency coordination and a shared view of stadium operations. This reduces response times, improves situational awareness, and enhances overall coordination. The GIS team provides live situational awareness critical to public safety for events at Levi’s Stadium. This upgrade effort started in August 2021 to align with enterprise GIS technology upgrades completed last year and will continue to completion through the 2023 - 2024 NFL Season. These efforts will also help prepare the public safety response for the upcoming major events based on the city’s successful use of the COP during Super Bowl 50.
• GIS-Based Utility Pipeline Map Books: To improve the timeliness, quality and upkeep of GIS data and pipeline utility network models and asset inventories, managed by the Water & Sewer Department (WSD). Currently the map books are updated manually in AutoCAD. WSD requested the IT department to provide GIS-based production of printed map books used by field crews and engineers to maintain assets or construct new assets. Replacing the current CAD-based production process with GIS will make for more accurate datasets as asset updates are captured faster, reduce duplication of effort, and ensure that printed map books are closer to the digital representation use by field inspection teams. Phase 1, the update of the Sanitary Sewer System data, is due to be completed in the next reporting period.
• Water Service Lateral Data Collection: to fulfill a federal EPA mandate for the Water and Sewer Department to collect information on lead-based service lines within the city-maintained water system. WSD Department reached out to IT team to create a GIS based data collection application that will support field teams to input and record the required data at the water meters and service connection line, using mobile devices, which connect to a cloud-based GIS database. This will allow the Water and Sewer Department to efficiently collect and submit the data to the federal government. The development of the mobile app has been completed with feedback from the Water and Sewer Department. Launch is planned in the next reporting period including technical assistance and data collection progress tracking.
Planned projects over the next six months
• Parkways and Boulevards Asset Management: Working with the Department of Public Works Streets Division, this initiative will catalog all boulevard islands and parkways in the City. Over 300 features will be digitized and made available for workorder generation through enterprise asset management. This allows the Streets Division to track all work performed on each feature and tally the cost of all maintenance activities for these city-owned assets. This project is targeted for completion in 2023.
• Parcel Document Access via infoMap: To enable quick location-based access to documents related to City current and historical parcels through infoMap leading to significant City staff productivity gains and better customer service. Per request from the Community Development Division, an integration will be implemented between infoMap and the Electronic Document Management System (Laserfiche) repository where City documents are stored. This integration will provide access to documents which reside in Laserfiche but are not available through the city’s online permitting portal.
• Silicon Valley Power 20-Year Load Impact Estimate: Through geospatial analysis, this proposed project is anticipated to produce a better estimation of the potential energy consumption at the individual parcel level.
• Web Map Viewer Upgrade infoMap 4.0: infoMap, the City’s internal web map viewer, allows for easy web-based access to all GIS data layers and contains a one-click analysis tools that generates mailing lists, locate addresses, and parcels, in addition to creating property reports containing all city data for each home in Santa Clara. This upgrade will ensure that this access is maintained and continues to function efficiently and smoothly.
Day-to-Day Operations
By maintaining and improving data for most city departments into one centralized database known as the Enterprise Geospatial Repository (EGR), the GIS team supports critical City workflows and daily data-based decision-making. The EGR is the system of record for geolocated assets, supporting public safety, utilities operations, community development, parks maintenance, capital investments, and public outreach. It is currently comprised of over 280 diverse layers of geospatial and attribute information, covering the city and beyond. Layers include but are not limited to pipeline utilities, trees, public safety, city facilities, General Plan, parks assets and more.
City Enterprise GIS Basemap - The core of the EGR, the Enterprise GIS Basemap is the City’s foundational map data layers (including but not limited to addresses, streets, parcels, ownership, general plan and zoning designations, multiyear aerial imagery and key-related attributes). These layers make daily city business possible, from building permits to field work orders to environmental compliance and sustainability to core public safety activities such as 911 calls.
Statistics and information related to Enterprise GIS activities can be found in the infographic below (Attachment 1), indicating Enterprise GIS Basemap updates since October 16, 2022, records count in the EGR by department, as well as infoMap usage statistics by functionality.
System Updates and Data - critical system updates are continually being performed in several areas, listed below.
• MapSantaClara: A web-based application providing tailored access and reporting functionality to the public (<https://map.santaclaraca.gov/>). This popular app received over 20,000 visits over the current reporting period offering insights to the public on GIS related data. The property report and census data workflows were updated during this reporting period.
• Open Data Geospatial Portal: A web-based repository providing public access to GIS datasets, the Open Data Portal benefits the community by providing access to important datasets for mapping, analysis and reporting (https://public-gis-missioncity.opendata.arcgis.com/). In this reporting period, data was updated to match current records, including commonly requested data such as parcels, addresses, zoning codes, and streets.
• Story Maps: Specialized web-based GIS interactive maps that facilitate information dissemination and increase the level of service to the public, including Development Projects (<http://santaclaraca.gov/devprojects>) and Live Traffic Cameras (<http://santaclaraca.gov/trafficcam>). Partnering with the Comms Team and Community Development Department, the Development Projects application was updated to showcase how the city is growing. In addition, the Live Traffic Cameras story map, having been successfully operational for the past decade, has a refreshed application architecture in support of live public camera access and reliability.
• Public Safety: GIS integrations and dedicated datasets are in place supporting the Police and Fire Departments, and are being maintained with regularity, including map data for the Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system and police mobile data computers (MDCs). The GIS team supports GPS functionality built into every response vehicle, as well as the central command capabilities for events at Levi’s Stadium and around the city.
• Enterprise Permitting: GIS integration with the Enterprise Permit Management System provides location validation for over 500,000 existing permit records. Using web map data services, Basemap datasets are available for search to confirm the status of addresses and parcels where citizens require permits to build or modify their homes and businesses.
• Enterprise Asset Management (EAM): New assets continue to be mapped and added to the EAM Program, including boulevard islands, which will allow work orders to be assigned to these City areas and maintenance activities to be tracked. This in turn works to enhance preventative maintenance efforts, in addition to keeping the city clean.
• Regional GIS Collaboration and Coordination: Collaboration with neighboring cities, the County of Santa Clara, and other government agencies to ensure regional timely and quality data acquisition and sharing. Through an ongoing agreement, the City receives fresh annual high-resolution aerial imagery, which is the foundational GIS layer for the City Basemap.
• Steady State GIS: Fulfilled numerous requests from departments, including the Council Districts boundary update; printable wall maps of Police Beats to aid new officers during their training, orientation, operations, and reporting; analysis and map of available undeveloped City-owned properties North of US 101; map of citywide permitted accessory dwelling units; geospatial and property ownership data request to aid the Housing Element Update program; and General Plan Amendment updates.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This is an informational report only and no action is being taken by the City Council, and no environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) is required.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no cost to the City associated with this report other than administrative time and expense.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall Council Chambers. A complete agenda packet is available on the City’s website and in the City Clerk’s Office at least 72 hours prior to a Regular Meeting and 24 hours prior to a Special Meeting. A hard copy of any agenda report may be requested by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (408) 615-2220, email clerk@santaclaraca.gov <mailto:clerk@santaclaraca.gov> or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Note and file the Informational Report regarding the Bi-annual Project Status Report of the GIS Services Program.
Staff
Reviewed by: Gaurav Garg, Director of Information Technology/CIO
Approved by: Jōvan D. Grogan, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Infographic - Enterprise Geospatial Program Activity