TITLE
The Mayor and City Council shall discuss and possibly take action on authorizing the City Manager to create a new position for a qualified GIS Technician. Discussion and Action.
AGENDA ITEM DESCRIPTION
Geographic information is the key to better decision-making; just about everthing the City does, whether day-to-day operations or long-term planning is related to geography. The City of Maricopa 2040 Vision states that "Planned Quality Growth is a significant challenge and great opportunity facing the City...as its population is projected to growth from 45,000 to 144,500 by 2040". Specifically the Plan states...
Technology, Infrastructure and Regional Connectivity
Goal 1: Establish Maricopa as a "Top Tier" Smart City
Strategies: Encourage the use of technology wherever possible to improve efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
Fiscal Policies and Management
Goal 1: Adopt a long-term fiscal management plan and accompanying policies to ensure financial resources are available to achieve the City of Maricopa 2040 Vision and Strageic Plan
Strategies: Create an investment plan and maintenance plan for the City's infrastructure
Continue to evaluate the City's Land Use Assumptions Infrastructure Improvement Plan
Research the use of technology to provide services to customers in the most effective manner
Background: Local governments, Maricopa included, are faced with many issues and problems related to information handling. There is a constant pressure to improve services while reducing costs, and to be more efficient and effective in daily operations and management activities. Faced with the management of rapid growth, the management of resources, facilities and operations becomes more demanding. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) offer a solution to many of these problems. Most of the issues and operations that face the City relate to land or location. It has been estimated that 70% to 80% of the information and activities whth which a local government is concerned are location related.
The major goal of the City of Maricopa GIS effort is to implement a multipurpose, integrated system that will serve the needs of a variety of users. Th objectives include reducing duplication of effort in order to reduce costs, centralizing common data to eliminate discrepancies and unnessary effort, increasing efficiency in daily operations, increasing managment control and providing information for decision support and policy formation.
The City of Maricopa City Council authorized an expenditure of $80,000 in the FY 2018-2019 budget for the purpose of initiating a GIS system. These funds were to be dedicated to hardware, software and other implementation resources. However, it is critical that the City begin it's implementation program with qualified personnel who can lead and implement, in a phased approach, a fully integrated GIS system. Therefore we ask that City Council reauthorize these funds and direct the City Manager to hire a qualified GIS Technician. It is understoond that recruitment costs may exceed the $80,000 authorization but additional funding, approximately $20,000 to cover benefit costs can be realized from existing budgets.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends approval