MidAmerica GIS Consortium

 Put ArcGIS® Utility Network into Action with VertiGIS Networks

Scott Stafford-Veale

VertiGIS North America

VertiGIS Networks is a suite of web-based products with the functionality you need to put ArcGIS Utility Network into action and unlimited configuration options to take it even further. The rollout of your Utility Network is accelerated with web and mobile interfaces that work online and offline to support your critical workflows. From visualizing and tracing, to designing and editing – the powerful web apps in VertiGIS Networks can enable your organization with tools that make Utility Networks easy, functional, and performant for everyone. Come see it for yourself!

Grimes Information System - Building an new ArcGIS Enterprise

Greg Jameson

City of Grimes, IA

In this presentation, we will discuss the key steps involved in creating and launching a new ArcGIS Enterprise platform. We will start by examining the hardware and software requirements, as well as security considerations that are essential for a successful multi-machine deployment. We will then cover a high level installation and configuration process, including how to set up the ArcGIS Enterprise portal, and GIS servers. Finally, we will explore how share content using ArcGIS Enterprise, as well as how to manage and maintain the platform to ensure its ongoing success. Please join us to learn how to create a n Enterprise GIS that will enable your organization to make informed decisions and drive better outcomes.

ArcGIS Monitor - Introduction & Lessons Learned

Greg Jameson

City of Grimes, IA

In this presentation, we will share ArcGIS Monitor's use at Grimes, IA for monitoring their multi-machine enterprise deployment. We will start by examining the hardware and software requirements of ArcGIS Monitor. We will then cover the analytics of the software and how Grimes has customized the software as well as lessons learned by using the software. Please join us to learn about ArcGIS Monitor and how best to leverage it for your organization.

The Role of GIS in School Safety

Stacen Gross

GeoComm

Public safety agencies are the end users/recipients of an ever-increasing amount of data coming from a variety of sources. A number of states have taken action with school safety initiatives, compelling educational institutions to implement security solutions that provide even more information to 9-1-1 and first responders. Indoor maps are a component of these initiatives that provide school administrators, 9-1-1, and first responders indoor situational awareness during school incidents. It is imperative that this critical indoor location logistics information be integrated into the GIS environment used by 911 and first responders. This session will talk about recent state actions around school mapping, the spectrum of indoor map data required by legislation, and recommendations on how your agencies can be involved with schools to achieve better outcomes by making sure this new data is compatible and interoperable.

Using Arcade in ArcGIS Field Maps

Jessica Lott

Dymaptic

Arcade is an expression language used in ArcGIS applications to solve issues that are not straight out-of-the-box. By combining ArcGIS Field Maps and Arcade, we can create a powerful mobile application that meets the needs of any user. In this session, attendees will learn how to use Arcade in ArcGIS Field Maps to create custom workflows, perform calculations, access related data, and auto-populate form elements.

Innovative Lidar Collection -A Statewide Perspective

Chris Chalmers

WGI Geospatial

In 2020, the State of South Dakota Department of Public Safety, Office of Emergency Management contracted to collect quality level two lidar elevation data for significant portions of the state. The data acquisition project is now in its second of three cycles in support of floodplain mapping, conservation planning, research and design, wetlands identification dam safety assessment, and hydrologic modeling. This discussion will outline the progress and deliverables for the project while detailing the cutting-edge geospatial technology and processes that are being employed in support of this critical statewide effort.

Revolutionizing Aerial Data Collection: Versatile Sensor Pods for Small Aircraft and Helicopters

Jeff Krecic

BAAM Tech

Various approaches exist for aerial imagery/LiDAR acquisition projects, depending on size and requirements. UAVs suffice for smaller projects, while larger projects demand fixed-wing aircraft with expensive sensors, posing a substantial investment. Bridging the gap between these two options is a novel alternative: customizable, portable sensor pods swiftly mountable on small aircraft or helicopters.

Manned aircraft and helicopters are expensive to own and operate, putting them out of reach for many small to medium sized operations. With fixed based aircraft operators and the strut mounting of sensor pods, all this flexibility, functionality, and utilization can be achieved without aircraft ownership. This provides an low cost of entry when compared to the traditional approach. In addition, the ease of use and capability to tailor each sensor setup creates a user-friendly scenario for a less complex operation from start to finish.

