James W. Sewall

Municipal Government

The Challenge

The mission of municipal government is to serve the community, with fair and equitable taxation; strategic planning and economic development; asset maintenance management; accessible social services; and responsive E911 and code enforcement. Successful delivery of these basic services—critical to the growth of the community and the welfare of its citizens—is increasingly impacted by federal budget cuts, rising energy costs, and reduced resources. Yet, in the face of such constraints, service demands have only grown. Municipal officials receive hundreds of requests daily for information on parcels, zoning, transportation, and public works. If, as is often the case, municipal information is out of date or stored in outmoded or duplicated systems across the organization, how do understaffed departments adequately inform the public and perform their jobs? How does government keep pace with a dynamic, growing community?

Geospatial Solutions

To address the challenge, Sewall assists municipal governments in integrating their map and core business information into GIS. A centralized system with a consistent, accurate base map gives municipalities the power to manage their information, maintain assets and streamline organizational workflow processes, including delivering data to the public. If the system is hosted over the web, users across departments and the public can quickly access one source for data, maps, and applications, with only a browser and Internet connection.

Sewall offers municipalities a full range of geospatial solutions, from strategic planning and needs assessment to geodatabase design, systems integration, and application development. To reduce the cost of technology entry and maintenance, we offer web hosting services, on-line applications, and the Sewall GeoPower Portal™ for the collection, distribution, and resale of municipal mapping and other data.

• GIS needs assessment and implementation planning
• New data acquisition and mapping (aerial photography; digital orthophotography; photogrammetric, parcel, addresses, infrastructure, and natural resource mapping)
• Map updating and maintenance, data conversion and integration in GIS
• Application development, including asset maintenance management
• Systems integration (CAMA, E911, AMMS)
• Web hosting and portal development

The Benefits

Through the use of geospatial solutions, government agencies can realize considerable work efficiencies, which translate to:

• Reduced duplication of tasks for improved productivity
• Access to more accurate, up-to-date information for analysis and decision making
• Fewer resources required for daily tasks; more time dedicated to mission critical
• Increased revenues through data resale
• Better public service for a vital, healthy community
• More effective government and a better informed public