North Webster Town Council tabled a decision on acquiring a geographic information system (GIS) for the town during their meeting Tuesday.
Inframark Utilities Manager Jayne Alger said she was contacted by Craig Novak, account executive for iamGIS based out of Indianapolis, who asked her if the town had a GIS system and she said no.
Novak addressed the Council during their meeting, explaining how the town could use the system and answering questions.
iamGIS is primarily a software company, dealing with GIS, digital mapping, asset management software, Novak said. What that means is the company will be able to take the town’s paper maps and digitize them. Users can not only view it, but also change it as well.
It will be up to the town as to who is able to use the maps and what they can change on them, Novak said.
It’s going to be a dynamic map the town is going to update, especially Alger, as it’s primarily for the sanitation department, Novak said. Users can make work orders, schedule maintenance orders and track the changes and orders done. Over time, the town can track things like what orders were done and how much it cost.
Other departments can use them, Novak said. One example he gave was the fire department can use the maps to keep track of where all the town’s hydrants are.
For $3,000 a year, Novak said the town gets unlimited licenses and users, digital media storage and customer service.
The initial cost would be $8,000 for the first year and then if the town signs a three-year agreement, it would be $3,000 a year after that, Novak said.
Councilman David Waliczek asked if the town can look into it a bit more.
In other business, the Council also approved a request from Police Chief Greg Church for new car computers for the department’s squad cars.
The current computers are over six years old and the police department is starting to have issues with them. The operating system on the computers is starting to become outdated, Church said.
The department has one new computer, which is the same the sheriff’s office uses, and it works well, he said.
To equip the other four cars with the Dell Rugged Tablets, the actual computers will cost $10,558.20. There will be other equipment, which will bring the cost up to about $11,000 to equip all four cars. Church said Clerk-Treasurer Betsy Luce said the money can come out of the CARES Act fund the town received from the state.
In other business, the Council:
• Approved the bid from Niblock Excavating & Asphalt, Columbia City, for street paving for $120,698. Alger said she hopes they can start the work in the next week or two.
Streets to be paved include Washington Street from Blaine Street to Ind. 13; the intersection of Blaine and Himes streets; Dixie Drive from the intersection of Dixie Drive and Effie Mae Street to EMSW 31; North Street from East Street west 240 feet; Stanley Street from Governors Alley to First Street; Second Street from Stanley Street to Fourth Street; Fourth Street from the intersection of Fourth and Fifth streets to Ind. 13; and Linda Lane Alley from Huntington to Washington streets.
• Approved a bid for $15,800 from SiteWorks for some driveway work at one of the utility plants, digging up fire pits and replacing a storm sewer on Second Street.
• Learned the police department is still looking for applicants to fill police officer positions.
• Decided the next meeting will be at 6 p.m. April 27.