Driving GIS Adoption: It's about the people, not the tech

Kelly DeBrine

Environmental Systems Research Institute (Esri)

If you’ve struggled to get your organization to see the value and take advantage of GIS, you’re not alone. According to Forbes Magazine, at least 70 percent of digital transformation initiatives miss their implementation goals. Awareness of the common pitfalls that lower acceptance to and desire for using GIS tools, applications and maps is critical. In this workshop, we’ll talk about strategies to gain broader adoption of your GIS platform using some basic change management principles.

Custom Web App Development With the ArcGIS API for JavaScript

Steve Gilbert

Katalog

GIS Developer Steve Gilbert, based out of Branson, Missouri, will present two GIS web applications he has recently developed for the City of Branson.

Permitted Uses Application: The City of Branson's Planning Department has long been inundated with phone calls from realtors and businesspeople about what city code will allow them to do with a property. Navigating city code is confusing and time-consuming for both citizens and staff. The Permitted Uses Application uses the ArcGIS API for JavaScript to make understanding permitted uses as simple as clicking a parcel or address point on a map.

Sign Shoppe Application: The Public Works Department at the City of Branson was using Workforce, several Survey123 forms, and a separate web application to keep track of their various workflows. The new application developed by Steve Gilbert merges everything into one beautiful, user friendly web application that looks great on a tablet in the field.

Integrating Private Land Conservation and IT: An Innovative Approach to GIS for Enhanced Field Data Entry and Grant Application Processing

Joshua Jacomb, George Kipp

Missouri Department of Conservation

A collaboration between conservation and IT led to a groundbreaking initiative. This presentation explores creating an online GIS portal for efficient field staff operations. Utilizing Survey123, Experience Builder, and custom Arcade expressions improved data entry accuracy and workflow. Survey123 simplified data collection, empowering remote entries. Experience Builder provided a customized GIS portal, and Arcade expressions reduced errors. The portal evolved into an application for streamlined grant processing, benefiting landowners and conservation. This collaboration showcases synergy between conservation and IT, transforming GIS data entry and offering broader applications. Our Mid-America GIS Consortium conference presentation aims to inspire similar collaborations, highlighting technology's transformative power in community and private land conservation. Join us as we explore details from idea inception to tangible benefits for our team and the communities we serve.

On Demand, Custom, Topographic Maps with topoBuilder

David Nail

USGS

The U.S. Geological Survey’s National Geospatial Program has released the topoBuilder application, which enables users to create topographic maps on demand using the best available National Map data. In topoBuilder, users can generate topographic maps, called OnDemand Topo, centered anywhere in the United States or Territories, with customized contour smoothing, and export formats GeoTIFF or GeospatialPDF. Maps are made at 1:24,000-scale for the conterminous United States and Hawaii, 1:20,000-scale for U.S. territories, and 1:25,000 for Alaska. Future releases are planned for additional customizations such as user-selected layers, user-added content, GIS data exports, and other map scales. TopoBuilder, its capabilities, and OnDemand Topo maps will be demonstrated.

Kansas City Regional Trail Addressing for Public Safety

Saralyn Hayes and Jakob Goldman

Mid-America Regional Council

This discussion will cover the development of a regional trail addressing grid that started in 2009 and continues today with over 1,000 trail address markers installed on trails throughout the 11 county Kansas City region. We will cover the purpose of this project, the details of its development and how it has been implemented then and now. We will share a few details of how dispatchers are able to use this data and share some success stories of callers on trails being located more quickly with the aid of these trail addresses. We will also share our experience using Esri’s ArcGIS Field Maps app to collect data in the field with a Trimble GPS unit.

ArcGIS Implementation- Emergency Response Coordination

John Watermolen, Jessica Lott

Dymaptic

The City of Houston, Texas is no stranger to the devastating effects of major flooding and strong hurricane winds. In this session you will learn how the Emergency Operations team of Houston Public Works leveraged the ArcGIS System to properly coordinate and conduct damage assessments and automate FEMA reports after a destructive weather event.

