Data Access

On September 5, 2001, the Tillamook County Board of County Commissioners enacted a policy for GIS information access thereby making digital information available for public use through the County's website and providing for the sale of such information for commercial purposes, pursuant to ORS 190.050.

Press Release - COMMISSIONERS' WEEKLY REPORT, Friday, September 7, 2001, GIS

For several years now, Tillamook County has been developing a  Geographic Information System (GIS) for the entire County. A GIS uses a  computer to display data visually (spatial data) onto a base map. In this case, the County tax lot maps are being developed as the base.  Additionally,  layers are also being created, all tied together, using the same controls  and scales.  Hundreds of different layers are either completed or being developed, showing such things as streams, street center lines,  utilities, fish presence, soils and natural hazards, to name a few. The  power of GIS is the ability to combine layers on the base map and see at a  glance what might otherwise takes days or weeks to discern.

Although we are still several years away from completing the parcel base map, there is  already a growing demand for the data that has thus far been completed.  As a  result of that demand, at our meeting on September 5, we adopted a policy and signed some related documents concerning access to GIS information. First  and foremost, provision is made for free public access to non-proprietary information via the Internet or public terminals once they become available. It is proposed that the entire GIS program be administered by the  Tillamook Bay Watershed Center in Bay City at 6385 Tillamook Avenue.

Because of the County's substantial investment in GIS  (both General Fund and grants), the policy also provides for the sale of this  spatial data to commercial customers under limited license agreements.  Not only will this help the County recover some of its investment in GIS, but it  will also provide a funding stream to assist in the ongoing maintenance and  operation of the system.