A Geographic Information System (GIS) is "an organized collection of computer hardware, software, geographic data, and personnel designed to efficiently capture, store, update, manipulate, analyze, and display all forms of geographically referenced information." (source: ESRI)
Within a GIS, geographic data is organized into a series of thematic layers and tables. GIS provides all Town staff with a powerful tool to make better decisions through query and visualization of geographic information.
The GIS Office, housed in the Town's Information Technology Department, is responsible for:
Managing tools to develop, maintain, display, and analyze digital base map layers
Implementing policies and procedures to ensure geographic data quality
Building applications that link base map layers to other spatially referenced data
Producing maps and reports for all Town Departments, Boards, and Committees
Providing training and support to all Town GIS users