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Version 2.0 - Regional Parcel Dataset:
For-Profit and Non-Profit Sector Interests (July 2002 to May
2005)
Version 1.0 - Regional Parcel Dataset: For-Profit and
Non-Profit Sector Interests (April 2000 to June 2001)
Version 2.0 - Regional Parcel Dataset: For-Profit
and Non-Profit Sector Interests (July 2002 to present)
MetroGIS's County Data Producer Workgroup was created in August 2002 at
the direction of the Policy Board at its July 2002 meeting. The Policy Board
tasked this workgroup with implementing a solution(s) for the counties to
collaboratively distribute parcel data to for-profit and non-profit interests.
Meeting summaries are posted at http://www.metrogis.org/data/datasets/parcels/private/cdpw/index.shtml.
The Workgroup's first step involved defining a high-level strategy and
deliverables, which were endorsed by the Policy Board at its October 22, 2002
meeting. This endorsement included three guidelines (draft policy summary) for a
regional parcel dataset accessible by For-Profit and Non-Profit Interests. At
that time, the MetroGIS Policy Board also directed its Chair to request
approval of these guidelines by each of the seven counties prior to any further
action by MetroGIS. A letter signed by the
Policy Board Chair was mailed to each of the county representatives to the
Policy Board on December 20. On January 29, 2003, the Board received an update
from the Workgroup. None of the counties raised any concerns and the workgroup
was encouraged to bring its recommendations to the Board as soon as practical.
In January 2003, the Workgroup agreed upon a
phased strategy to improve their collective
efficiencies for distribution of parcel data to For-Profit and Non-Profit
interests. These phases progressively increase reliance on technology to
receive data requests, process and deliver the requested data, and collect and
distribute fees. Option A1 was operational the week of January 13. On January
27, the Workgroup agreed upon the procedures to implement Option A2 and agreed
to develop a prototype website to support a centralized, one-stop portal for
ordering of parcel data by non-government interests. The ability to also serve
the data via this portal was considered but found to be cost-prohibitive due to
a requirement for a commercial ArcIMS license that the counties could not
justify. The ordering forms and instructions and the web page enhancements
needed to implement Option A2 were developed but county approval of the related
licensing procedures was postponed around June 2003 to concentrate on the need
to negotiate a common licensing agreement for government users (http://www.metrogis.org/about/history/sharing.shtml#phase3).
Agreement on the government user license was not reached until late fall
2004. On May 12, 2005, given the intensity of negotiations required to reach
agreement on the government version of a common license, it was agreed by the
parties that insufficient interest in purchasing parcel data existed among
non-government interests to justify the anticipated very long process to reach
agreement on a common license. As a common license was a perquisite to further
work on this initiative, work was indefinitely postponed. (For more information
about the May 12th decision see
http://www.metrogis.org/data/datasets/parcels/private/cdpw/05_0512.pdf).
The goal had been to use the information learned from the operation of
the Option A2 procedures, over a several month period, to decide whether there
is sufficient market interest to warrant further consideration of an eCommerce
capability and/or a fully automated request/distribution capability to expedite
access by non-government entities.
Version 1.0 - Regional Parcel Dataset: For-Profit and Non-Profit
Sector Interests (April 2000 - May 2002)
On April 26, 2000, as one its "next steps" following adoption of its
initial Business Plan, the MetroGIS Policy Board established a Private Sector
Parcel Data Access Subcommittee. This subcommittee was charged with
facilitating agreement among the seven metro area counties concerning
requirements for non-government access to MetroGIS's proposed regional parcel
dataset. The Board appointed Anoka County Commissioner Kordiak, Anoka County's
representative to the Policy Board, to chair the subcommittee and directed the
subcommittee to prepare a recommendation for the Board to consider at its July
11, 2000 meeting.
The firm of Richardson, Richter and Associates, Inc. was retained to
support the subcommittee as an extension of its responsibilities to assist
MetroGIS with its Business Planning. The subcommittee included representatives
from all seven counties, several private sector interests and the Metropolitan
Council. After two subcommittee meetings in May and June 2000, the county
representatives agreed to a $0.01/parcel fee for the parcel geography and two
attributes: the Parcel Identification Number (PIN) and parcel address. This fee
of about $9,000 represented a significant reduction from the aggregate county
fee in effect at that time of in excess of $425,000. The $0.01/parcel
recommendation was unanimously accepted by the Policy Board on July 11, 2000.
At that time, the Policy Board also requested each of its County
representatives to shepherd approval of the proposal through each of their
respective County Boards.
In September 2000, the Hennepin County Board rejected the $0.01/parcel
proposal and set a fee of $0.05/parcel. During September and October 2000, each
of the other six counties considered Hennepin County's position. In response,
on October 18, 2000, the leadership of the Private Sector Parcel Data Access
Subcommittee recommended a compromise proposal to the MetroGIS Policy Board.
The compromise, which the Policy Board unanimously endorsed as regional policy,
encouraged each county to adopt a parcel data fee for non-profit and for-profit
organizations of not more than $0.05/parcel. The policy also permitted the
counties to provide more than the minimum required data for the $0.05/parcel
fee if they wished to do so. This modified regional policy was unanimously
endorsed by all seven counties between December 2000 and April 2001.
Subsequently, in May 2001, the requisite multi-party
agreement between each of the seven
counties and the Metropolitan Council was executed by each county and the
Council.
The Metropolitan Council agreed to serve as the assembler of the seven
county parcel dataset and to administer its distribution, including collecting
the counties' data development cost recovery fees and forwarding the proceeds
to the counties. The agreement called for an annual review of all fees and
responsibilities.
The first version of this regional parcel dataset was assembled by the
Metropolitan Council in May 2001, in accordance with the multi-party agreement
with the counties. The Council also created metadata for the regional dataset,
assembled metadata from the seven counties for the source data, created the
administrative procedures, modified MetroGIS Data Finder and the MetroGIS
General websites to provide online access to the metadata, order forms, and
instructions. In early June 2001, availability of the data was advertised in a
news release, a news banner on the GIS/LIS Consortium Internet Site, and
through direct mailings to non-government organizations for which MetroGIS
possessed mailing addresses.
As of May 2002, only two inquires had been received (both following the
initial advertisement) and no sales had been made. The agreement authorizing
the Council to assemble and distribute parcel data to non-profit and for-profit
interests was abandoned, ending access to the regional parcel dataset for these
interests.
Staff conducted interviews with prospective users of the data to
evaluate why there had been a lack of interest. Simultaneously, interviews were
conducted with county representatives to share the results of an eCommerce
Scoping Study that had been commissioned by MetroGIS and to discuss how they
believed an eCommerce extension
of MetroGIS DataFinder might benefit them in terms of automating delivery of
parcel and other data for which they required a fee for access. The findings of
these interviews were shared with the Policy Board at its July 30, 2002
meeting. The Board unanimously directed the creation of a County Data Producer
Workgroup comprised of representatives from each of the seven counties to
investigate a second attempt at a collaborative solution to distribute parcel
data to non-government interests.
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