Polk County GIS Department staff Rick Thompson and Nathan Smith have received a prestigious technology industry award recognizing their innovative use of geographic information systems (GIS).
Thompson and Smith received the Esri Special Achievement in GIS (SAG) Award this week at the 2022 Esri International User Conference in San Diego, CA. Esri is the global market leader in geographic information systems (GIS) technology used by almost all local governments across the US. Esri software is used for mapping and spatial analysis, helping counties share information with residents and providing “location intelligence” to accomplish tasks in areas such as property assessment, public works, emergency management, and elections.
Polk County’s GIS Department has been a leader in the use of GIS technology amongst local governments – particularly smaller governments – for decades.
The county pioneered the use of a GIS-based “hub” to help ensure fair property assessment with its “Equitable Property Value Hub” (Equitable Property Value | Polk County, Minnesota (arcgis.com)).
The county uses this same technology to share county road information with its “Roads and Highways Hub” (Roads and Highways | Polk County, Minnesota (arcgis.com)).
The public can find or request a rural address with the “Addressing Hub” (Addressing | Polk County, Minnesota (arcgis.com)).
Local voting locations and information can be found with the “Promoting Transparent Elections Hub” (Promoting Transparent Elections | Polk County, Minnesota (arcgis.com)).
Sharing free public data, tools, and resources has become very easy with the “Open Data Portal Hub” (Open Data Portal | Polk County | Minnesota (arcgis.com)).
Rick Thompson, a GIS Coordinator for Polk County, has continually expanded the county’s GIS program to improve the efficiency of many processes that are vital to its daily operations and ensure residents can find important information easily, without having to call or visit county offices. This accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic when remote services were widely implemented as an alternative to close contact in an office.
Thompson, along with GIS Specialist Nathan Smith, received the award at a ceremony in San Diego, Wednesday, July 13. They were joined by team members from Pro-West & Associates, a GIS services business based in Walker, MN, that collaborates with the county to help achieve its GIS goals.
Thompson commented:
“We are very thankful to receive this award from Esri, recognizing not just the work of the county but our community, which is embracing the benefits of GIS technology to enhance our daily lives. Polk County is a great place to live, and seeing it represented on an international stage is a great accomplishment.”
“GIS has become a vital technology for Polk County staff and residents. It makes us more efficient as an organization, which benefits taxpayers, and allows us to spend more time focusing on work that moves our community forward and brings value to our residents.”
“County residents can find a wealth of information at their fingertips using GIS tools. They are using the technology to find comparable sale prices for properties in their desired area or see where road closures might affect their commute. Staff can use it to track zebra mussel infestations at public water access points or find information about roads during the survey process when planning construction projects. The list goes on.”
Visit Polk County’s Geospatial Hub: Polk County Hub (arcgis.com)
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