1. State of Connecticut Geospatial Information Systems Council Annual Report - December 2010 Submitted in Accordance with C.G.S.§11-4(a)

2. About the GIS Council The State of Connecticut Geospatial Information Systems Council (CGISC) was established by C.G.S§4d-90 to “coordinate, within available appropriations, a uniform geospatial information system capacity for municipalities, regional planning agencies, the state, and others.” This report summarizes the 2010 GIS Council activities and is submitted in accordance with C.G.S.§11-4(a). The GIS Council was formed in January 2006. It is chaired by the Chief Information Officer of the Department of Information Technology and includes appointed members from state agencies, municipalities, and institutions of higher education. GIS Council Strategic Goals  Organize GIS efforts across state and local government agencies;  Develop a core set of data layers that are kept up-to-date and made broadly accessible in a state-managed data repository; and  Communicate and educate potential users and decision makers about the benefits and capabilities achieved by GIS investments. The Council's strategic plan and additional information on Council activities and GIS issues, can be viewed on the Council's website at: www.ct.gov/gis.www.ct.gov/gis GIS Council Membership Executive Branch  Diane Wallace (Chair), CIO, Dept. of Information Technology  Michael Varney, Designee  Tyler Kleykamp, Office of Policy and Management  Howard Sternberg, Dept. of Environmental Protection  Stuart Fitzgerald, Dept. of Economic & Community Dev.  Michael Connors, Dept. of Transportation  Jim Spencer, Designee  Daniel Czaja, Dept. of Public Safety  Scott Szalkiewicz, Dept. of Public Health  Ray Philbrick, Dept. of Public Works  Lance Shannon, Dept. of Agriculture  John Gustafson, Dept. of Emergency Mgt & Homeland Sec.  Brenda Bergeron, Designee  Louis Polzella, Dept. of Social Services  Peter Petrella, Designee  Linda Roberts, CT Siting Council  Christina Walsh, Designee  Bill Palomba, Dept. of Public Utility Control  Bob Mundy, Designee  Col. Gerald Lukowski, Military Dept.  Beth Stewart-Kelly, Designee Municipal  Rich Gallacher, Town of Manchester  Patrick Ladd, Town of Meriden  Erik Snowden, CT Regional Council of Governments  Stephen Lowrey, Town of Tolland  Scott Roberts, Town of South Windsor Higher Education  Anthony Andosca, CT State University System  Emily Wilson, University of CT  Cary Chadwick, Designee 2

3. Council Activities of 2010 In 2010, the Council continued to conduct outreach and education about the use of geospatial technology and, support the coordination of GIS efforts and initiatives. Resource constraints continued to limit Council progress toward a statewide geospatial data repository and necessitated greater emphasis on no-cost outreach and coordination. The GIS Council held eight Council meetings in 2010 providing a forum for the exchange of information and ideas among the diverse GIS user community and stakeholders. In addition, over 25 meetings were held in various active Working Groups of the Council demonstrating the significant commitment by Connecticut’s GIS Practitioners in improving GIS coordination, planning, and usage. In an effort to continue with its outreach and education, and to attract more members of the GIS community, the Council, through the Education and Outreach Working Group, published and distributed four issues of “Geo-Focus”, the Council’s quarterly newsletter. The newsletter promotes knowledge and awareness of GIS uses, data development, and Council activities. Information for all meetings can be found on the GIS Council website at: www.ct.gov/gis.www.ct.gov/gis GIS Day 2010 The Education and Outreach Working Group, of the GIS Council, organized and hosted, with cooperation and participation from CCSU staff, the GIS Day celebration on Wednesday, November 17, 2010. The event took place at the Torp Theater in Davidson Hall at Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) and attracted over 100 GIS Practitioners, Professors, Students, and Professionals from all over Connecticut and parts of Massachusetts. GIS Day events and activities included eight presentations, including one from keynote speaker Don Cooke, and over 25 posters. At the GIS Council meeting, the State Geography Bee Winner was presented with awards including one from the Governor. In addition, a month-long, educational display was organized for the concourse connecting the State Office Building and the Legislative Office Building in Hartford. An array of maps and posters from various organizations and individuals hung along the corridor for the month of November demonstrating the use of GIS technologies and applications around the state. The GIS Council continues to enhance its community outreach through the website, distributed materials, education, training, and data resources. 3

