What is GAP?

GAP is the GIS Advisory and Planning Team for Salem GIS. GAP is composed of GIS professionals and users who represent each City department. GAP meets on a monthly basis to discuss Citywide GIS issues, particularly those issues and projects that cross departmental lines.

GAP is a forum for understanding and action and is intended to promote cooperation and coordination among departments, and to create a mechanism for GIS issues to be elevated to management.

GAP's mission is to enable the City to improve decision making and resource sharing through the use of GIS.

GIS product demostrations and business presentations for all departments are scheduled during GAP meetings.  To request a GIS business presentation, contact us.

GAPs purpose is to:

• Identify Citywide GIS issues
• Inform management of Citywide GIS issues
• Provide a forum to discuss and solve Citywide GIS issues
• Coordinate Departmental efforts in solving Citywide GIS issues

GAP Membership:

Susan Blohm, GIS Supervisor, Information Technology

Daniel Brown, GIS Analyst, Information Technology

JoAnne Ganoe, GIS Analyst, Information Technology

Alan Kessler, GIS Analyst, Community Development

John Smith, GIS Supervisor, Public Works

David Winegardner, GIS Analyst, Community Development

These core members provide the organizational and technical framework for an effective committee, representing the current core use of GIS in the City. Additional members from each department provide a balanced perspective for City GIS, to incorporate the needs of smaller departments, and to assist the City in integrating the needs of all departments. Some departments may choose not to appoint a representative, especially if there is not current GIS expertise in their department. In these cases, the IT division acts as their representative.

GAP Representatives:

Some of GAPs recent goals include:

• Improve CityGIS operations based on understanding and integration of shared assets
• Manage and optimize software licensing
• Improve and document data quality and content, providing FGDC compliant metadata
• Manage roles and responsibilities of GIS personnel
• Assist in City governance processes
• Migrate to geodatabase data model
• Improve customer support and service
• Provide more web based applications
• Provide technical training to users in desktop GIS applications
• Improve information access for users
• Interface/integrate GIS and existing applications
• Provide browser based access to GIS for city employees and for citizens