URISA Webinar
December 17, 2008 – Strategic Planning for GIS
Presenter - Rebecca Somers, Somers St Claire GIS
Learn strategies for managing external and internal changes that impact GIS operations, resources and organizational support.
Date: Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Time: 3:00pm Eastern / 2:00pm Central / 1:00pm Mountain /12:00pm Pacific
Cost: $20 per participant
Who: Participation is limited to 40 attendees
Registration: http://www.urisa.org/webinars
The CalGIS planning group is in need of a few volunteers. Thank you for considering helping plan this conference. See note below for more details and a link to the volunteer form.
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As we get ready for the April 2009 CalGIS conference in Sacramento it is time to assemble a group of talented and willing volunteers. It is through the work of these volunteers that makes CalGIS the success that it is.
You are receiving this e-mail because you are a volunteer, you want to volunteer or may know of someone who would make a great volunteer. This is a great opportunity to be a more involved member of the GIS community. Consider becoming a member at large.
We have several chair position still open:
Attached is a volunteer form which you can fill out electronically. Simply click on the ‘submit by email’ in the upper right corner of the form. Or mail directly to the Northern California Chapter of URISA’s post office box listed on the form.
Below is a brief description of the remaining chair positions:
Program – this person will be responsible for developing the sessions based on the theme selected by the chair or committee. For 2008, Kris has developed her own sub-committee of highly talented people to assist in getting people to submit abstracts in the various areas of interest: Agriculture, Education, Government, and Industry. We do allow other presentations but she and her committee review each abstract and decide on its relevance to the conference and GIS. This is a very important sub-committee chair and you will need someone that will motivated from the start.
Focus Session – this person will be responsible for coordinating focus sessions. They will work with the key persons who will hold the focus session and provide a progress report for each of the leads on the development of that particular session. This sub-chair will also be responsible for coordinating with the Program Chair
Media/Outreach – this is a somewhat new addition to the chairs for the conference. This person is responsible for posting the conference information on GIS or related web sites with event calendars. This person also works with the Marketing and Communications chair.
Poster – this person coordinates and organized the posters submitted for the conference and is responsible for their display. This person will work closely with the program chair, logistics person and conference manager
Register now to receive the Early Registration rate of $250. This rate offered only till February 19th.
Register online this year! http://www.calgis.org/registration.htm
Hi everyone – want to let you know that the deadline for Abstracts for CalGIS is Friday, December 12th.
Here’s the link for submittal!
Wednesday Nov 19th – Join SoCal URISA and other GIS professionals at Palomar College from 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM for GIS Day!
Enjoy free food while meeting with GIS students and other area GIS professionals. Share your knowledge and learn from others.
Contact Wing Cheung, Assistant Professor for more information – 760-744-1150 or wcheung@palomar.edu or visit http://faculty.palomar.edu/wcheung/
Hope to see you there!
1140 West Mission Road
San Marcos CA 92069
CalGIS 2009 Conference Committee would like to announce Early Bird Registration!
CalGIS Registration - 2009
April 6 - 9, 2009, Sacramento, California
Special Early Registration
CalGIS would like to offer a very special Early Registration Rate of $120. This is the full conference rate and is only valid until Friday, July 25, 2008. Registration forms, along with a check (made out to URISA) or valid credit card information must be received or postmarked by July 25, 2008 for the early conference rate to be honored.
This is a great incentive for attendee's who's fiscal year ends June 2008 and want to make use of year end funds.
Attendees who register with this early rate will be kept up to date as the conference program is developed.
Questions? Call the URISA Conference Hotline at (847) 824-6300, register@calgis.org
Sincerely,
Renee Gerasimtchouk
2009 CalGIS Communications Chair
I just updated the Jobs page with 18 new listings!
Some are closing very soon - take a look today.
So? What did you come up with?
What? Nothing?!
There is a $100 gift certificate up for grabs and you haven't come up with even one good, fun, catchy or inventive name for the SoCal URISA newsletter?
Time is running out.
The deadline is June 20th.
Send your ideas today - get them in to Melisa right away.
