2501 Aerial Center Parkway, Suite 103, Morrisville, NC 27560 877.997.7742 PRIA Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Workgroup Work Plan http://www.pria.us
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Table of Contents Introduction and Scope... 1 Project Tasks & Deliverables... 2 LR/GIS Workshops... 2 Background Briefs on LR/GIS Integration... 5 PRIA Standard on LR/GIS Integration... 7 enewsletter, Blog, Wiki and Podcasts... 7 Develop Statewide Initiatives... 8 Thorough Documentation of Existing County Programs... 9 Schedule for the Initiative... 9 Conclusion and Invitation... 10 Glossary... 11 For More Information/References/Annotated Bibliography... 13
Introduction and Scope This document describes a work plan for the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Workgroup. This work plan is for a two to three year period and describes some of the tasks that will be undertaken. This work plan includes the following: An overview of the initiative Work plan task descriptions and deliverables A suggested work plan and schedule A glossary of terms An annotated bibliography for more background The audience for this work plan is PRIA members and others interested in this initiative, many of whom have already provided valuable input. Thank you for your interest and assistance. This work plan describes the proposed work product of the GIS Workgroup. The workgroup has named its project the Land Records/GIS Integration Initiative ( Initiative ) to emphasize the land records perspective and the role of Recorders.1 These public officials need to recognize their importance in the scheme of a fully integrated Land Records/GIS (LR/GIS) system. The GIS focused participants have much to learn about land records as well. While the work plan will evolve, this document defines the scope of this initiative. 1 In the United States, land document recording may take place at the State, City, Town, County, Borough, or Parish level. Depending on the jurisdiction, the Office of the Recorder may also be known as Recorder of Deeds, Registrar-General, Register of Deeds, Registrar of Deeds, Registrar of Titles, Deeds Registry, Auditor, or Deeds Office. In some states, the recording function is part of the county clerk s responsibilities. Throughout this paper, the term utilized for this role will simply be Recorder.
PRIA GIS Workgroup Work Plan 2 LR/GIS Workshops Project Tasks & Deliverables A full one-day workshop, or multiple, half-day workshops will be developed to fully educate and develop the concept and definition of LR/GIS integration. The workshop could be presented at PRIA venues and may be appropriate for the Property Records Education Partners (PREP) gatherings and other regional or statewide meetings of Recorders and the GIS community. The following table describes possible workshop content. Content is grouped into sections that may be presented independently or selected in different combinations to create a variety of half-day workshops. PRIA LR/GIS Integration Workshop: Suggested Content, Scope and Format Table 1 Content Notes, Example Content Workshop Format Overview Modern Recorder s Office Trends, differences, needs, issues, roles, audience/users. This section could be skipped if audience is Recorder. Especially important for GIS folks since many are unfamiliar with functions and issues. Not all documents relate to real property. Torrens differences. Introductio n (especially for GIS audiences) (30-45 Overview GIS Historical overview Common denominators, only some are geographic Background, definitions, trends, issues, users. This section should be given to all, since there are still some key concepts many GIS programs still miss. Examples from various counties, states, early work, past studies, lessons learned Document types, mappable things, people, timeframes, not everything is mapped in GIS. Introductio n(especially for Recorder audiences) (30-45 In various formats (30-45 (15-20
PRIA GIS Workgroup Work Plan 3 Land record modernization a larger context Applications and Uses Why timing is good for integration 12 steps described, beyond erecording, beyond LR/GIS integration Highlight sample applications and uses/benefits of LR/GIS integration. Have available via PRIA website. Why integration is so powerful accuracy of records, roles, responsibilities, strong revenue possibilities. (20 (20-30 (15 Recorded documents used by GIS staff Keys and identifiers Digital formats Operationalizing LR/GIS integration Workflow examples, discussion Legal descriptions, coordinates, common references, short legals, size, owners names, indices used, etc. People s names, et als, situs/mailing addresses, Parcel Identifiers (PIs), Uniform Parcel Identifiers (UPIs), Grid Parcel Identification Numbers (GPINs). Is it the same property? Domain table uses TIFF, ASCII, Pixels, Vectors-- uses, data sharing, conversions, human readable, digital security issues. Pixels--imagery, aerial photography, streetscape views. Deeds, map, tax records, coordinates, cover sheets Stress economies of scale and efficiency improvements. Separately elected officials working together for the public good. (20-30 (30-45 (45-60 (45 (45-60 Time slices and mismatches Public Land Survey System (PLSS) versus 13 Colonies Role of Legal Descriptions Graphic examples of mismatches and need to synchronize. Easements, pipelines, etc. Legal descriptions, monuments, and coordinates. Use in recorded documents, errors in, prepared by? Role of surveyors versus title preparers, title insurance. (30 (30 (60 Other interested parties 911, addressing, Computer-Assisted Mass Appraisal Systems (CAMA), municipalities, school districts, title searchers, surveyors, real estate interests, (15-20
