Published: September 16, 2006 11:44 pm      

County maps to appear online

SOMERSET — Finding property boundaries or water and sewer lines eventually will be just a click away in Somerset County.

As part of a national initiative, the entire county has been digitally photographed, giving the county the ability to overlay infrastructure, tax maps and 911 directions into a central repository.

Though it may take a few years to obtain funding to bring all the capabilities online, county officials say the plan will streamline government and provide a simple database for taxpayers.

“The applications are really exciting,” Commissioner Pamela Tokar-Ickes said.

“With improvements to the database, it’s going to give all of our offices the opportunity to interface. As a result, the system will be user friendly.”

What’s more, as an incentive to participate, the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is paying the county about $44,000 for the aerial photos, officials said.

Tax assessment, the planning commission, emergency management and the conservation district currently use the county’s Geographic Information System which was implemented in 1994.

Updated software and photos will allow voter registration, adult and juvenile probation, the transportation system, redevelopment authority, Economic Development Council, schools and other agencies to tie in.

Initially, the county will be able to expand the technology to other offices, organize its layers of information, and update the center lines on roads for boundary lines.

Eventually, the initiative will help readjust boundaries for tax purposes and compile a precise map of water and sewer lines.

“We have some properties in the county where it’s really unclear from a mapping standpoint who actually owns that property,” Commissioner Jimmy Marker said.

While the system will allow departments within the county to better share information, it also will be available to tax payers, officials said.

“The public will be able to access the information off of our Web site,” Commissioner Brad Cober said.