Sugar Grove approves new technology
The Sugar Grove village board approved $20,500 Tuesday for engineering services for the development and implementation of a geographic information system technology for the village's public works department.
Under the agreement, Engineering Enterprises will convert data contained in the village's existing AutoCAD-based atlases into GIS-based datasets. The implementation will be ready by late April.
Jeff Freeman, vice president with Engineering Enterprises, said GIS is a digital file system with information on infrastructure and property which can be used for planning.
"GIS is a powerful central repository of information," Freeman said. "It contains crossover information and doesn't duplicate work. It will give village personnel one combined database."
GIS technology can store, edit, integrate, analyze, share and display geographically referenced information.
Director of Public Works Anthony Speciale said the system -- which begins with base maps provided by Kane County --will allow employees to create maps, design new projects, build and maintain infrastructure and make decisions based on information which is not out-of-date.
An example of a practical application is the repair of a broken water main. GIS can tell employees which valves should be closed and which residents are affected.
The GIS technology will be used by the public works department with the understanding that other layers of application can be added. The full development of a GIS mapping program for infrastructure is a multi-year project, Speciale said, that will be addressed in capital improvement plans.
In addition, GIS offers the potential to be used by other village departments. It is used by some police and fire departments in identifying and monitoring trends.
"It will be an ongoing effort," Village Administrator Brent Eichelberger said. "GIS can provide so much information, it can be over-whelming. It's a system that can grow and evolve as the village grows.
"The big picture is almost limitless; this step makes sense for us."