GIS/GPS Mapping
Geography plays a role in many public decisions. Choosing sites, planning distribution networks, managing physical assets, responding to emergencies, redrawing boundaries, making economic development decisions, generally all city planning involves references of geography.
A Geographic Information System (GIS) integrates hardware, software, and data for capturing, managing, analyzing, and displaying all forms of geographically referenced information. GIS allows us to review, understand, question, interpret, and visualize data and collected assets in many ways that reveal relationships, patterns, and trends in the form of maps, reports and charts that communicate spatial information effectively.
The City of Higginsville is continuing the implementation of a new enterprise GIS technology information system that is now available to all city departments.
The following are some examples of the city's current use of GIS information; the asset collection and management of the electric and water distribution systems, and the sanitary sewer collection system. Other uses include; ownership parcel information, 911 addressing, zoning districts, voting wards, trash pick-up routes, parks facilities mapping, and general information such as street right of ways, subdivision layouts, and boundary definitions such as the city limits. Future enhancements will include miscellaneous easements, storm water drainage system, and city cemetery.
The City of Higginsville also uses the universal Global Positioning System (GPS) for accurately collecting (via GPS collection unit) and locating physical assets, especially buried assets. GPS is a global navigation satellite system that provides reliable and accurate positioning, navigation, and timing services to worldwide users on a continuous basis in all weather, day and night, anywhere on or near the Earth. Since it became fully operational on April 27, 1995, GPS has become a widely used aid for asset collection and navigation worldwide, and a useful tool for accurate map-making. Once assets are located using the GPS system, the collected data is loaded directly into the GIS system for recording and tracking along with desired associated information data.
Should you have questions concerning GIS/GPS/Mapping, please call City Hall at (660) 584-2106.