04/13/1999 Quarterly Meeting Minutes

April 13, 1999

Attendees: Roger Patocka, Mark Kistler, Lisa Schweitzer, Bill Mason, Randy Hertz, Harold Jensen, David Plazak, Bill Schuman, Cory Brockman, Herb Kuehne, Terry Braase, Brian Miller, Steve Williams, Todd Bishop, Steve Boal, Mike Elliot, Kevin Kane, Steve Gast, David Haines, Tom Kane, Micheal Emch

Other Attendees: Stu Turner, Jim Dickerson, Joe Artz, Mike Killion, Tim Johnson, Jeff Corns, Chad Ruber

IGIC Staff: Ann Peton, Michelle Lantermans

AGENDA

I.Chair Kevin Kane called the meeting to order.

II. Meeting Minutes - Agreed to, with no changes.

III. Council Matters

New ITS Director: Ann Peton briefed the Council on Richard Varn, the new Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the State of Iowa’s Information Technology Services. Ann noted that Mr. Varn and Bill Shuman strongly encouraged the IGIC to work toward the development of organizing ourselves and to do strategic planning.

New IGIC Members: Ann introduced new Private Business representative Bill Mason. Ann noted that Steve Newman will be a new Utilities representative, and, possibly, Vicki Damm, Environmental Protection Agency, Kansas City.

IV. Discussion and Vote on Bylaw Changes

A. Suggested Membership Changes - Notice in writing of alternate representatives names would be posted on the web; alternate information should be provided to Ann Peton within a month of this meeting (May 13, 1999); alternate representative information will be shared with ITS CIO Varn; Michelle Lantermans’ attendance roster she prepared showed that most IGIC members are in compliance with this new bylaw change.

B. Add Past-Chairperson Role - David Plazak suggested adding the word "immediate" for clarification, that is, Immediate Past Chairperson.

C. Executive Committee - This committee is to provide insight to the GIS Coordinator in-between meetings.

D. Vice Chairperson - Giving more responsibilities to Vice-Chairman dealing with MAGIC symposium planning.

E. Nominating Committee - This committee is being voted on prior to recognizing a slate of candidates. Brain Miller asked about the inability to get enough nominees for each office. [Wording changes were included on worksheet.]

F. Administrative Purposes -

David Plazak moved to approve the proposed IGIC Bylaw changes; Harold Jensen seconded.

Vote: Des Moines site 5 yes, 0 no

Estherville site 1 yes, 0 no

Iowa City site 2 yes, 0 no

Nevada site 5 yes, 0 no

Sioux City site 2 yes, 0 no

Chair Kevin Kane reported a unanimous affirmative vote for the proposed IGIC Bylaw changes.

Vice Chairperson: Steve Gast Bill Schuman

Secretary: Todd Bishop Cory Brockman

Treasurer: Lisa Schweitzer Mark Kistler

Ann Peton reviewed the responsibilities of each officer’s position.

At this point in the meeting, Chair Kevin Kane asked the current IGIC Treasurer, David Plazak to give his report. Mr. Plazak reported that the IGIC has a $700 balance; that. Buena Vista University, Storm Lake, has waived facility fee for the IGIC’s conference to be held at that facility in July 1999; that he supported having a pre-conference newsletter.

V. 1999 Conference Update

Vice Chair Steve Williams spoke overall about the July 28-30, 1999, conference in Storm Lake, giving a schematic of the conference’s structure and possible session topics.

Ann Peton spoke about the conference’s workshop and program content. She also spoke about Dr. Tim Forseman, the conference’s plenary speaker.

Vice Chair Steve Williams then spoke about the conference costs and he hopes that the IGIC will have 400 conference participants. He noted that the proposed conference registration fee is $95.00, which will include meals. He then described some of the housing accommodation options that will be available to conference attendees.

Ann Peton told the IGIC that the grant is for creation of metadata; to assist non-state agencies to develop tools and metadata; that the IGIC submitted a consolidated grant for $46, 878; the grant, if awarded, would be for one year, effective October 1, 1999.

VIII. Committee Updates

Clearinghouse Committee: Michelle Lantermans noted that the clearinghouse home page had received aesthetic changes mainly, but included addition of reference to USGS topo maps and to a query tool. She encouraged the IGIC representatives to provide input to her about the clearinghouse home page.

DOQ Server in Iowa: Cory Brockman spoke about a cooperative initiative with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which is piloting the DOQ server in Iowa. He commented that the benefit of this project is that the 31 counties of DOQ data possibly could be served through the IGIC server. He noted that the pilot project will be in Johnson and Polk Counties. The project is going to be served from Iowa State University. He noted that anyone with an internet browser can view the DOQ data and that the MIT website has a sample of this DOQdata. MIT has developed an extension for Arcview software that allows one to use the data at the MIT server and view that data on one’s computer.