4. Council Activities of 2010 cont. Connecticut Geo-Focus – The GIS Council Newsletter In 2010, the Geo-Focus profiled several GIS articles highlighting various GIS uses across government, including how GIS technologies assist municipalities in finding missing persons, health and human services, in the classroom, and in other areas across the State. The newsletter is catalogued in the CT State Library as a GIS reference.  In South Windsor, a Canine Officer was issued a Blackberry® phone enabled with GPS to aid in performing suspect, missing persons, and evidence recovery tracking.  The Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (DEMHS) activated the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in the Hartford Armory in coordination with the Geo- Lab, which serves as a GIS mapping resource, to monitor rain events in early 2010 that caused statewide flooding. Further, when CT was denied Individual Assistance to those whose homes were ravaged by devastating rains, DEMHS went to work using GIS to map not only the areas hardest hit by the storm, but to demonstrate that neighboring Rhode Island received the very assistance that CT was denied. FEMA not only reversed the decision and allowed CT the necessary assistance, but recognized CT’s mapping construction as a best practice to be shared with other states for future appeals.  Western CT State University (WCSU) has been utilizing GIS to map a Revolutionary War site in Redding, CT. GIS has been useful in documentation, analysis, and interpretation of the spatial component inherent in the archaeological remains.  The CT Department of Transportation (DOT) provides an Interactive Travel Information Map to assist with travel plans to and from work or a simple weekend ride through CT. The map can show you where active construction is taking place, where traffic cams can be found so that you can check your ride to and from work, and find where road incidents are in order to avoid a specific area. (www.dotdata.ct.gov/iti/master_iti.html).  How do you combine the fun of a corn maze and GPS? In CT, and coast-to-coast, farmers use GPS to create complicated corn mazes for the public to enjoy. GPS is used to mark the coordinates of the four corners of a corn field, then the design is mapped to fit within the four corners, and finally GPS points are marked and lawn mowers carve out the design. Find yourself lost in a maze? Bring your GPS unit with you, and you’ll be out in time for dinner! (www.cornmazesamerica.com/connecticut.htm).  The U.S. Department of Labor has announced the release of an industry competency model for geospatial technology. There are now 16 models available for public viewing in the Department’s website section “One-Stop Career Center”. Viewing any one of the competency models allows workers the opportunity to review what it takes to enter into a particular field of work. The geospatial model serves as a guide for those who want to both find a good job and map out a long-term career pathway in any of several geospatial technology fields. (http://www.careeronestop.org/competencymodel./). 4

5. Council Activities of 2010 cont. In 2010, the GIS Council, through the Data Inventory and Assessment Working Group, focused on one of its strategic plan goals: to develop a core set of data layers that are kept up-to- date and made available through:  The development of a statewide, data repository, tested and completed by several of the Working Group’s Subcommittees. The repository has been populated with several of the State’s priority data layers for release in early 2011;  Continued development of new data standards for Parcel Mapping by the Cadastral Subcommittee;  Working toward the acquisition of new statewide Orthoimagery via the USGS 2011 Urbanized Area Flight Program in conjunction with the USGS, NGA, and several CT State agencies; and  DOT’s continued development of a new and comprehensive set of statewide street centerlines and a new road network. In addition, the contributions continued to the New England LiDAR project and the state Broadband Mapping Project. Earlier in 2010, CT received $1.8M in federal stimulus funds for “Broadband Mapping, Data Collection, and Planning”. To prepare for broadband mapping and expansion and apply for the stimulus, the Governor issued Executive Order No. 32 in August designating the Department of Public Utility Control (DPUC) as the lead agency. The DPUC is working with the Departments of Information Technology (DOIT), Public Safety (DPS), Emergency Management and Homeland Security (DEMHS) and Transportation (DOT), and the state’s Geospatial Council to collect the necessary information and data to develop and maintain a statewide broadband map. The following framework datasets have been identified for a state geospatial data repository.  Addressing  Administrative and Political Boundaries  Base Map Imagery (Ortho, Oblique, Satellite, and Scanned Imagery)  Cadastral Information  Census and Demographics  Critical Infrastructure  Elevation and Bathymetry  Geodetic Control  Geographic Names and Places  Hydrography  Land Use and Land Cover  Transportation List Standards The full Connecticut Geographic Framework Data report can be downloaded from: www.ct.gov/gis. 5 Most recent, in early December 2010, work continued to secure funding for the acquisition of new statewide Orthoimagery through the USGS (United States Geological Survey) 2011 Urbanized Area Flight Program in conjunction with the USGS, NGA (National Geospatial Intelligence Agency), and several CT state agencies. The outreach and cooperation of each agency has proven successful toward the goal of formalizing the final agreements with the USGS in early 2011.