As a private sector representative on the Minnesota Statewide Geospatial Advisory Council it is my duty to inform others about what we are doing at the state level when it comes to geospatial technology. Specifics about the council can be seen at the website. If there are any private sector businesses that have ideas of how the council can help, please respond to this blog or privately at blaine@flatrockgeo.com .

Here is a brief overview from the recent meeting.

Statewide parks and trails are a hot topic. Several applications to help folks find park amenities they are looking for are in the works. GIS and web applications are also being used to keep track of funds spent on capitol improvements.

The Minnesota Geospatial Commons is up and running as the "one stop shop" for geospatial data in Minnesota. Users from all sectors are encouraged to use the Commons to not only find data but also disseminate their data if they are willing to share. The current debate is how complete the metadata must be to upload to the commons. Let me know if you have an opinion on this.

NextGen 9-1-1 is another hot topic as many agencies in Minnesota are moving to a GIS based system. This is a difficult nut to crack as we know emergencies do not stop at borders. Finding a common system between entities within the state as well as bordering states will be an obstacle to overcome. Regional kickoff meetings regarding implementation are coming in April.

The end of term for current members in the Geospatial Advisory Council are coming fast. If you are interested in being on the council forms are due by May 24th so please see the Secretary of State website for more information.

The next meeting is June 24th so tune back in for an update.