PRIA GIS Workgroup Work Plan 4 Chain of title, title searching public roles and responsibilities. Indices, other searchable indices, surrogates, grantor/grantee, role and responsibility of the Recorder. (60 Integration options Implementation steps, risks to avoid Revenue possibilities, ROI, funding Data issues, privacy, data dissemination Undertaking a state initiative Enabling Legislation Case studies, state initiatives Federal Perspective, International examples (where applicable) Automation alternatives, examples, extensive technical detail, more system/vendor specific examples. (30-45 Hints and how-to information, what to avoid. (30-45 Pro-forma details, calculating the revenue streams. Spreadsheet model developed for ease of revenue calculations. (20-30 User charges, selling GIS data, UPI charges, etc. (30-45 Steps, support, models, working with local groups. (30-45 State examples, local ordinances to be included. (30-45 Needed or not? Virginia, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, (45-60 Arkansas, past history of LR/GIS integration attempts. Cadastral databases and coordination efforts. Congressional Research Service, summarize. (30-45 State Plane Coordinates Monuments referenced in legal descriptions. Advanced content The segments, while appropriate for independent presentation or combining for half-day workshops, could also be produced as podcasts, webinars, or briefings. There is enough material for three to four half-day workshops. The workshops can be used to generate statewide interest in LR/GIS. The workshops and Initiative could be a catalyst to improve land records efforts state-by-state. Several states have already been identified as possible Initiative and demonstration sites Virginia,
PRIA GIS Workgroup Work Plan 5 Pennsylvania, Arkansas, Iowa, Oregon, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Florida, among others. The workshops are also an excellent opportunity to work closely with the local PREP groups to build local momentum. It is expected that the workshops and other materials may be especially useful for the GIS community at large through groups like Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA) and other organizations, especially at the state level. An URISA liaison opportunity is also being discussed. There does seem to be interest to interface and liaise with other organizations such as the International Federation of Surveyors (FIG) and the International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO) regarding LR/GIS integration. PRIA has a history of success developing alliance partnerships that provide value between PRIA and the partner organization. Workshop materials should be professional and complete, and should be available only to workshop attendees. A glossary and bibliography should always be included as part of the workshop materials. Briefs of some of the workshop segments can also be distributed to attendees, as they become available. A charge for workshop attendance or sponsorship would also be useful to defer costs (instructor travel, printing, etc.). A second edition of the workshop may be appropriate following several workshop engagements, and should be updated to reflect feedback from attendees. In time, state specific standards and practices can be included, especially via local workshop instructors. New workshop materials should be added on an ongoing basis to keep content fresh. It is expected that some of the workshop instructors will come from the GIS Workgroup itself, others may represent alliance partners. A workshop was presented during PRIA s 2011 Winter Symposium. Possible future venues include the URISA/IAAO s GIS/CAMA conference and the URISA conference in the fall. Some state venues are also being examined for possible workshop/session delivery. Background Briefs on LR/GIS Integration 2 Briefing papers are a useful tool to provide baseline information regarding various Land Record/GIS integration topics. These documents should be professionally prepared and produced and disseminated in electronic format to save costs and speed distribution. Webbased dissemination can also generate speedy recognition and visibility for PRIA. Multiple 2 On March 8-11, 2010, in Little Rock, AR a paper was presented at the joint URISA/IAAO GIS/CAMA conference titled The Land Record Front-end Essential to GIS and CAMA Workflows, In That Order.
