A: In the long run, the GIS will reduce many costs incurred by municipalities by decreasing redundancies and increasing productivity. Geographic Information Systems have been in use in various larger municipalities for a decade. They have been implemented to increase efficiencies in capital planning, zoning, permits and maintenance, as well as planning in the areas of Health, Education and Lifestyle. While smaller municipalities could also realize the increased taxpayer service benefits of GIS, implementation for small municipalities has been cost prohibitive.

16 municipalities in the area have banded together to form The Blue Sky Municipal GIS Partnership. This partnership creates economies of scale that will substantially reduce costs of hardware purchasing and system integration. Also, wherever possible, the Project Partners have requested bids from suppliers on different aspects and materials for the project. This allows the municipalities to make informed decisions on what is the most economical way to proceed. Last but certainly not least, funding from the Provincial and Federal Government has been made available to subsidize the GIS and reduce the costs of implementation.

Q: How much will it cost?

A: The net average cost to the municipalities is $37,000/municipality spread over 5 years of the project. Not only will municipalities have access to the GIS, they will also receive subsidized hardware required for implementing the GIS. For example, Municipalities will receive a handheld computer with a highly accurate Global Positioning System to collect information on municipal infrastructure subsidized at 80%.

A prorated formula was developed in order to make cost dispersals amongst municipalities more equitable. The cost sharing formula accounts for percentages based on weighted average of rolls, assessed value, permanent population and total dwellings (includes seasonal dwellings).

Several municipalities have taken steps towards getting themselves closer to using a GIS than others. Similarly the requirements for additional hardware vary by each municipality. Blending these considerations, with the formula described above ensures the most equitable costs based on each municipality’s actual expenditures and usage of the system.

Q: Is this the least expensive solution?

Answer #6: In a word, yes, however other options are available. Many companies offer GIS-based products for municipalities. Most often, these products are very good, but do not offer the “full package”. Through consultation the partnership has developed a system that will best meet the needs of each municipality. This “vision” of an end-product was tendered for companies to propose solutions to meet the municipal partner’s needs. The solution that has been selected is the most economical one while not sacrificing any functionality.