01/09/2001 Quarterly Meeting

Iowa Geographic Information Council
Meeting Minutes
January 9,2001 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
ICN locations across Iowa

Members Attending: Bill Schuman, Bill Kapp, Brian Miller, Cory Brockmann, Deanne Popp, Gary Brown, Harry Bottorff, Herb Kuenhe, Jason Siebrecht, Jerry Lawson, Joe Artz, Jon Lubke, Kevin Kane, Michael Emch, Mitch Tollerud, Ray Willis, Roger Patocka, Stephen Newman, Steve Williams, Terry Brase, Tom Buman, Todd Bishop

Alternates: Tim Shuck

IGIC Business Matters

1. Call to order

The meeting was called to order over the ICN with multiple sites present across the state. Bill Schuman, chair, conducted the meeting.

2. Review of minutes from October meeting were reviewed and accepted.

3. Report on state coordinator position.
Bill reported meeting over the last 3 months with the Iowa State extension office. Felt was a good match with our mission to reach out with counties and such. Indicated a positive response. IGIC put together a proposal and submitted about expectations on position. They will meet again.

Hiring process would be 3-6 months minimum. Extension office proposed an ISU person put into position. Would be filled immediately. Skeptical, but talked to exec committee. They felt ok with it.

Alan Jensen is the candidate from ISU. He will have a 6 month period for training. Either side can back out of the deal in that time. We need to get funding in place for the first 6 months. Extension office offered to fund ½ of that. They also have office and equipment.

We are responsible for getting this individual tasks. From strategic plan, we need to generate action plan. Concerned with applicant lack of GIS experience. But has good coordinating skills.

Kevin commented that interview went well and applicant will do a good job.

Cory asked what is the relationship with ITD? Bill says we want to keep that relationship amiable since Michelle is still down there. ITD may also be able to contribute to position in some part.

Bill explains we will get an agreement with Iowa State. Steve from the extension office is working on the paperwork and will get it to the committee.

Steve Williams asks what we need to do to get the continue this process. The Exec committee should get together with him. Work with strategic plan to create an action plan. Maybe have Alan check out some key sites such as DNR, some counties and cities with big GIS. Get him exposed to applications and issues. Get him into training and conferences. Send him to Nebraska conference coming up soon. Ramping up some of the committees. Exec committee can do first, then board can look at it. Exec committee would guide position. Stake holders would drive some tasks, but would go thru exec committee. Left some leeway in the position to deal with issues he sees that come up. 60-70% tasks, 30-40% would be other things that come up.

Barb asks for breakdown on where money will come from? Michelle asks if extension office ½ funding is temp. Bill says it will continue after the 6 months. Bill thinks we will have only 1 or 2 key contributors. May need to find money thru special grants from DOT or federal government. DNR could be a player in this. Would like to see the counties giving token amount to coordinator. After the 6 month trial would like to see more support from cities and counties, possibly league of cities. $30-40,000 is half of position. Bill asks board to start talking to their groups that may be able to contribute to coordinator position.

Steve said that Ann did a lot of outreach with community, building contacts. He asks how much of this will Alan will do. Bill’s not sure and says the council needs to guide that decision. Council should give input. Bill says with the money we have it will be hard to draw experience people from other state.

Michelle concern is with the extension office ½ contribution if they will direct his tasks at any point. Bill asked that IGIC guide the tasks. He says that a number of people in Ames can keep an eye on the pulse of activity. Bill adds that we may lose some of the state coordination that Ann did since extension office is at the community level.

Kevin says that we need to take on the responsibility of IGIC to guide the position and see it as a maturing of IGIC. Said that Ann was sometimes time taken away by ITD duties.

Cory brockman asked how will Michelle and Alan work together.
Michelle feels her position will slide under GIS service manager. More technical job for her. 

Barb asks if there is a more formal campaign to request dollars. She asks if she was to take this to a county, she would need hard facts of benefits. Bill says if any one county asks for assistance, Alan’s response would be one that hopefully will benefit any county that may have this problem now or in the future.

