The County and Minor Civil Division (MCD)
boundaries datasets can be downloaded directly from the DataFinder website.
Please see the
County/MCD metadata for more details.
This dataset meets one of the MetroGIS
community's common information needs. Click on the information need below to
learn more about it, or to find out more about common information needs in
general, please see the About Information
Needs page.
MetroGIS's Business Information Needs
Process calls for each
regional custodian and MetroGIS to
co-sponsor Data User Forums on a reoccurring basis for each endorsed regional
dataset. The frequency of the forums is determined by MetroGIS. The purpose of
these forums is to monitor user satisfaction and identify desired or needed
enhancements to the regional data solutions, insuring they continue to address
the needs of the MetroGIS community. The history of these forums for this
dataset is as follows:
- No forums have been held to date.
A Jurisdictional Boundaries Peer Review Forum
was held on June 2, 1997. The participants concluded that "jurisdictional
boundaries" means the boundaries of local government entities that possess
taxing authority: cities, counties, school and watershed districts. They also
identified general desired data specifications for the boundary data pertaining
to each of these entities. Refer to the
Forum
summary (Turnaround Document) for more information about the participants,
process and conclusions.
Subsequently, Washington County, through its
Jurisdictional Boundaries Pilot Project (funded through its
GIS Data and Cost Sharing
Agreement with the Metropolitan Council): a) refined the general data
specifications identified at the Peer Review Forum, b) identified roles and
responsibilities necessary to build and maintain the primary source data and
assemble the primary source data into a regional dataset, and c) identified
organizations with a business need and appropriate expertise to serve as the
primary producer(s) and regional custodian(s).
In May 1998, the Policy Board endorsed, as
regional policy, the conclusions of Washington County's pilot project
pertaining to: a) data specifications for the regional dataset, b) appointment
of the Metropolitan Council as the regional dataset custodian and the seven
counties as the primary data producers, and c) roles and responsibilities for
the regional custodian. The Policy Board also endorsed a policy that that the
Metropolitan Council could share the regional dataset, without fee or
licensure, with other government organizations that serve the Minneapolis-St.
Paul Metro Area. Each of the seven counties concurred with this policy.
On October 27, 1999, the Policy Board endorsed
data capture and maintenance
guidelines for counties, when serving in their roles as primary producer of
jurisdictional boundary dataset that is incorporated into regional MCD/County
Jurisdictional Boundary Dataset. These guidelines were developed and tested by Washington County as
part of their pilot project assisted by funds received from their GIS Data and
Cost Sharing Agreement with the Metropolitan Council.
In January 2001, the Policy Board concurred that
the regionally endorsed MCD/County Jurisdictional Boundary Dataset should be
made available to any entity that wants access without fee or licensure.
Subsequently, each county submitted a letter of acceptance or a resolution
concurring with this policy, in effect waiving their intellectual property
rights in this dataset.
Data standards that apply to this regionally endorsed dataset are as
follows:
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