Responsibilities

The GIS Coordinator is appointed by the Brown County Commission and is responsible for educating and assisting other departments, individuals, and governments in the development and application of geographical technology. The position, by its very nature, requires the individual to "coordinate" data sharing between departments/agencies.  The coordinator also generates maps and reports and plans meetings.

Many departments and levels of government are relying on GIS technology in increasing amounts.  It is the responsibility of the GIS Coordinator to provide innovative, cutting-edge solutions, accurate information and timely assistance.

What is GIS?

Geography is information about the earth's surface (topography, soil, climate) and the objects found on it (people, structures, vegetation).  It provides a framework for organizing knowledge.  The common element among geographic features is that each has a specific spatial component – that is, a specific location on the earth’s surface.

Spatial data shows the location, shape and relationships between features on the earth’s surface.  A Geographic Information System (GIS) is a technology that manages, analyzes, and disseminates geographic spatial knowledge.  GIS links location to information (such as people to addresses, buildings to parcels, or streets within a network) and layers that information to give you a better understanding of how it all interrelates.  You choose the layers you want to combine based on your purpose and needs.

It has been estimated that as much as 90% of the information that County government deals with is spatial in nature.  Almost every document contains at least one spatial reference to a specific geographic location.  Geography and GIS offer a very powerful way of both storing and searching through information, combining text search and geographic search to allow analysts and decision-makers to find and see relevant information faster…

GIS-derived maps and the ‘layering’ of data:
(DISCLAIMER: the following maps are not intended for download or use in analysis or planning – they are provided merely as examples of the use of GIS for mapping applications.  The data used to produce each map has not yet been verified to be accurate and worthy of publication).