True Stories of Adventure

Mitchell Winiecki

Esri

Come along on a journey of adventure through a series of short stories from the far sides of the world. During this 45 minute presentation you will hear stories of Mitch’s international mountaineering expeditions: life and death on Denali during his 20 day solo expedition, traversing North America’s 3rd highest point, an unplanned solo attempt on Mt. Rainier, and climbing in Africa’s High Atlas Range. Mitch will use 3D maps in ArcGIS Earth to show you the routes and camps along the way and also use his own personal media to tell his stories and put you there with us on the mountain. This is a can’t miss event for anyone who loves adventure, geography, or has ever wondered “what it takes to be a mountaineer”. “After a summit I try not to view it as if I beat the mountain, I view it as a kinship between myself and the mountain. If you climb – you have that respect.”

***This is intended to be a keynote presentation, normally delivered over the luncheon***

Fayetteville's journey to building an in-house meter reading system.

Greg Resz

City of Fayetteville, AR

Faced with the challenges posed by an aging fleet of Trimble data collectors, the GIS Office of the City of Fayetteville, Arkansas, undertook the development of a sophisticated meter reading system to enhance and sustain operational efficiency. This new system integrates a straightforward field application with a dynamic, real-time analytical and supervisory dashboard. This integration facilitates instantaneous data analysis and supports informed decision-making. Choosing to develop an in-house solution instead of investing in new, high-end Trimble data collectors led to a remarkable cost saving of over $150,000 for the city. Launched in mid-April 2023, this GIS-driven program has efficiently handled over 266,000 meter readings, accounting for tens of millions of dollars in utility consumption. This project not only demonstrates the substantial cost benefits of internal GIS solutions but also showcases the powerful, adaptable nature of contemporary GIS technology.

3D Hydrography Program (3DHP): A New Model for the Nation’s Hydrography

Claire DeVaughan

U.S. Geological Survey

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) provides foundational digital geospatial data representing the topography, natural landscape, and manmade environment of the U.S. and is in the process of establishing the 3D Hydrography Program (3DHP) to modernize the mapping of the Nation’s inland waters. High-resolution lidar elevation data have been collected across much of the US through the 3D Elevation Program (3DEP). This data will be used as the source to derive a positionally accurate and detailed stream network. 3DHP is the first systematic remapping of the Nation’s hydrography since the original USGS 1:24,000-scale topographic mapping program that was active between 1947 and 1992. By using modern acquisition, validation, and data management techniques, 3DHP will enable analysis and visualization for a broad range of environmental, climate, and infrastructure applications. This presentation will provide information on 3DHP, and on partnerships and data acquisition needed to support 3DHP.

Safe Streets for All Safety Action Plan Crash Statistics Analysis

Dave Faucett, GIS Analyst

Ozarks Transportation Organization

This presentation focuses on the data and methods used to create a high injury network (HIN) and identify locations to further analyze roadway characteristics and potential countermeasures to reduce fatal and serious injury crashes in the Springfield, MO metro area. The HIN analysis was conducted with 2022 MoDOT State of the System (SS) Segment & Intersection feature classes and five-years of Crash Statistics for the OTO MPO area and geoprocessing tools in ArcGIS Pro. While the HIN analysis produced an inventory of serious injury and fatal crash frequency for roadway segments and intersections, a colocation analysis was used to measure local patterns of spatial association between two categories of point features using a colocation quotient statistic. For example, a comparison of crash class and crash severity can identify where rear end crashes occur in higher proportions relative to fatal and serious injury crash neighborhoods than the global proportion of rear end crashes.

Python Power: Leveraging ArcGIS Notebooks for Efficient Data ETL

Jin Yao

Johnson County Government, KS

Python reigns as the leading open-source tool in data science, yet downloading and setting it up on our own can be challenging. ArcGIS Pro offers a solution: a standardized Python environment accessible to the entire GIS team. Automating data workflows via Python scripts is a highly efficient method to streamline the process of data ETL (extract, transform, and load). I'll demonstrate using ArcGIS Notebook to download American Community Survey (ACS) data via the Census API, calculate new variables, create maps, and finally, export the processed data to a Microsoft SQL database. This approach not only simplifies complex data operations but also ensures consistent, repeatable outcomes, thereby significantly boosting the efficiency and productivity of GIS professionals.