PRIA GIS Workgroup Work Plan 6 briefs are envisioned which will be complementary and mutually supportive. A short history brief would prove useful so past forays into integration and lessons learned from those efforts can be described. A glossary and an annotated bibliography will also be developed. Graphics and sidebars should be used liberally to encourage browsing and understanding key concepts. Separate background briefs regarding details on legal description handling and time slice issues may prove useful to the audience. The briefs may be the forerunners of a PRIA standard dealing with land records and GIS integration. The PRIA standards are precedentsetting in their ability to gain people s attention. Their ability to help standardize data format and exchange in vendor supplied systems allows local governments to take advantage of new trends rather than having to push for new features in a future software release. A separate brief on the revenue generation possibilities of LR/GIS integration may also be well received. In these recessionary times, most government officials are looking for new, constructive ways to generate revenues. Powerful and useful new products can be made available to real estate interests, the title community, the public, and other private sector commercial decision makers that can generate additional revenue streams. Care should be exercised regarding any negative impacts on existing revenue or fee generation programs at the local level. Possible topics for briefs are mentioned below in Table 2. PRIA Briefs Suggested For LR/GIS Integration Table 2 Brief Topic Revenue Implications Overview of LR/GIS Integration Keys and Identifiers, PINs, UPIs State Initiatives Time Slice Mapping Twelve Steps of Land Records Modernization Content Ideas Amounts, specifics, pro forma spreadsheet for calculating estimated revenues Overview/synopsis of initiative Formats, issues, lessons learned Cookbook for undertaking, legislators, committees, example legislation, etc. Keeping maps and documents synchronized over time Covering the larger spectrum of modernization, not just LR/GIS Integration
PRIA GIS Workgroup Work Plan 7 PRIA Standard on LR/GIS Integration Based on the briefs and feedback from the workshops, a PRIA standard for LR/GIS Integration is also anticipated. The standard will be of great help to GIS professionals who would like to plan ahead for land record interfaces; to the Recorders as they examine other automation options; and to IT staff to better understand automation integration interfaces. The standard should prove to be quite useful to the land records vendors as they work to improve their software offerings. The standard will include best practices recommendations along with appropriate XML vocabulary to facilitate the integration of land records and GIS data. Implementation options with maximum flexibility are needed since key Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) software will need to be interfaced with local home grown automation and GIS applications. The standard should include these topics at a minimum: Basic glossary of key terms and definitions Discussion regarding keys and common data elements Discussion of data formats and interchange options, i.e. TIFF, JPEG, Pixels, Vectors Typical workflow descriptions and workflow intersections Functional/departmental tasks, responsibilities, staffing, procedures Changing workflow options and improvements Unique identifiers described Context of State and Federal initiatives Functionality requirements for integration options Indexing impacts, chain of title considerations Functionality requirements for map/record display of UPI/PINs Instrument (deed) modifications for verification, indexing and recording by UPI/PINs Real property record types affected by integration with GIS. enewsletter, Blog, Wiki and Podcasts A Questions and Answers FAQ document has been written and will be available for publication in a variety of formats. A second FAQ document has also been initiated. Others could appear thereafter to continue to generate interest and educate the membership. Podcasts prepared from some of the workshop sections could generate interest and be useful to PRIA members. An ongoing blog might also be useful to communicate to the membership progress on the initiative, upcoming workshop dates and the publication of
PRIA GIS Workgroup Work Plan 8 new briefs. A moderated YAHOO type digital community might also allow for an on-line Question and Answer session, to allow for sharing and joint problem solving within a 24- hour turn-around. Webinars from the workshop would also be useful. The goal is to provide timely information in an easy to disseminate format, at low cost, while helping to highlight PRIA s publications and standards. The possibility of Wiki content is also being considered for wide distribution of PRIA developed content. An early Internet component of the PRIA work allows for early www recognition with its maximum dissemination potential. A Wiki glossary format has also been suggested. Develop Statewide Initiatives As mentioned above in the workshop section, the development and support of several statewide LR/GIS initiatives would be useful in supporting groups of local officials who are willing to support a specific initiative in their state or region. Such statewide initiatives could provide content for local PREP chapters. A statewide initiative might include the following: Identify interested parties of influence, at the state level, willing to assist the initiative Use local PREP interests for presentations and workshop offerings Use GIS interest and state organizations to coordinate efforts Identify possible state legislative concerns willing to sponsor enabling legislation, as needed Work with key vendors who have a substantial client base in that state Attend state conferences to describe the initiative Educate other interest groups like surveyors, E-911, Assessment, Real Estate parties, Solicitors, etc. Use the workshop to generate state interest and momentum Identify possible demonstration project sites Identify interested vendors (land records and GIS) to support PRIA and state standards. Possible statewide initiatives might be in Florida (strong GIS interest), Arkansas, Kansas (ESRI resources locally), Pennsylvania (successful UPI program), Iowa, Oregon, Minnesota (PRIA members), Virginia (track record of statewide Recorder/IT planning with GIS) and Wisconsin (long history of statewide record improvements via WLIA). A brief document is planned to describe the implementation of a state initiative.
PRIA GIS Workgroup Work Plan 9 A parallel, Federal focus is also warranted, given such initiatives as National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI), Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC), property foreclosure reporting, financial reform, 2010 Census and a multitude of property specific programs (e.g. FEMA floodplain mapping), natural disaster/incident management, redlining, etc 3. Thorough Documentation of Existing County Programs Using a case study approach, successful local projects that have accomplished LR/GIS integration should be documented and shared. Some programs can be documented immediately. Other counties may prove to be good demonstration projects that would allow for case study preparation. A Lessons Learned format would be especially useful for the reader. Documenting what did not work is as valuable as describing what did work. This helps highlight and recognize those counties that have been early adopters of LR/GIS integration. Schedule for the Initiative A two to three year planning horizon will be used to manage the initiative. This horizon is good since it is hoped that the initiative will take hold and continue to progress following this initial effort. Using the tasks mentioned above, a simple Gantt chart (below) will be used to describe the phasing and level of effort of each of the tasks. This schedule should be updated on a regular basis to coincide with PRIA s ongoing strategic planning efforts. 3 Issues Regarding a National Land Parcel Database, July 22, 2009 by Peter Folger, Congressional Research Service.
