HomeMy WebLinkAboutFCS-12-048 - OnPoint PresentationREPORT TO:Council
DATE OF MEETING:
March 26, 2012
SUBMITTED BY: Rhonda Bunn, CIO, 519-741-3400 x3089
PREPARED BY:
Dianne Adams, GIS Supervisor, 519-741-2914
WARD(S) INVOLVED: All
DATE OF REPORT: March 20, 2012
REPORT NO.:
FCS-12-048
SUBJECT:
INTRODUCTION TO NEW ONPOINT – CITY’S INTERNAL
ONLINE MAPPING APPLICATION
RECOMMENDATION:
For information
BACKGROUND:
The Geographical Information System (GIS) section in Information Technology has provided an
online mapping tool to provide GIS information to the corporation since 2000. Three versions
of the application have been configured over the years and the newest version was launched at
the end of January, 2012. The application was originally called CIA (Corporate Information
Application) and was designed by City staff and was written as one of the first online mapping
tools in North America by Orion Technology. The design has undergone many changes over
the years, but still retains many of the features of the original design. The application is referred
to as OnPoint and is now sold commercially through out the world.
The (GIS) team will be in attendance at the March 26 Strategic Session to provide members of
Council with an overview of the new OnPoint and demonstrate some of the new or existing
functions the application provides which may be beneficial to Council members in their roles as
elected officials. Council members will also have the opportunity to ask questions and provide
feedback on the tool.
REPORT:
A 30 minute presentation will be delivered at the Strategic Session to provide Council members
with the opportunity to learn about the new OnPoint and see some of the new or existing
functions the application provides. It has been many years since OnPoint has been
demonstrated to Council and the tool is a rich resource of information. GIS maintains
approximately 300 “layers” of information and a multitude of scanned documents, and OnPoint
is the showcase application for all this data. Approximately 380 users are signed up for OnPoint
and many staff rely heavily on the software for their day to day business.
A video has been created to demonstrate many of the features of OnPoint and a GIS staff
member will facilitate a question and answer period for Council to find out how to locate the
information they may have an interest in.
ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN:
OnPoint supports the Information Technology strategic direction under Efficient and Effective
Government which has as a goal to “maximize technology to support timely, relevant and
accurate information; optimizing technology solutions that will enhance our ability to interact and
communicate more effectively with our internal and external clients; and develop an enabled
and knowledgeable workforce.”
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
None
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
The internal version of OnPoint is strictly for internal use since it contains confidential
information but an external version is located on our website for our citizens and local
businesses to use. The external OnPoint has not been upgraded yet, but will be upgraded in
2012 to allow external users to benefit from the new features. External OnPoint is used by
citizens and companies such as Real Estate firms, Engineering and Planning Consultant firms,
KW Hydro, etc. Although many people in the community use Google maps for routine
searches, the City’s Online Mapping tool provides more detailed information. Examples of this
are Building Permit information, Zoning information, location of trails, Committee of Adjustment
applications, Benchmarks, topographic information, landmarks, etc.
ACKNOWLEDGED BY:
Dan Chapman, DCAO, Finance and Corporate Services