Web GIS, Data Accuracy and Transportation Safety

WENJUN

University of Kansas/Kansas Department of Transportation

In this research, we will present a web GIS application to harmonize inconsistent geospatial data (e.g., polygon and polyline), aiming to improve the correctness and reliability of data. One usage of this application is providing accurate map information for the transportation safety analysis. The crash location is one of the most important factors in identifying cluster zones and dangerous roads. However, we found that the crash location description on the crash report may mismatch the locational information on the map we used. One major reason is that the map used to locate the crash is inconsistent with the map used for safety analysis. For example, when we overlap two Kansas City area maps separately from the OpenStreetMap and Google Map, we found that the same roads or object boundaries are positioned incompatibly on two maps. This issue will further cause the inaccuracy of crash location. Therefore, we have developed an open-source web tool to create a higher quality map.

Community Engagement and GIS Technology

Aleksandra J. Snowden

Marquette University

GIS technology offers a valuable tool to better understand a wide variety of research questions, ranging from where crime concentrates to health inequities. In this project, I describe how GIS is used in an academic setting, and in collaboration with community leaders who help to design the research questions that are of the most importance for community members. I also discuss the benefits and opportunities for community engaged research in the context of geospatial technology possibilities.

Owned, Managed, & Leased Properties (OMLP) and Hunt Map

John Kirchgesnerresenter

Illinois Natural History Survey

Through research at county buildings across Illinois and at IDNR’s archive, deeds and related documents were collected, digitized, then input into Arc Pro Parcel Fabric. That data is continuously being added to and updated while being shared with IDNR and the public. This talk will walk through the journey to gather the information, get it into the database, how it is being used now, and what we’re focusing on next.

GIS Powered Snow Operations in the City of Omaha

Evangelos Beardall

City of Omaha

This presentation will be about how the City of Omaha uses Cityworks, Survey123, AGOL, FME, AVL Data, Google Sheets and Tableau to power our snow operations and where we are planning to go next with Snow Operations. The benefit of this presentation is for the other city governments to see how other cities are using GIS to power their public works operations.

Tools for automating, enriching, and depicting geospatial data

Joe Drahos

State of Iowa - Division of Information Technology

The State of Iowa - Division of Information Technology, administers a broadband grant program to address locations in Iowa that are either unserved or underserved by high-speed internet. The GIS team leveraged several different capabilities to support the geospatial needs of the broadband program. Proposed agenda and topics include:

(2.5 minutes) Introduction and overview of the Iowa broadband program

(20 minutes) GIS-specific topics

- (5 minutes) ModelBuilder: inline variable substitution, parsing data

- (5 minutes) Esri Living Atlas: geoenrichment of data, costs

- (5 minutes) Geocoding in ArcGIS Pro: Iowa Geocoder, composite locators

- (5 minutes) Layouts in ArcGIS Pro: map series, dynamic text

(2.5 minutes) Questions

The intent is to showcase the GIS capabilities that were utilized, through detailed technical discussions. The goal of this presentation is for attendees to return to their organizations with a few extra tools that they can use in their own projects.

ArcGIS Field Maps: Optimize Forms for Mobile Workflows

Shannon Stern

Esri

Join us to learn how to build optimized workflows for mobile. We will be looking at designing workflows for rapid and accurate data capture in the field and exploring ArcGIS Field Maps Designer, where a whole host of efficiency features can be enabled. Smart forms leveraging the Arcade expression language, layer filtering to enable better situational awareness are just a few of the capabilities which will be explored in this session focused on efficiency and accuracy in the field.

ArcGIS Indoors: An Introduction

Shannon Stern

Esri

In this session, learn how to transform CAD and BIM floor plans into an information model in the geodatabase for authoring and sharing floor aware maps of your building interiors. Also learn how to leverage these indoor maps to power Indoors apps for space planning and offering employees, building occupants, and visitors a web and mobile experience for way-finding, workspace reservation, location sharing, building incident reporting, and more.

