FORT WAYNE – The county will now offer its mapping data at no cost to area school corporations.
The Allen County commissioners Friday approved a new membership agreement with Fort Wayne Community Schools that will eliminate the fees the county normally charges to share mapping information, said Dave Estes, who manages the county’s geographic information systems office.
“We’ve already begun sharing information with Fort Wayne Community Schools for bus routes,” Estes said.
Similar agreements with East Allen County Schools and Southwest Allen County Schools were renewed in November after amendments eliminated all fees, Estes said. Northwest Allen County Schools does not have a membership agreement, Estes said, “although they would certainly be welcome.”
The city of New Haven and the Fort Wayne-Allen County Airport Authority also have free access to the mapping information, Estes said.
County law sets down fees for map information, Estes said, which is why the commissioners must amend agreements when those fees are eliminated.
It is also why the county has not been able to move forward with participation in the IndianaMap initiative, Estes said.
The statewide map is free to anyone, accessible on any office, home or field computer and has unlimited uses.
For maps that include land parcels, addresses, roads and jurisdiction boundaries, Allen County charges $15,000.
Eighty-six of the state’s 92 counties have contributed computerized maps to the IndianaMap initiative, with Allen County one of the six counties that has declined, Estes said.
The issue will be addressed at the next iMap board meeting March 26, Estes said, adding that a letter was recently sent to county officials asking them to consider joining the IndianaMap initiative.
