How many inspections does PDS staff pursue in a month? How long does it take to get a permit? How many phone calls did staff handle last month? How large is PDS’ total collection of GIS data? How many code enforcement cases is staff handling currently?

Staff gathered the answers to these and dozens of similar questions over the past 12 months. The collection of these data will become the base data in a new program being called PDS by the Numbers.

“It’s difficult at times for people to comprehend all the activities that our staff handles on an ongoing basis,” said Dennis Gordon, FAICP, Executive Director. “Even for those who understand our responsibilities, it’s sometimes tough to realize how quickly work numbers grow when you don’t experience them on a day-to-day basis. These situations are the reason we’re initiating PDS by the Numbers.”

Gordon names Kenton County Commissioner Joe Nienaber the catalyst for the new program.

“As a member of the PDS Council—our oversight body, Joe frequently asks about numbers of permits, processing time, customers served, and the list goes on,” according to Gordon. “We usually have answers to his questions, or at least are able to get them, but they prompted me to consider gathering those data on a more routine basis. Publishing them just adds to our transparency.”

Gordon approached PDS’ GIS programmers with some of these data earlier this year. He asked them for an effective way to present the information in an interesting way, one that would catch attention and allow for some level of interaction.

“Christy (Powell) and Joe (Busemeyer) provided me with a template in pretty short order,” said Gordon.

PDS by the Numbers’ 2016 data will appear on the agency’s website sometime in January; new numbers will be added on a monthly basis. The interactive display will provide visitors with an overview of the most important of 89 criteria gathered by staff on a monthly basis. As the program moves forward, current data will be portrayed in comparison with last year’s activities as an indicator of staff’s workload.

“At first the effort it took to collect these numbers was a bit tedious, more about remembering to do it than anything else. Once everyone made it a part of his or her routines, it became second nature,” said Gordon.

He concluded by suggesting that some of the numbers are going to surprise people.

The LINK-GIS website, linkgis.org, has an updated look and feel. Streamlined, sleek and easy-to-use were goals accomplished with this latest overhaul of the popular geographic resource.

PDS staff rolled out a new public-facing website earlier this month. It replaces a website that had been in place since 2010.

After sifting through thousands of website templates, staff chose a template best suited for the project. Building a website from scratch is not easy. The months following the template selection were filled with configuring pages and customizing code, allowing the new website to provide the public with services only LINK-GIS can offer.

“Most of the talent needed to design, build, and execute the website was found in-house, said Trisha Brush, GISP, PDS’ GIS director. “Our programming team did have some assistance from our friends at Esri when it came to the clip, zip and ship to your inbox widget.”

Clip, zip, and ship is a function of the new website that allows remote customers to identify data they want, to clip and zip it as a file, to pay for it with PayPal, and to get it emailed to them; all without having to contact anyone at PDS.

 “The Esri professional services team helped us convert our data-purchase tool from the older mobile incompatible platform to the up-to-date version that will work on any device,” said Christy Powell, GISP, a senior GIS programmer with PDS. “They also helped us secure the clip, zip, and ship service against unauthorized downloads.”

Over 50 pages of data were added, along with links to LINK-GIS map viewers, NKYmapLAB journal entries, and LINK-GIS partner websites.

“Even though we added more content, we’ve heard from users that the site is easier to navigate,” reported principal GIS programmer Joe Busemeyer, GISP. “Finally, the Store component was customized, allowing users to purchase and download map and data products 24/7—even during hours that PDS GIS team members are not available for service.”

Powell and Busemeyer suggest viewers explore the new LINK-GIS by:
•    clicking on the Map Viewer and searching for an address, owner name, or PIDN, directly from the LINK-GIS website homepage;
•    learning about NKYmapLAB and how geospatial technology is used to educate Northern Kentucky on a variety of topics about the community;
•    shopping for digital data on a county-wide level or choose a specific area by selecting tiles to clip, zip and ship the data directly to your in-box;
•    browsing the map gallery to find dozens of pre-existing maps, which can easily be downloaded for free or requesting a printed copy for pick up or delivery for a nominal fee.

Questions about the new LINK-GIS website can be forwarded to the GIS staff at 859.331.8980.

Dozens of people across Northern Kentucky use the LINK-GIS map viewer on a daily basis for business or personal applications. With the system’s new release, users can now access the viewer’s interactive maps on their mobile devices.

“I have to tell you that I don’t know that I’d be able to do half of what I do without LINK-GIS,” said Seth Cutter of the Campbell County Fiscal Court. “It’s a great resource, and the latest release is terrific!”

The newest release of the map viewer has a similar look and feel as the previous version, but with even easier access to mapping information. This easier access to data means the functionality of the map viewer has changed in a few areas. To make users aware of the changes and how to interact with the map viewer on their mobile devices, LINK-GIS staff literally took the mobile map viewer on the road.

The road trip began with a visit to the Campbell County Fiscal Court chambers, where attendees included administrators from Campbell County Public Works, Planning and Zoning, and the Fiscal Court as well as the Cities of Alexandria and Cold Spring. Christy Powell, GISP, Senior GIS Programmer and Joe Busemeyer, GISP, Principal GIS Programmer, showcased the capabilities of the new map viewer for over two hours.

The session allowed attendees to interact with the map viewer, ask questions, and engage in conversation with the Powell and Busemeyer who developed the new map viewer.

The map viewer was received well by Luke Mantle who is director of Campbell County Public Works. “I use the map viewer eight to ten times a day.”

The road trip continued on to the City of Covington, where Powell and Busemeyer showcased the map viewer for several of Covington’s administrators—from Public Works, Urban Forestry, Zoning, and Code Enforcement. Covington officials were very excited with the new map viewer.

As Jessica Moss of the city stated, “As the City of Covington moves toward mobile implementation, the LINK-GIS map viewer has become increasingly beneficial to city workers, both out in the field and in the office.”

She added, “Recently we provided many city staff with iOS devices for work phones, and the improved JavaScript map viewer allows our employees to work more efficiently and effectively thanks to having such a great resource in the palms of their hands.”

The road trip concluded with a visit to Thomas More College. Students from ecology and environmental science attended an afternoon session showcasing the new map viewer. More than 20 students spent two hours with the developers and asked a variety of questions about data and applications.

If you would be interested in having PDS’s website developers speak to your group, please contact the PDS office.