Automating the Creation of Zoning Verification Letters

Mike Morisette

City of Fayetteville, AR

The City of Fayetteville provides verification letters of current zoning regulations to property owners upon request. This has traditionally been done manually. To save staff time, the city planning department approached the GIS team at Fayetteville to help streamline the process.

The result is a Geoprocessing tool that can be run from ArcGIS Pro that generates a letter and attached map based on user input. This presentation will cover the process of creating this tool as well as the result of that effort.

The Data Loading Toolbox: Not just for Utilities

Tim Tabor

Esri

Esri recently released the ArcGIS Architecture Center and Well-Architected Framework. Join us as we learn how to navigate and apply this new resource to empower you to guide your organization in designing, implementing, and operating your systems with ArcGIS. We will cover common system patterns and the six key architectural pillars (Automation, Integration, Observability, Performance & Scalability, Reliability, and Security).

A Well-Architected ArcGIS: An Introduction

Tim Tabor

Esri

Starting with the latest version of ArcGIS Pro, the Data Loading toolbox is now included by default. This toolbox contains powerful tools that will help you streamline your data loading from a source to a target schema. In this session we will cover each of the tools and how they work together to ensure you have well documented and accurate data transfers.

Two Dimensional Base Level Engineering (2D BLE) in Iowa to Understand Flood Risk

Chris Kahle

Iowa DNR

This presentation will be an introduction of Two Dimensional Base Level Engineering (2D BLE) work being done for the State of Iowa by Iowa DNR in order to better understand flood risk, explore mitigation options for communities and provide information for smart planning of future development in communities.

Some portion of the discussion will be to discern 2D modeling from traditional 1D modeling, and how those are used for Flood Information Rate Maps (FIRMs) for regulation of floodplains in Iowa.

A live demo of the Iowa Floodplain Mapping Data Platform will round out the discussion. This platform allows users to view draft data, provide comments, find information pertaining to draft results and to download all datasets.

Johnson County Kansas Appraiser’s office Collecting JPG images of Buildings with ESRI Field Maps and Portal for ArcGIS.

Kevin Skridulis

DTI AIMS Johnson County Kansas

Discuss working with Johnson County Kansas Appraiser’s office to collect several thousand JPG images of buildings using ESRI Field Maps. Will cover set up of Field Map layers with Portal for ArcGIS, some technical issues (e.g., choosing image size), and training staff. Will also cover backend processes for extracting JPGS, striping images with capture date, and creating an index file to import images into the County’s CAMA system. This is a current project. The application has been developed with test data and we expect to start field work in mid to late February.

Douglas County GIS Drone Program

Steve Cacioppo & Fidel Estrada Ayala

Douglas County GIS

This presentation will cover the various drone projects Douglas County GIS has flown over the past 3-1/2 years. Examples of our drone applications include orthophotography, image classification, and creating 3D meshes and point clouds. In this session we will talk about our methodology and what did and didn't work.

Nebraska GIS Council -- Initiatives, Standards, and Community.

Casey DunnGossin

State of Nebraska / OCIO/NITC

This presentation is intended to be a refresher course on key topics for the Nebraska GIS Council, its mission, members, and how people can become involved with the group. GIS and Geospatial technologies continue to advance in Nebraska and the GIS Council is one avenue to grow community around the use of GIS to improve Nebraskan lives.

Point-Based Population Models: Making your data count!

Shannon Porter, Jin Yao

Johnson County, KS AIMS

Join Johnson County, KS AIMS for a presentation on our point-based population models. In response to frequent requests for current or near-future population estimates in geographies not typically covered by Census Bureau datasets (such as school attendance zones or county commissioner districts) we have developed four distinct point-based population models over the past 20 years. These models effectively integrate local GIS data, including property centroid locations, address points, and land use codes, with Census Bureau data. Our approach allows for precise population estimation in any custom-defined area. This enhances both accuracy and adaptability in population estimation, making our models exceptionally valuable for local government planning and response initiatives.

In my presentation, I will provide an overview of these models, highlighting the conceptual framework and input data unique to each. I will briefly discuss the model validation process and the challenges encountered

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