2021.03.08 Council Agenda 11
Summary
Order regarding a supplemental appropriation for $30,000 for the procurement of orthoimagery for the Town from the four Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District fund balances.
A public comment period will be included with this item (3 minutes).
ACTION: Council action is anticipated.
Description
Background
The Maine Library of Geographic Information GIS facilitates and coordinates the development of local government aerial photography. The Town of Falmouth last participated in this program in 2017. Participating in this program provides the Town with lower acquisition costs for all imagery resolutions and greater horizontal accuracies. The economies of scale and contract management savings of this program are passed through by the State to the participating municipalities.
Proposed orthoimagery project
Staff was notified this week that the State plans to do an orthoimagery flyover for Cumberland and York County in spring 2021. It sent out an inquiry on March 3, 2021 to gauge the interest of the municipalities in this region to participate in this with a sign-up deadline of March 15, 2021.
Staff recommends that the Town again participates in this program. Having up-to-date and accurate aerial imagery is essential for the Town in updating its GIS system. This project will provide benefits for parcel mapping, land planning and zoning, emergency management, surveying and mapping, permitting, economic development, site analysis, and natural resource inventories. As the Town is planning to update its 2013 Comprehensive Plan in the near future, it is important that all supporting data for that project is as current as possible.
Estimated project costs, including a buy-up for greater resolution, digital files, and processing costs, are estimated at $30,000. Proposed sources of the requested funding are equal shares from the Town's four TIF districts ($7,500 each district). The TIF funding source and approach is identical to, and consistent with, the funding for annual updates of the Town's GIS system.
Requested action
The Council is asked to consider approving an order for supplemental appropriation for $30,000 for orthoimagery acquisition payable in equal shares from the Town's four TIF districts.
Attachments
- Order 65-2021
- March 3, 2021 e-mail from the Maine Library of Geographic Information (as forwarded by GPCOG)
- March 4, 2021 follow-up e-mail from Maine Library of Geographic Information to Town of Falmouth
- Orthoimagery program overview from the Maine Library of Geographic Information
