Current News 2009 2008 2007

Midland GIS Completes Work on Iowa County, IA

Midland GIS Solutions recently completed the GIS program for Iowa County, Iowa and traveled to Marengo, IA to complete the final installation and provide training. Midland GIS Solutions provided full ArcView software installation for the completed GIS data on Iowa County’s GIS workstations and supplied Iowa County personnel with system training and technical support in regards to the operation and maintenance of the County’s GIS mapping program. The County staff will now be able to perform data updates, corrections, and future changes in house.

Following the GIS installation and training, Matt Sorensen of Midland GIS gave Iowa County officials a live demonstration of their new custom Web GIS site. Midland GIS Solutions developed and also currently hosts the custom web-based site for the County.

December 10, 2009

Success in GIS Award Presented to the City of Ute, IA
City of Ute, IA Recognized With GIS Award

Midland GIS Solutions is proud to recognize the City of Ute, IA with the Success in GIS Award. This award was created by Midland GIS Solutions to recognize clients that show outstanding achievements and progress in GIS development. Ute is a small community in west central Iowa with a population of around 350. With the help of Midland GIS Solutions, Ute recently completed a state of the art GIS program. The city hired Midland GIS Solutions in the summer of 2009 to accurately GPS locate and map their sanitary sewer system and water network, and complete manhole inspections.

Download the Full Article (PDF file - 74 KB)

November 5, 2009

Pulaski County, MO Selects Midland’s InfoTrac Web GIS Product

Pulaski County, Missouri has contracted with Midland GIS Solutions to develop and host the county’s Web GIS site. This will include incorporating the county’s existing GIS data into Midland’s award-winning InfoTrac Web GIS, providing the county with a secure off-site backup of their GIS data and a fully-functional, high-speed web platform to easily search, view and print their GIS data.

Midland GIS & Iowa Rural Water Team Up For Municipal GIS Conference

Midland GIS Solutions and Iowa Rural Water Association jointly hosted the 2009 Iowa Municipal GIS Conference in Des Moines on October 26th & 27th. With nearly sixty (60) water and wastewater operators and various other city officials, the conference offered a total of 10 CEU hours for Wastewater, or 6 CEU hours for Water Treatment or Water Distribution.

Conference highlights included presentations from the Iowa DNR, U.S. EPA and Phil Walsack with the Missouri Public Utility Alliance on sanitary sewer overflow regulations and how GIS can be utilized to stay compliant with environmental regulations.

For conference details and information visit our Events Page.

Download the Full Article (PDF file - 275 KB)

October 28, 2009

GIS Put to Use in Local Cemeteries
Maryville Daily Forum

For almost a year the local firm of Midland Surveying Inc. has been working to record each of the cemetery’s more than 10,000 occupied, reserved and empty plots in order to create a computerized geographic information system (GIS) database and interactive map. City staff who access the map on their computer screens see outlines of each of the cemetery’s 10 additions filled with small rectangles representing individual plots, which are colored gray for open, pink of occupied and purple for reserved.

A couple more mouse clicks open up a text box containing information about individual grave sites, including the decedent’s date of birth, date of death, age at death and a legal description detailing the grave’s exact location. Push another button, and the screen displays a photo of the tombstone.

Download the Full Article (PDF file - 169 KB)

October 26, 2009

John Teale Presented with Missouri Surveyor of the Year Award

John Teale, PLS, President of Midland GIS Solutions and Executive Secretary of Midland Surveying, Inc. was presented with the 2009 Surveyor of the Year award by the Missouri Society of Professional Surveyors (MSPS) at their Annual Convention on October 16th, 2009 in St. Louis.

The esteemed Surveyor of the Year award is the oldest honor presented by MSPS each year and is presented to a member that gives freely of his time and efforts to the organization (MSPS) and toward the betterment of the surveying profession. It is on this basis that John Teale joins the elite group of Missouri Land Surveyors that have been honored as Surveyor of the Year.

Download the Full Article (PDF file - 108 KB)

October 16, 2009

KMEA G-MAP Project on Track to Enhance Mutual Aid Responses
Kansas Municipal Energy Agency – POWER FACTOR

Locating the components of the municipal electrical system is a critical first step in responding to any power emergency.

After severe events such as major tornadoes, transformers and power lines are often ripped up and transported significant distances. This can pose a serious challenge to rescue workers if component locations are not well-documented and easily accessible.

To address such situations, KMEA formed a committee in early 2009 to develop a comprehensive and uniform agency-wide GIS (Geographic Information System) mapping platform to enhance Mutual Aid responses. Guided by he 12-member committeeand in partnership with Midland GIS SolutionsKMEAs Mutual Aid GIS Mapping Program (G-MAP) is already making progress toward its goal of developing a mapping system available at group rates for any interested member city.

Download the Full Article (PDF file - 502 KB)

September 24, 2009

Pictures of Power: GIS Project to Put Utilities on the Map
Kansas Municipal Energy Agency – POWER FACTOR

It was early evening when the twister struck. It had rained all day, but by dusk, the wind and rain subsided. Then it came, first the calm that was almost eerie, then the powerful winds, howling like a freight train. When residents emerged from their homes, they were confronted with a landscape they barely recognized. Trees were uprooted. Houses were picked up and deposited blocks away. Power poles and lines were jammed through buildings or tossed like little sticks into nearby fields. It was hard to even get your bearings; all the familiar landmarks had been destroyed or relocated.