Date: May 9, 2008
Project Title: Compiling Infrastructure damage data (buildings, ports, bridges) in Cyclone Margins affected areas in Myanmar in Google Earth (GE) environment
Number of Volunteers: 20
Volunteers for this project must:
1. Have experience working in Google Earth environment; able to create various features in GE environment
2. Basic knowledge in Geo-coding and database manipulation
3. Able to spend +/-8 hours per day on the project during the next 5-7 days.
4. This position does NOT require traveling and is conducted remotely. You will be using your own computer for this project and communicating with UNOSAT Project Manager via email and FTP.
If you are interested and available, please send an email to: Ingrid.Bruce@cityofrc.us as soon as possible and no later than Monday May 12th. If any changes have been made to your resume since you signed up with GISCorps, attach an updated version to your email. Most importantly, please only respond if you can work +/- 8 hours per day on this project during the next 5-7 days starting May 12th.
Written by GISCI
Thursday, 01 May 2008
Park Ridge, IL - The California GIS Council (CGC), the primary geographic information systems coordinating council for the state, has formally endorsed the GIS Certification Institute's (GISCI) certification program for GIS professionals.
California has joined New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon and North Carolina as the five states to offer endorsements of the program.
"The California GIS Council recognizes and endorses concepts embodied in the certification program of the GIS Certification Institute," wrote CGC council member Michael Byrne, GISP. "The certification program of GISCI provides a firm basis for identifying requirements for those practicing the profession. The certification program and related programs provide a cadre of GIS professionals to develop and apply geospatial data to meet the needs of California."
Bruce Joffe, GISCI President, added, "We welcome California's endorsement. As geodata usage and GIS services become more mainstream in government and industry, the identification of GIS professionals who are GISCI-certified becomes more valuable to both service receivers and employers, as well as to service providers."
The CGC is made up of representatives from local, regional, state and federal government agencies and the private sector. It was formed to coordinate the planning, implementation and maintenance of a California GIS infrastructure. This includes strategic planning for systems, organizational structures. services, policy, standards, procedures, and other factors that affect the ability of member organizations to jointly develop or acquire, share and maintain spatial data adequate to their needs.
Currently, 122 certified GIS professionals (GISPs(r)) reside in the state of California. There are 2,125 GISPs(r) as of March 25, 2008. To download application materials or for more information regarding the GISCI certification program please visit www.gisci.org or call (847) 824-7768.
Application deadline May 12th!
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Subject: For Immediate Release: URISA ESIG Award Deadline is May 12, 2008
For Immediate Release
URISA's 2008 ESIG™ AWARD APPLICATION DEADLINE APPROACHING
April 16, 2008 (Park Ridge, IL) – The application deadline for URISA’s prestigious Exemplary Systems in Government (ESIG) Awards is rapidly approaching. Submissions must be received by May 12, 2008 to be considered. The awards recognize exceptional achievements in the application of information technology that have improved the delivery and quality of government services. Applications may be submitted in two categories, Single Process and Enterprise Systems.
SINGLE PROCESS SYSTEMS - Systems in this category are outstanding and working examples of applying information system technology to automate a specific SINGLE process or operation involving one department or sub-unit of an agency. The system application results in extended and/or improved government services that are more efficient and/or save money.
ENTERPRISE SYSTEMS - Systems in this category are outstanding and working examples of using information systems technology in a multi-department environment as part of an integrated process. These systems exemplify effective use of technology yielding widespread improvements in the process(es) and/or service(s) involved and/or cost savings to the organization.
Applications must be submitted by May 12, 2008. Winners in each category will be recognized at URISA's 46th Annual Conference, October 7-10, 2008 in New Orleans. For more information or to review last year's winning submissions, visit <http://www.urisa.org/awards/esig> or call (847) 824-6300.
Wendy Nelson
Executive Director
URISA
Dear Colleagues,
I have received word that Assemblymember Solorio has "dropped" AB 1978 from consideration by the Government Organization committee, which effectively kills the bill. His office said that due to "new developments" on the bill, Solorio "has decided to not push it forward," so "it's not going to go anywhere."
This does not mean that the backers of this attempt to limit and confuse the public's right to its governments' data (as guaranteed by the California Public Records Act) would not try to advance their objectives through other means. So, we will stay vigilant, and hope that you will remain responsive, if the need again arises.
Many thanks to those who sent a letter to Asm. Solorio's office expressing opposition to the bill. Undoubtedly, this influenced his decision to withdraw. Thanks, also, to those professional organizations that are in the process of preparing a statement of opposition. Please remain responsive and vigilant.
