By Jonathan L'Ecuyer
Staff writer
June 25, 2008 05:29 am ROCKPORT — Two new members have joined the Open Space and Recreation Advisory Committee as it begins to develop an open space plan worthy of state certification. Eric Hutchins of the Watershed Protection Committee and Peter Van Demark, a professional cartographer with Maptitude GIS, are the new members, according to committee Chairman Christopher Lewis. "Eric has many years of experience on a number of town committees, which is proving invaluable to the newer members," Lewis said. "Van Demark's experience in geographic information systems will be crucial in meeting the state's requirements for mapping watershed resources, trails, recreational resources, soils, geological features and other important aspects of an open space plan." Faced with the task of raising $9,500 to purchase a digital parcel database, the committee made several presentations to various town boards in the past month and discovered substantial interest in acquiring a geographic information system for Rockport. As a result, the committee received pledges from the Management Information Systems Department for $1,500; the Rights of Way Committee for $1,000 and the Finance Committee for $4,000, among others. Lewis said a geographic information system, a reference tool that uses geographic information to analyze data, could have positive ramifications for Rockport and produce substantial cost savings. Equipped with a geographic information system, the assessors' office would be able to digitize its maps and update them regularly. Assistant Assessor Diane Lashua said yesterday such a system would certainly benefit the assessors. Lewis said residents would no longer need to go to Town Hall to research information on their property but could get information online. Currently, assessors' maps are done created manually on Mylar and are six years out of date; Lewis said the state recommends updating plot data every year. He added a second potential user of a geographic information system is the Department of Public Works, which frequently needs accurate updated parcel map data. Currently, consultants hired by the town must produce their own digital maps as needed for individual projects. They retain ownership of the maps at the close of their contracts. This requires the town to pay for maps for subsequent contractors. "The problem that we have in Rockport is that all the DPW mapping is done on Mylars and the institutional memory rests with the work force," Lewis said. "When someone leaves or retires, that institutional memory leaves with them. What should happen is that memory should be recorded digitally and be owned by the town." Lewis sent a letter to the Public Works commissioners suggesting that the new Public Works director be proficient in geographic information systems. Attempts to contact acting Public Works Director Robert Burbank were unsuccessful yesterday. Lewis said state law requires the Open Space and Recreation Advisory Committee to put the purchase of digital parcel databasing out to bid, but he expects the committee will hire Rockport resident Jeff Amero, who works for the Management Information Systems Department in Cambridge. "Jeff has done a lot of work (for Rockport) pro bono," Lewis said. "He's acquired a lot of the parcel data we need on his own and we think his bid of $9,500 will be the cheapest we can get." Lewis said the price equates to paying about $2 per parcel while average billing rates for such work are around $5 per parcel. Lewis said once the data is compiled and completed, the committee can use it for the open space plan. However, if the assessors' office wishes to keep the data, it will cost $4,500. Lewis said the committee has received more than 260 responses to its survey, exceeding the 152 survey responses for the 1997 draft plan and the 252 responses during the 1983 process. Deadline for responses is Monday, June 30. Those who have not yet responded can complete the survey online by visiting the town's Web site at www.rockport.ma.us, clicking on Regulatory & Land Use under Services and Departments and choosing Open Space and Recreation Advisory Committee. A link to the survey appears at the bottom of the committee's page. The committee invites the public to attend its meetings, which occur on the first and third Monday of each month at 7:30 p.m. in the Trustees Room of Rockport Public Library. The committee will hold its first public forum Monday, Sept. 15, at 7:30 p.m. in the Brenner Room at the library. The agenda will include an explanation of the state requirements for a plan, findings from the surveys, an overview of the major guiding principles of the committee and solicitation of feedback from the public. Jonathan L'Ecuyer can be reached at jlecuyer@gloucestertimes.com.
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