If a scenario like this occurred in your town, how would you begin to locate components of your power system, assess the damage and put the pieces back together again? Printed diagrams? The first-hand knowledge of a veteran power supervisor? Maybe. But, lets say the diagrams had been destroyed in the storm, or the supervisor was injured or out of town. What then?

Download the Full Article (PDF file - 516 KB)

September 24, 2009

Osceola, IA Will Soon Have GIS Mapping

The City of Osceola has hired Midland GIS Solutions for the mapping of its water and sanitary sewer systems. This generally consists of locating valves, hydrants, manholes, lift stations, etc. with global positioning system (GPS) equipment. This work will be performed during the months of September, October and November. You may notice employees of Midland GIS Solutions in your neighborhood. They will occasionally need access into and through private property. The city has easements to perform this type of work, but the personnel performing this work will be as respectful and unobtrusive as possible during the course of this project.

As with any major project, there may be some inconveniences at times, but no services will be interrupted while the mapping project is taking place. If you have any questions or concerns you can contact Midland GIS Solutions at 660-562-0050 or you can contact me at City Hall at 342-2377.

City of Arma, KS to Adopt New Mapping System

The City of Arma's new GIS mapping system will pinpoint where power components, such as poles and transformers, are located throughout a city. If a major event, such as a severe storm, were to misplace those components, the map would prove vital in getting the citys power system back in place especially in the case of KMEAs Mutual Aid program, in which fellow member cities rush to aid others in an emergency.

The project to prepare the mapping system is guided by a 12-member committee, which includes Armas John Gorentz, and is taking place in partnership with Midland GIS Solutions.

Download the Full Article (PDF file - 23.9 KB)

August 20, 2009

Midland GIS Adds to Business Development Team

Midland GIS Solutions is pleased to welcome Don Cleveland to the MGIS Business Development Team. With over 43 years of experience in the photogrammetry industry with the US Air Force and M.J. Harden Associates, Don brings an unparalleled expertise in photogrammetry to our team.

Download the Full News Release (PDF file - 499 KB)

July 23, 2009

Midland GIS Field Staff Completes OSHA Certification

All field staff from Midland GIS Solutions, including Professional Land Surveyors, and all management that oversee the field data collection services participated in a 10 hour Occupational Safety and Health Training Course to learn acceptable usage of equipment, protocol for working with hazardous materials and waste, emergency medical practices and general safety regulations. The goal of completing this OSHA certification is to ensure the safety of all field personnel while providing our valued clients with the best possible data collection and mapping practices.

Download the Full News Release (PDF file - 613 KB)

July 21, 2009

We Were on TV!

KQ2 News in St. Joseph, MO featured us June 6 in an informational piece by Lourin Sprenger covering the work we've done inspecting 8,700 sanitary sewer manholes. This inspection is just Phase I of a multi-phased project that will ultimately see the City of St. Joseph have the most accurate Sanitary Sewer GIS available - this will decrease overall cost for maintenance and provide a more effective response to emergency situations.

[Click here] to watch the TV spot.

July 1, 2009

3rd Annual GIS Users' Conference - Register Today!

Midland GIS Solutions will be hosting their 3rd Annual GIS Users Conference on July 8th and 9th in Maryville, MO. This year the conference will feature two full-days of GIS training in two different ArcGIS training courses to accommodate our attendees varying levels of experience and GIS capabilities. Ed Crane and Brian Hiller with ESRI, the World leader in GIS software, will be participating in the conference and they have a special presentation specifically for land assessing and county officials.

Our Annual Users Conference is a great opportunity for our county clients and those interested in GIS to gain invaluable knowledge of the latest GIS software, and at no cost to our attendees, it is an event that cannot be missed! says Marketing Director, Katie Shepherd.

For conference details and online registration please click here.

If you have any questions, please contact Katie at shepherd@midlandgis.com or 660.562.0050. GIS training courses are filling up fast, so register today!

June 3, 2009

GIS Conference Highlights Small to Mid-Sized City Use
The Alliance Advantage - A Publication from the Missouri Public Utility Alliance (MPUA)

MPUA and Midland GIS Solutions held a joint conference in Columbia in Mid-April. The use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in municipalities was the main topic with MPUA member municipalities and affiliates comprising 75% of conference attendees. The conference highlighted a case study from Ute, IA and St. Joseph, Missouri. Ute is a community of 300 residents. Most people would think that a community of this size would be too small to utilize GIS. The opposite is true. The presentation showed how the City can project work flows; manage and maintain data; and build custom maps.

Download the Full Article (PDF file - 3.9 MB)

May 28, 2009

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Now & Future
Aerial Services, Inc. Newsletter
Question & Answer Interview by Joshua McNary, Marketing Manager - Aerial Services, Inc.,
with Matt Sorensen, Vice President - Midland GIS Solutions.

