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Generating
certain layers of GIS information can be rather expensive and
time consuming. Part of the reason we charge for data is to
recuperate some of Pueblo County's investment on these expensive
layers.
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We
charge agencies and other government entities outside Pueblo
County to help lessen the financial burden from our own taxpayers.
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Charging
for expensive layers helps us to broaden our services beyond
our yearly budgets, allowing for more creative projects to take
flight.
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Not
all layers need to be acquired and maintained regularly (aerial
photography, for example). So, after we acquire these new data
layers, we charge for the new data, and begin to offer the older
data for free. This helps us to have a smaller base budget,
but still maintain the highest level of data quality for our
citizens.
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Because
GIS data is so powerful, we don't want to make it easy for it
to fall into the wrong hands. By charging for premium data,
we know exactly who we was granted access to information, and
we generate a paper trail that can be followed if necessary.
What
is this file format?
Pueblo County uses software provided by ESRI (http://www.esri.com),
one of the nation's leading GIS software producers. All of the data
you find on the Pueblo County GIS website is in ESRI Shapefile format.
We do have the capability to provide GIS data in a variety of file
formats. Please contact us for help, and we will work with you to
make our data fit your needs.
Doesn't
posting all this information violate my privacy?
We
do not post any information that is not public information. We
simply make it easier for you to get to this information by putting
it on the Internet, rather than having you come to the courthouse.
Does this website include the City of Pueblo too?
Absolutely.
Residents who live within the City of Pueblo are certainly residents
of Pueblo County.
Where does Pueblo County get its data?
We
acquire data from a variety of means, but most of the data we
work with stems from original maps and documents that have been
in the possession of the county for decades. We have taken these
documents and converted them to a GIS-capable digital format.
As often as possible, we create the data internally. Occasionally,
we will acquire data through contracts with commercial vendors
(satellite or aerial photography, for example). You may see us
collecting GPS or other data throughout Pueblo County as well.
If I need a paper map, what do I do?
Please
come to our offices in the Pueblo County courthouse for a free copy of our latest street atlas.
We will also gladly build custom maps for you, printing them at almost any size. We charge
$5.00 per linear foot for maps. This charge is strictly a materials-only
charge.
What
else can I use GIS for?
GIS
can be used by every business in hundreds of ways to improve their
processes. It has been said that over 80% of all data in the world
has a geographic component, and can be mapped using GIS. No matter
how creative your project, we believe GIS can help. Please contact
us, and we will help you take your project to a new level!