Digital Soils: Cory Brockman continued by referencing a meeting that he and Chair K. Kane attended spurred their interest in creating a committee in Iowa that, in a more general sense, would be made up of digital data providers, such as Iowa State University, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Iowa Department of Transportation, United States Department of Agriculture, and possibly a county.

Strategic Planning Committee: Bill Schuman suggested the group focus on: (1) training (both from IGIC and other statewide training; (2) imagery (DOQ and county aerial photography); (3) conference planning; (4) education; (5) standards; (6) public/private partnerships; and (7) fulfilling the tasks stipulated in the IGIC’s mission statement and objectives.

Steve Gast and Steve Williams concurred with Bill Schuman’s comments as it related to having

Ann Peton dedicate more time, based upon the Strategic Planning Committee’s input.

Ann Peton spoke on the issue that most other states do not have a strategic plan currently.

Steve Boal supported the issue, stating that the Iowa legislature will not listen to the IGIC unless the IGIC has its "ducks in a row" for addressing the mission/objectives.

Herb Kuehne concurred and reiterated the need to have an implementation plan.

Harold Jensen talked about having the Iowa State Association of Counties (ISAC) involved in this issue.

Mark Kistler moved to have the IGIC develop a Strategic Planning Committee. Bill Schuman seconded the motion.

Vote: Des Moines site 5 yes, 0 no

Estherville site 1 yes, 0 no

Iowa City site 2 yes, 0 no

Nevada site 5 yes, 0 no

Sioux City site 2 yes, 0 no

Chair Kevin Kane noted that the creation of IGIC Strategic Planning Committee was unanimously approved.

Chair K. Kane then asked for volunteers to begin work on developing the Strategic Planning Committee. Volunteers offering to serve included Steve Gast, Stu Turner, Steve Williams, Kevin Kane, Steve Boal, Bill Schuman, David Haines, Tim Johnson, Harold Jensen, and Jeff Corns. It was sugggested that there be a Black Hawk County representative, and that Marty Adkins, USDA’s ????, be contacted to seek their involvement.

Newsletter: The committee representatives suggested articles about Mr. Varn and about the upcoming IGIC conference in Storm Lake.

Ann Peton asked for volunteers for the Newsletter Committee.

David Plazak mentioned that an article on DOQ server would be a good article for the newsletter.

IX. Coordination

MAGIC: Ann Peton informed the IGIC that there will a tour of the Sioux Falls EROS Center to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the facility. If there is enough interest by the IGIC representatives, the IGIC might want to consider taking a bus to Sioux Falls for the event.

NSGIC: Ann Peton continued by noting that NSGIC held a three day conference in Chicago during March 1999. State and local governments and NASA are working to create a Initiative Committee.

Ann commented that she has learned that NSGIC’s website will be providing information to tribes and local governments.

Ann advised the IGIC that she has been nominated to serve on the NSGIC Board of Directors.

Ann reported that NSGIC’s Annual Meeting is scheduled for New Orleans in August 1999.

Terry Braase reviewed the content of the workshop, the types of tools and technologies that farmers could be using in comparison to what farmers are really doing; reviewed the data he utilizes in his courses; conducted datalogging functions; and took the data collected, converted it, and anlyzed it.

He expressed interest in continuing with this type of workshop and expanding upon other areas of interests in the IGIC’s strategic plan/education area.

IX. New Business

Steve Boal inquired about the IGIC serving as a group licensee for software.

Ann Peton mentioned that the Information Technology Services office is not supporting such IGIC activity. She commented that this issue needs to be part of the IGIC’s Strategic Plan regarding vendors and equipment.

Chair Kevin Kane talked about the possibility of the IGIC sponsoring an internship program.

Ann Peton talked about Mr. Varn’s suggestion of working with the private/public sectors on determining each of their respective and reciprocating roles with each other. She commented that this could be something to be a part the IGIC’s Strategic Plan.

Steve Gast suggested that, for future IGIC meetings, that a better description of the ICN meeting rooms locations be given.

Chair Kevin Kane noted that the IGIC’s next quarterly meeting will be held Tuesday, July 13, 1999, from 10:00 a.m. till 2:00 p.m.

Steve Gast asked for an updated IGIC membership list.

Chair K. Kane and Ann Peton reminded the IGIC representatives that the new IGIC Bylaws will be issued in the near term; that the IGIC Officer ballots will be issued no later than April 30, 1999; and that if any of the representatives have ideas for a paper to be given at the July IGIC conference to let Ann know.

Chair K. Kane adjourned the meeting.