In todays day and age, geospatial tools have become ubiquitous in our society. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are now commonplace in many communities and organizations. This said, questions still remain in GIS and non-GIS circles. How do you explain what GIS is to the uninitiated? What barriers still remain to further GIS adoption? What is the future of GIS? To help answer some of these questions, Aerial Services asked their friends at Midland GIS Solutions to address current issues in GIS and provide readers some ammo when explaining GIS role & importance. Matt Sorensen, Midland GIS Vice President, offered his views on a variety of issues presented by Aerial Services Marketing Manager, Joshua McNary.

[Click Here] to read the interview.

May 23, 2009

Cities Large and Small in Attendance at Midland's Municipal GIS Conference

Midland GIS Solutions hosted the Municipal GIS Conference in Columbia, Missouri on April 14-15, 2009. City Administrators, Public Works Directors, Utility Superintendents and numerous other city officials from municipalities in Missouri and Kansas attended the two-day conference. Some of the speakers included the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, ESRI, Azteca Systems, Inc. (Cityworks) and Seiler Instrument.

Kirk Larson, Midlands Vice President of Operations had this to say about the conference. It is important for these cities to know that regardless of their size and population, GIS can be a feasible option for them. The opportunities that GIS holds for managing utilities and municipal infrastructure are endless.

For more information on Midlands Municipal GIS Conference please contact Katie Shepherd at shepherd@midlandgis.com. To see a complete list of speakers, please [click here].

May 3, 2009

Dates Announced for Midlands Third Annual GIS Users Conference

Midland GIS Solutions is excited to announce that our Annual GIS Users Conference will be held in Maryville, Missouri on July 8-9, 2009. This two-day conference will take place on the campus of Northwest Missouri State University and marks the third year that Midland has offered additional GIS training, at no cost, to our valued clients and those interested in working with Midland in the future. This years conference will feature two full days of GIS training in state-of-the-art GIS facilities on the Northwest campus.

Registration details will be available soon. Please contact Katie Shepherd at shepherd@midlandgis.com for additional information.

April 29, 2009

Wayne County, Iowa and Midland GIS Team Up to Upgrade Current GIS System

Midland GIS Solutions will be converting the County Assessors office GIS data from a Microstation platform to an ESRI ArcGIS platform. Midland GIS Solutions will set up our FASTract (Farmland Assessment System) software to allow the county to maintain agricultural land valuations in the GIS mapping program. Onsite training will be provided to the Wayne County Assessors office to maintain parcel splits and agricultural values throughout the county.

April 17, 2009

DNR Approves 2009 Municipal GIS Conference for Renewal Training Hours

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has approved the 2009 Municipal GIS Conference hosted by Midland GIS Solutions for renewal training hours. The conference, which will be held in Columbia, MO on April 14th & 15th has been issued the following course number by the DNR - 0902369. Renewal training hours have been approved for Water Treatment (6.5 hrs.), Distribution (6.5 hrs.) and Wastewater (8.5 hrs.).

March 9, 2009

EPA to Speak at Midlands Municipal GIS Conference

Midland GIS Solutions is pleased to announce that Anthony Petruska from the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will be presenting on Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) Enforcement at the Midland GIS Solutions Municipal GIS Conference in Columbia, MO on April 14th & 15th. Anthony works for Region 7 of the U.S. EPA which serves Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska and nine Tribal Nations.

For more information on Midlands Municipal GIS Conference and to register for the event, click here.

March 6, 2009

Midland GIS Develops Application Interface with Iowas Leading CAMA Provider

Midland GIS Solutions was awarded Vanguard Appraisals Technology Partner of the Year Award in 2007 for the development of integrated software solutions for GIS and Vanguard Users. Midland GIS and Iowas leading CAMA provider have a working relationship to bring our valued clients the best in GIS and CAMA solutions. The most notable of these solutions is the development of Midlands unique integration software, CAMAlink.

Download the Full Article (PDF file - 1.3 MB)

March 3, 2009

County Begins New Web-GIS: phelpscomogis.com

The residents of Phelps County will no longer have to wonder where they fit in the overall scheme of things. Farmers can calculate, with the click of a mouse, how much of their property is pasture or forest. Prospective land buyers or sellers can research neighboring property valuations faster than a speedy printer can kick out a hard copy. Nosy neighbors can view every square foot of an adjacent exterior property, compare assessed valuations and even access information about whether the taxes on the property have been paid.

Download the Full Summary (PDF file - 1.3 MB)

February 11, 2009

Dates Announced for Municipal GIS Conference

Midland GIS Solutions is excited to announce the dates for our Municipal GIS Conference have been set! This two-day educational conference is scheduled for April 14 & 15, 2009 at the Courtyard Marriott in Columbia, MO. Our Municipal GIS Conference was a huge success in 2008 with speakers from ESRI, the Department of Natural Resources, Seiler Instrument, Pictometry International, and numerous others, including Public Works Directors and Midland GIS Solutions staff.

We are working on an impressive agenda this year with more speakers and a greater focus on utilizing GIS to meet various environmental regulations, said Marketing Director Katie Shepherd.

For conference details and information visit our Events Page.

January 1, 2009