City of Fayetteville, AR
04/25/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/25/2024 08:35
City honored at 2024 MidAmerica GIS Consortium
April 25, 2024
Contact: Keith Macedo
Information Technology Director
Information Technology
479-575-9320
City honored at 2024 MidAmerica GIS Consortium
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - The City of Fayetteville's Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Department recently was honored at the 2024 MidAmerica GIS Consortium (MAGIC), taking home its annual GIS Innovation Award.
This recognition celebrates the outstanding utilization of GIS technologies in the City's Water Meter Reading Division to address community challenges and drive operational excellence.
The event was held April 15-18 in Omaha, Neb. MAGIC is a nine-state consortium representing all levels of government, private sector, academia and non-government organizations, whose mission is to foster and advocate for geospatial technologies.
Information Technology Director Keith Macedo said, "While the City's GIS staff supports all departments by providing spatial data analysis, planning tools and resource management solutions to support efficient urban development and infrastructure maintenance, several projects are truly one of a kind."
Through ingenuity and dedication, GIS and Water and Sewer Operations staff developed a sophisticated meter-reading system that both enhances operational efficiency and sustains it for the future, Macedo said.
The newly implemented system seamlessly integrates a user-friendly mobile field app with a dynamic, real-time analytical and supervisory dashboard for office staff. It integrates the City's utility billing software, parcel maps, water-line maps, land records and GIS into an app that improves both field and office operations.
The new GIS-based meter reading system was launched in April 2023 and has efficiently processed over 375,000 meter readings. In addition to meter reading, the new system provides new GIS mapping tools to help water meter staff quickly locate meters.
Opting to develop an in-house solution, utilizing mobile phones instead of purchasing new water meter data collectors, proved to be a visionary decision, resulting in cost savings exceeding $150,000.
"Not only does this project exemplify the substantial cost benefits of GIS-based solutions to integrate multiple technology systems, but it also showcases the adaptable and transformative nature of GIS technology," Macedo said. "By utilizing GIS to drive innovation, the City's GIS office has enhanced process efficiency within municipal operations, leading to improved operational performance."
To learn more about the City's GIS Department, visit: https://www.fayetteville-ar.gov/386/Maps-GIS.
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