Grateful appreciation is due to the GIS press (especially, Directions Magazine, GIS Cafe, GeoSpatial Solutions, POB Magazine, GeoPlace, and GIS Monitor) and the mainstream press (Orange County Register and S.F.Bay Guardian) for informing our community about this important issue.
Enjoy the sunshine, and stay alert!
Bruce Joffe
Open Data Consortium
GIS Consultants
Going to CalGIS? Interested in being more active in the SoCal group? Then join us at the SoCal URISA Board Meeting at the CalGIS Conference on April 24th at noon.
We will be in the Magnolia Room - BYBL (Bring Your Box Lunch!).
Just posted seven new job openings - two of them have a close application deadline!
(don't forget, the SoCal URISA site will be off line this weekend)
Hi folks - FYI that the SoCal URISA site will be off-line for a bit at the end of next week.
The site will go off-line sometime around 6 PM on April 4th (Friday) and should be back up early evening (hopefully earlier) on Saturday April 5th.
We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.
Check out the flier here for more info.
Then email Melisa with your ideas for a new Newsletter name.
And always feel free to contact Blanca with suggestions for Newsletter articles - or if you might want to submit an article!
Just posted five new job openings to the Jobs page. All within California.
GeographyJobs.com is a new resource out there on the 'net for anyone looking for a new career. We have added a link to it on the top of the SoCal URISA Jobs page, and will be using it as a resource for locating openings to post on the SoCal URISA site.
If you are looking for your first career, or just a change in positions - good luck with your search!
The next Regional ESRI meeting is happening on April 8th at the usual location - the Doubletree Hotel in Hazard Center.
ESRI asks that folks pre-register, which you can do here.
On the agenda is:
Hope to see you there!
Court Confirms Public Records Law
Although the California Public Records Act (CPRA) requires state and local government records to be provided to anyone requesting them for no more than the cost of duplication, until recently, 21 of California's 58 counties sold their GIS digital parcel basemap data for significantly higher prices. In October 2005, the California Attorney General issued an official opinion stating that digital parcel data is subject to public inspection and copying under provisions of the CPRA (http://ag.ca.gov/opinions/yearly_index.php?year=2005, Look for 04-1105).Subsequently, eight counties changed their data distribution policy, and now offer their GIS basemap data for free or nominal cost. However, 13 counties still maintain a high-cost data distribution policy, contending that GIS basemap data is exempt from the CPRA. They assert that the A.G.'s opinion does not have the force of law - only a Judicial judgment can confirm or deny their policy. Now, as of May 18, 2007, such a judgment has been rendered.
The California First Amendment Coalition (CFAC) took Santa Clara County to court after the county denied CFAC's request for the county's GIS basemap data at the cost of duplication and with no other restrictions on how it might be used or redistributed. Judge James P. Kleinberg of the California Superior Court for Santa Clara County reviewed the many arguments and rebuttals of the case over three months, and issued the Court's decision in favor of CFAC. Judge Kleinberg directed Santa Clara County to:
1. Provide CFAC with an electronic copy of the GIS basemap, and
2. Charge CFAC the direct cost for the copy provided.The decision affirms the legislative intent stated in the CPRA (Government Code §6250) that "access to information concerning the conduct of the people's business is a fundamental and necessary right of every person in this state."
Read more: Court Confirms Public Records Law
Legislative Alert
Dear BAAMA member and GIS community,
You may be aware that our state legislature is considering a bill to amend the California Public Records Act. The bill (AB 1978) was introduced on February 14, 2008 by State Assembly Member Jose Solorio, and may have implications on public access to geospatial information in the future.We believe this topic is of primary interest to all GIS practitioners. We invite you to review Assembly Member Solorio's proposed bill and discuss its implications within your organization.
You can find the text of AB 1978 at
http://www.directionsmag.com/article.php?article_id=2702
A critique of AB 1978 may be found at:
http://www.directionsmag.com/article.php?article_id=2701Based upon your review of AB 1978, you may wish to share your opinion of the bill with your local Assembly Member or state Senator. The bill is scheduled for committee review 30 days after introduction, which would be March 15.
Sincerely,
The BAAMA Board
Just posted three new positions on the Jobs page.
An Internship, a web developer and a GIS Analyst position.
Hi all - just a quick note to let you know that I have just posted 12 new job announcements on the Jobs page.
Just hit the Jobs link on the left, or this one right here!
