MORGANTOWN — The GIS (geographic information system) offices of Monongalia County, Morgantown and the Morgantown Utility Board want to make some MMAGIC.
MMAGIC, short for Monongalia Morgantown Area Geospatial Consortium, would be the name given to a cost-and-data-sharing group initially comprised of the city, county and MUB, but ultimately open to all agencies, public or private.
MUB GIS Manager Taryn Moser, Monongalia County GIS and Floodplain Coordinator Mike Paugh and Morgantown GIS Coordinator Marvin Davis have been working behind the scenes for more than a year, but recently began making the pitch to their various policy-making bodies.
“We would retain our own separate identities, budgets and the oversight and approval of these governing bodies,” Moser explained to members of the MUB Board of Directors. “But it allows for the purchase of these big data sets, whereas if we had to do it out of just one budget, it would be really difficult for us.”
GIS uses aerial photography, as well as computer software, to analyze, manipulate, manage and present geographical information.
For example, Monongalia County has had aerial photography flown since 2015 at a cost of $18,500 annually. Add tax parcel and addressing maps over the photography and you have a base map for the county.
From there, any number of overlays can be created, from bus routes to sewer lines to flood plains.
County GIS information first went online for public consumption at ags.agdmaps.com/wv/mon/ in the summer of 2016 — about seven years after Paugh began pushing the technology at the county level.
He organized a geospatial committee in 2010. MMAGIC, he said, is a logical continuation of that effort.
“What we came to find out when Marvin and Taryn took their roles, respectively, for their agencies, is that the utility board, the city of Morgantown and Monongalia County are the base mapping agencies,” Paugh said. “We’re trying to look at not duplicating efforts. Not having different databases out there or projects where we’re all purchasing the same things but manipulating the data in our own way … All these agencies stand alone, but we’re working together in cost-sharing and data-sharing so we’re all splitting the costs evenly.”
While the consortium isn’t yet official, Moser said the trio have already zoomed in on an initial project — LiDAR (light detection and ranging) imagery, which would provide detailed contour information.
She said the existing contour data available for the county was taken in 2010.
“Think about the amount of development we’ve had going on,” Moser said. “When you look at this data, it’s very outdated. It’s hard to make decisions with that.”
According to information provided by Morgantown Communications Director Andrew Stacy, the LiDAR project is more than $60,000. The city budgeted $15,625 with the anticipation of having MMAGIC in place.
Morgantown City Council has the memorandum of agreement creating MMAGIC on its Nov. 16 agenda. Paugh said he’s working on getting some additional information to the Monongalia County Commission.
Members of the MUB Board said they would like additional time, as well as the benefit of hearing the topic considered at the city and county level, before casting a vote.
TWEET @DominionPostWV
