Tracey Leet, GIS Manager, City of Roanoke, Virginia

It was the top choice for collaboration as it allows each locality to access their own site and download regional GIS data as needed without requesting from another locality.

Each locality created a file geodatabase to store the necessary feature classes for the project. The geodatabase was uploaded to Portal for ArcGIS for collaboration with other municipalities. A staging geo-database was populated to store the regional feature classes and an ETL tool was used to automate data migration from the locality’s source data to the staging database. The extract, transform and load (ETL) tool runs weekly and notifies managers via email if there is a problem running the tool. The ETL process begins with the creation of the target schema to be created. The existing data from each locality’s feature classes was cross-walked to the appropriate feature class and attributes in the staging geodatabase. When the ETL process is complete, a file geodatabase with all the regional feature classes is created in Portal and can be downloaded by each locality to be used in their CAD system.

Tools were also created in Portal to review data accuracy and assist with data clean up. A geo form was created for E911 staff to enter in any dispatch routing issues and a dashboard was created to view the results. A data reviewer dashboard tool was also created to show discrepancies in the data such as boundary gaps and overlaps. These tools allowed for GIS and E911 managers to visualize problem areas and develop resolutions for address data conflicts. Data accuracy was vital to the project. Throughout the project, conflict areas were identified and a plan developed for resolution.

Perhaps the greatest success of the regional GIS data-sharing project has been the increased communication between participating communities including GIS staff, public safety managers, and E911 staff. Bi-weekly conference calls were scheduled to complete the project, along with quarterly meetings to address data clean-up efforts. Next steps for the project include further testing the GIS data in each locality’s CAD system and continuing to address any data discrepancies that may arise.