Title
A Resolution Approving an Intergovernmental Agreement for Data Sharing Services between the City of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and El Paso County, Colorado
Presenter:
Mike Herrmann, Manager, Asset Management, Colorado Springs Utilities
Jerry Forte, P.E., Chief Executive Officer, Colorado Springs Utilities
Body
Summary:
Colorado Springs Utilities (Utilities) staff requests City Council approval of a resolution approving an intergovernmental agreement for data sharing services between the City of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and El Paso County, Colorado
Previous Council Action:
N/A
Background:
Colorado Springs Utilities (Utilities) desires City Council approval of an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) between the City on behalf of Utilities and El Paso County to allow for the sharing of GIS and other similar data and to allow each party to create derivative products that incorporate the other party’s data that may be made available to the public. The proposed IGA would also terminate and effectively replace a 1998 Intergovernmental Agreement that provided for sharing of similar data on the basis that the 1998 agreement is not reflective of current technologies used by each party and is too restrictive regarding uses of the datasets. The El Paso County Commission will be considering approval of the proposed IGA at an upcoming County Commission meeting.
In 1992, Utilities licensed its GIS parcel database and related programs to El Paso County for the County’s use in automating its land ownership records and Tax Assessor maps. In 1998, the County and the City, on behalf of Utilities, entered into an Intergovernmental Agreement under which the County provided its Assessor Maps, property ownership data, and other geographical data to Utilities, and Utilities in turn made its GIS updates available to the County (the “1998 Agreement”). Under the 1998 Agreement, each party also granted a license to the other party for use of their respective GIS data for internal purposes only and went through painstaking detail to describe the types of data that would be provided by each party to the other. It is believed that the restrictive nature and level of detail included in the 1998 Agreement were partly a function of the fact that each party had put a significant effort into the development of its GIS system and wanted to protect that information.
Almost 20 years later, Utilities and the County desire to update their agreement as to sharing of GIS and other similar information to better reflect their current business needs and operations and the desire to make more information available to the public. Each party believes that sharing of this type of information helps to eliminate duplication of efforts in developing GIS and parcel information and provides a benefit to the ratepayers of Utilities and the taxpayers of the County. It should be noted that CSU does not share any Utilities customer information with El Paso County.
Primary changes between the 1998 Agreement and the proposed IGA include the following:
1. Relaxation of limitations on use of each Party’s dataset and authorization for each party to create derivative products, such as map applications, using certain categories of information identified in the IGA.
2. Updates to the types of data being exchanged and elimination of almost 235 pages of detail specifying the various data categories.
3. Relaxation on requirements related to delivery of datasets (to allow electronic instead of physical delivery).
4. Removal of the description of the history of development of the respective datasets in the 1980s and 1990s.
Financial Implications:
Updating the agreement for sharing of data and GIS information between Utilities and the County is expected to result in gaining economies of scale for both parties. No additional expenditure of funds is expected.
Board/Commission Recommendation:
N/A
Stakeholder Process:
Utilities Asset Management and legal team worked closely with the El Paso County attorney’s office and Information Technology department.
Alternatives:
Approve the attached Resolution approving the new Intergovernmental Agreement for Data Sharing Services; or do not approve the attached Resolution.
Recommended Action
Proposed Motion:
Move approval of the proposed Resolution.
Summary of Ordinance Language
N/A