PRIA GIS Workgroup Work Plan 10 PRIA Land Record/GIS Integration Initiative Proposed Schedule ID Task Name 2010 2011 2012 Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 1 Workshop Development 2 Workshop Delivery 3 Case Study Documentation 4 Questions & Answers 5 Poscasts Wikis & enews 6 PRIA Standards Development 7 Statewide Initiative Development Conclusion and Invitation This document describes PRIA s proposed work product of the GIS Workgroup, the LR/GIS Integration Initiative. The task descriptions and the scheduling are intended to encourage comments and ideas. These work plan tasks are mutually supportive and can collectively drive the Initiative forward. Multiple tasks can be undertaken concurrently, allowing for adequate momentum building. You are invited to join the GIS Workgroup and participate in the Initiative. Let us know what you like and what you think. Let us know what you would like to be involved with. The workgroup participants appreciate your interest and encouragement and are ready to get started!
PRIA GIS Workgroup Work Plan 11 Glossary CAMA Computer Assisted Mass Appraisal Systems automated systems for property appraisers used for valuation. Cover Sheet Used in some jurisdictions to collect consistent document details on the first sheet of the document submission. FIG International Federation of Surveyors an international, non-government professional group whose purpose is to support collaboration for the progress of surveying in its many application areas. IAAO International Association of Assessing Officers professional association of land assessment and valuation professionals. Legal descriptions text descriptions of real property boundaries. Mailing Address the address used for U.S. mail service delivery. May be different from the situs or location address. Monuments physical locations related to a property that have a certain permanence attached to them regarding the legal description and boundaries of the property. Monuments are often referenced in legal descriptions and are used in mapping. PIN Parcel Identification Number a numeric or alpha-numeric key or identifier used to identify a specific parcel of real property. Note that multiple formats may exist of the one identifier due to various computing system implementations and staff utilization/interpretations. Pixels picture elements associated with a scanned image or document or a picture or (aerial) photograph in a GIS context. Situs Address the location or place address of a property, house, business or residence, as distinct from the mailing address. State Plane Coordinates SPC used in most GIS formats for simplified mapping onto a planar coordinate system usually defined for a large portion of a State. Each county is normally in only one SPC system. GIS easy calculates from SPC to other projections or to latitude and longitude.
PRIA GIS Workgroup Work Plan 12 Time slice implies that older, yet valid UPI numbers and the maps they represent are available in a repository format and available. Older legal descriptions, maps and UPI numbers need to be searchable as they are valid in a chain of title sense. Twelve Steps of Land Record Modernization a global view of all of the activities of a modern Recorder s Office to provide new and better methods for storing, accessing and using land records by a local government official and its partners. LR/GIS integration can be viewed as four or five of these steps. UPI Uniform (or Universal) Property (or Parcel) Identification Number shared identifier that can represent a full legal description. Implies that the map, the legal description, and the UPI number are synchronized over time. A common identifier that can be used by multiple agencies/departments/governments to identify real property by referencing map features, deeds, or other documents. Can become a new index field for recording and searching for documents. UPIs can also allow for chain of title searches for reliable parent/child linking. Vectors graphic elements normally drawn from end-points with points of change described along the boundary, usually representing boundaries of a parcel, deed, right-ofway or legal description.
PRIA GIS Workgroup Work Plan 13 For More Information/References/Annotated Bibliography Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts by Will Richardson, Corwin, 2010, 171 pages. While written primarily for an education audience it contains current and timely material useful to a broad audience. GIS Guidelines for Assessors, second edition, joint publication by URISA and IAAO, 1999, 77 pages. Issues Regarding a National Land Parcel Database, by Congressional Research Service, Peter Folger, July 22, 2009, 12 pages. Land Parcel Identifiers for Information Systems, by the American Bar Foundation by David Moyer and Kenneth Paul Fisher, 1973, 352+ pages FEMA, June 2002, 62 pages. One of the earliest works that delved into topics such as information system integration and uniform and unique parcel identifiers. The Land Record Front-end Essential to GIS and CAMA Workflows, In That Order, presentation given at the URISA/IAAO GIS/CAMA Conference in Little Rock, AR, March 8-11, 2010. Need for a Multipurpose Cadastre, National Academy Press, Washington, DC, 1980. 112 pages.