By ADAM ATKINSON

North Country This Week

CANTON -- The Canton Town Board has accepted a contract proposal from the Development Authority of the North Country to participate in DANC's geographic information systems (GIS) mapping program which inventories municipal infrastructure assets.

The proposal, which will be formalized pending approval by town attorney Eric Gustafson, will cost the town $8,000 up front with an annual maintenance fee of $825 to $875 thereafter.

"I think it would be a good idea for the town to start create a document, an inventory that would be shareable in the future and then could be updated with ease," said Town Councilman Bob Washo, who brought forward the proposal to the board during the July 8 town board meeting. The GIS mapping for the town would include culverts, bridges, road signs and street lights.

Under the GIS program, DANC partners with dozens of client communities in Franklin and St. Lawrence counties to digitally map highway and public works features, but the Town of Canton was not part of the program. The village of Canton currently participates in DANC's GIS mapping project and recently signed on to partner in another grant for an enhanced GIS mapping project with the authority.

Municipalities use the information gathered from the GIS mapping to inventory and maintain municipal infrastructure.

Washo said DANC representatives could come make a presentation about the program to the board. "But they could get going on this right away," Washo said. "There is the initial cost of actually doing the legwork and a maintenance fee per year."

Washo said any changes or additions to the town's infrastructure would then update the mapping. The councilman said having that kind of information available and continually up to date would "go a long way" toward helping the town secure certain kinds of grants in the future. "And just be practical on the ground," Washo said.

The town is currently under a spending freeze due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the $8,000 cost was not budgeted for in the current fiscal year, said Town Supervisor Mary Ann Ashley. Approval of the proposal will trigger a budget amendment to pay for the town's involvement.

Ashley asked if the $8,000 cost could be budgeted instead for 2021.

"Because we need to decide where the money is going to come from to move it forward," Ashley said.

Town Councilman Tim Danehy asked if there could be an accurate map of available broadband access in the town tied into the proposal somehow. Danehy pointed out that the town lacks an accurate map of true broadband in Canton, and the holes in the existing coverage have been a concern raised by several residents in recent months during the surge of remote working and learning caused by the pandemic.

Washo agreed, but said since the town wasn't a current partner with DANC he was proposing starting that relationship with their most basic GIS service. "DANC has partnerships with municipalities, they have excellent working relationships with those municipalities, but you are either on the bus or off the bus, and right now we're off the bus," Washo said.

The councilman said he thought a broadband survey could be a natural extension of the partnership.

"This isn't something that is cutting edge and we want to be right there. This is something the town of Canton, the size of the Town of Canton, should already have. We're behind, we're not even up to speed," said Town Councilman Jimmy Smith. Smith said there are smaller communities in the region that already have access to the GIS technology and Canton does not. "I understand, money is always going to be a concern. But I do think, for the money we are going to have to invest in this, I think it has a very good chance of us getting all of the return on that investment."

Washo pointed out that DANC is currently in a work lull in the region and that it would a "perfect" time for the town to sign on.

"I think it's worth it. I'm in support of it," said Town Councilwoman Karin Blackburn.

The contract will be reviewed by the town's legal counsel before becoming official.

For more information on DANC's GIS services visit https://www.danc.org/gis.

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