|
|
|
Crawford County Commissioners have decided to shelve a plan to provide laptops to Road and Bridge foremen to use with the county’s geographical information services department [GIS].
Initially, the county had started to look at heavy-duty laptops that foremen could use in relation to the county’s GIS department for mapping and road work.
First estimates from County IT Director Jim Vinze was that those laptops would cost the county upwards of $1,500 each. That prompted commissioners to seek out cheaper options.
This week, Vinze said that there are laptops available at a cost of $500-$700 each that could serve the same function.
“Those are loaded with everything they would need,” Vinze said.
However, commissioners started to rebuff the idea, citing the need for other items in the budget.
“I still would rather us focus on hauling rock for roads instead of using a laptop,” Commissioner Bob Kmiec said.
The county’s GIS department uses a system that manages data linked to a location. The department uses land surveying, geography and aerial photography for the entire county. GIS is the merging of cartography and database technology. Consumer users would likely be familiar with applications for finding driving directions, like a GPS program on their hand-held device.
Commissioners wanted to visit with Road and Bridge foremen to ensure that it would be a tool that was going to be used on a regular basis and determine just what it could be used for.
“It would be a good tool, but we have to make sure there is a good use for it,” Commissioner Ralph McGeorge said. “We also want to make sure that it is something that won’t just get thrown in the back of the truck.”
Matthew Clark can be reached at matthew.clark@morningsun.net or at 620-231-2600, Ext. 140
Crawford County Commissioners have decided to shelve a plan to provide laptops to Road and Bridge foremen to use with the county’s geographical information services department [GIS].
Initially, the county had started to look at heavy-duty laptops that foremen could use in relation to the county’s GIS department for mapping and road work.
First estimates from County IT Director Jim Vinze was that those laptops would cost the county upwards of $1,500 each. That prompted commissioners to seek out cheaper options.
This week, Vinze said that there are laptops available at a cost of $500-$700 each that could serve the same function.
“Those are loaded with everything they would need,” Vinze said.
However, commissioners started to rebuff the idea, citing the need for other items in the budget.
“I still would rather us focus on hauling rock for roads instead of using a laptop,” Commissioner Bob Kmiec said.
The county’s GIS department uses a system that manages data linked to a location. The department uses land surveying, geography and aerial photography for the entire county. GIS is the merging of cartography and database technology. Consumer users would likely be familiar with applications for finding driving directions, like a GPS program on their hand-held device.
Commissioners wanted to visit with Road and Bridge foremen to ensure that it would be a tool that was going to be used on a regular basis and determine just what it could be used for.
“It would be a good tool, but we have to make sure there is a good use for it,” Commissioner Ralph McGeorge said. “We also want to make sure that it is something that won’t just get thrown in the back of the truck.”
Matthew Clark can be reached at matthew.clark@morningsun.net or at 620-231-2600, Ext. 140
