A GIS data access and distribution policy will establish a countywide service policy and fee structure for GIS data access and product distribution. The purpose of this policy is to address the issues related to GIS data access, product availability, distribution methods, product and service costs, and distribution procedures. This policy will apply to all GIS data available for public access in the City of Durham and Durham County.

The policy was written to ensure the City and County comply with the North Carolina Public Records Law, provide easy and flexible methods to access GIS data, and provide GIS data and products to the public with a reasonable cost. We would like to have the policy in place by July 1, 1999.

Resource Person: Michiyo K. Wagner

County Manager’s Recommendation: I am not requesting approval at this point in time. Please review this policy for input and adoption at your next Board meeting. This item is being referred to the County Attorney for any revisions that his office feels are necessary. This item is placed on your consent item just for your review and to let you know that the GIS system is now operational.

The MPO for the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro (DCHC) urbanized area includes Durham, Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Hillsborough, all of Durham County, and portions of Orange and Chatham Counties. A separate MPO includes all of Wake County and the municipalities in Wake County. The MPO serves as the forum for transportation decision-making in the urban area. Primary responsibilities of the MPO include the development of the long-range Transportation Plan and the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP).

The DCHC TAC, while supportive of sound regional planning, has expressed concern with the proposed legislation and indicated that they could not support the legislation at this time. Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and Orange County have also raised concerns. The primary concern is that the philosophy and initiatives of the DCHC MPO and smaller jurisdictions would be subsumed or diminished in the context of a regional MPO dominated by Raleigh and Wake County. Project implementation (through the TIP) and air quality conformity issues would also be affected by the creation of one MPO for the region.

The NCDOT supports the basic concept of better regional planning but has offered suggested changes to the legislation that would ensure consistency with federal legislation, ensure rational MPO boundaries, and a reasonable time frame for implementation.

Mark Ahrendsen, Transportation Manager and staff to the DCHC MPO, is available to answer questions.

County Manager’s Recommendation: Receive report and take appropriate action.