Kevin asks that the sector representatives go to their groups and justify the funding for this position.

Barb wants something written even if it’s broad to take to director or board to spend dollars where we may not see direct benefit in county.

Bill says that if we need another committee to guide this position we could do that. Kevin feels good that exec committee could do this. But also thinks we need people from sector reps.

Herb is please with what we are doing. He asks how much grant writing will position do? Bill says it’s a good idea to put down in the task list.

Roger Patocka wonders if a position overall state coordinator for state wide GIS with regional focus. Bill refers to Twin Cities metro GIS initiative. Agrees that is a potential goal task in the long run.

Bill Kapp wondered if this position can help get us into some of the federal efforts such as FDGC or program. Bill says we should get ourselves involved but cautions not to spread position or IGIC too thin.

Bill Schumann motion to allow us to sign agreement and do whatever necessary to get ball rolling and work with our group to find the funding. Wants our blessing to formalize this for the six months with an opportunity to review at that point.Bill Kapp seconds the motion.

Herb wonders who has the authority to sign an agreement. Bill says that it’s just a formal agreement between state agencies but not a contractual liable agreement for IGIC. As chair, Bill would sign the agreement. Barb asks if IGIC is a subdivision of the state of Iowa? No, IGIC is not. The agreement would be between extension office and the stake holders. IGIC is the go-between.

Steve says under agreement that each stake holder agency would sign the 28E agreement. IGIC has to sign to agree to its role in the agreement.

Bill Kapp asks if this agreement is limited to the 6 months. Barb says that her 28Es are setup to be automatic renewal. Steve says that the 28E stays the same until there is a change in the partnership. So if a partner drops out, then there is a new agreement

New motion is to allow the group of 4 individuals to negotiate the 28E with Extention office with some of the IGIC discussion points.

Bill Kapp seconds.

Barb asks if legal council will look at this document. Bill says that ISU is drafting and is sure they will look at it. Suggests having the DOT council looking at it.

Vote on motion. Unanimously passed.

4. Committee reports are next.

Newsletter
Bill says second newsletter draft is out. Few more articles still out. Need to check if vendors will continue to advertise. Should be out next 2-3 weeks

Conference
Bill Kapp. Schedule changes. Added private vendor rooms evening of wed October, 3rd. keynote speakers are each 55 minutes dedicated to speaker. Dinner that evening vendor prizes will be distributed. Friday is same. Added some items regarding workshop. 5 tracks, 30 opportunities. Currently topics in GIS are - working, just starting, and looking for opportunities in GIS groups. Can register across tracks. Promap can coordinate online registration. Agreed to use email to circulate new information. Wondered if Comaq will loan computers again. 

Keynote speakers should be local or from Midwest to be focused on Iowa. Entertainment: Single musician for dinner. Quiet music at dinner and festive after dinner. May arrange bus transportation to mall. Hats and shirts sold and displayed online. Bill Kapp is open to questions and available to keynote speakers. Projecting 350 attendance.

Postcard announcements will be out shortly. March 16, 2001 will send out call for papers and posters. January 16th call for workshops.

Remote sensing. 
Todd can’t report since DSM can’t speak into ICN.

E911 committee
no report.

Ortho server and membership
Kevin reported on the orthophoto server and the grant from the state to fund it. The grant has been submitted and is being reviewed. Kevin’s PowerPoint presentation showing geographic membership distribution is included here.

Clearinghouse committee
Michelle report pushing resource guide. In the physical development stage. She was shown the layout of website. Working with graphics people at ITD.
Barb says that blackhawk county has worked with ArcIMS and could be a contact.

5.  Wrap up

Roger reminds group about land surveyors workshop.

Bill calls committee reports to end.

Bill reminds us that we are a volunteer group. Believes remote sensing committee needs coordination for possible state wide photography.

Next meeting date moved to April 17, 2001 because Bill’s conference.

6.   Kevin moved to adjourn business meeting, Steve second.

7.   Presentation on the Digital Orthophoto process by Gary Brown, CEO Aerial Services, Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Click here to view his presentation.