gis, data access, and the wisconsin register of deeds offices
TRANSCRIPT
RODs are important! You have a ton of data and a statutory mandate to maintain and distribute it.
GIS and online mapping can help you meet your obligations, improve customer satisfaction, increase return on investment, and demonstrate the importance of your ROD office.
Barriers can be overcome. Includes technology, training, institutional inertia, reluctance to change, knowledge of what customers want.
How can the RODs work together for the benefit of the counties, the state as a whole, and its citizens?
How can the State Cartographer’s Office assist in this effort?
OBJECTIVES
The State Cartographer’s Office (In Brief)
Deeds…And More
Data Has Utility Beyond its Original Purpose
You Don’t Need to Be a GIS Expert!
Statewide Datasets
Benefits and Challenges (Open Discussion)
OVERVIEW
Special program within the University of Wisconsin.
Housed in Geography at UW-Madison.
Outreach, coordination, education, info and data exchange.
Data development, data dissemination, information about jobs and internships, publications, presentations, training, workshops…
Serve both the professional community and the general public.
Wisconsin Idea! A unique resource. A bridge between university and the rest of the state.
4.5 permanent staff, 1 Project staff, 4-6 students.
Statewide mission to foster the development of Wisconsin’s geospatial community through the creation and exchange of geospatial data, services, and information.
SCO
Statutory Duties
Our WesbiteNews, jobs, data, events…
Find maps/data
Learning center
Online tools/apps
Publications
Project info
www.sco.wisc.edu
SCO CONTACT INFO
ROD RESPONSIBILITIES
KINDS OF DOCUMENTSDeeds, mortgages, instruments, writings.Plats and certified survey maps.Attachments, lis pendens, sales and notices, certificates of organization of corporations, plats, or other recorded or filed instruments or classes of documents.Conveyance of real estate documents.Marriages contracted, deaths and births occurring in the county.Records, documents and papers of any post of the Grand Army of the Republic and of any historical society in the register's county.Organizational documents of corporations, fraternal societies, religious organizations, associations and other entities.Documents pertaining to security interests.Chattel documents.Financing statement evidencing the creation of a security interest.Assignment, continuation statement, termination statement, foreclosure affidavit, extension, or release pertaining to a filed financing statement or other chattel security document.Writings that are submitted according to s. 289.31 (3), evidencing that a solid or hazardous waste disposal facility.Marital property agreements.Statements of claim.Historic landmarks.
FEESFor recording any instrument entitled to be recorded in the office of the register of deeds, $30.For copies of any records or papers, $2 for the first page plus $1 for each additional page, plus $1 for the certificate of the register of deeds.For performing functions under s. 409.523, the register shall charge the fees provided in s. 409.525, retain the portion of the fees prescribed under s. 409.525, and submit the portion of the fees not retained to the state.For filing any instrument which is entitled to be filed in the office of register of deeds and for which no other specific fee is specified, $30.The fees for processing vital records or for issuing copies of vital records shall be as provided in s. 69.22.For recording and filing a cemetery plat under s. 157.07, a subdivision plat under s. 236.25 or a condominium plat under s. 703.07, $50.For recording a transportation project plat under s. 84.095, $25.
DISTRIBUTION59.43(1c)(i) Make and deliver to any person, on demand and upon payment of the required fees, a certified copy, with the register's official seal affixed, of any record, paper, file, map or plat in the register's office.
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
Many/most of these documents relate to locations.
Some are actually maps.
Often refer to specific parcels of land.
Some include place names.
All of these can be mapped to help users find what they need.
Look at foreclosure data as an example…
FINDING THE DATA
FINDING THE DATAThe data exists but:
It can be hard to find
Format varies from county to county
There are 72 counties!
It’s not in map form
Not interactive
WHY IS THIS AN ISSUE?Foreclosure data is useful!
Not just a list of properties for sale
Can be used to strengthen neighborhoods, mitigate negative effects, reduce crime, maintain property values…
…but only if it can accessed and used
MINNEAPOLIS EXAMPLE
MINNEAPOLIS EXAMPLE
MINNEAPOLIS EXAMPLE
MINNEAPOLIS EXAMPLE
DETROIT EXAMPLE
WHAT DATA DO THEY HAVE?Parcels
Foreclosures
Census data
Ownership
Property tax status (delinquency)
Vacancies, occupancy, etc.
Packard Plant
RELEVANCE FOR WISCONSINWe have the data:
• Statewide parcels
• Foreclosures
• Could obtain other variables (water use)
We could do this too, either working with Loveland, or DIY like CURA
GIS USERS vs. GIS EXPERTSGIS experts are important
But, it is GIS users who should be consulted about what maps, data, or apps are needed
As RODs you know what users want
GIS experts do not
GIS experts can help build your apps, but they cannot tell you what to build
A WISCONSIN EXAMPLEFirst heard of Tyson Fettes when he and staff won Esri SAG award, despite no background in GIS or mapping
An impressive success, both for Tyson and his team, and for GIS and mapping
GIS experts should help make GIS easier to use, find new GIS applications, listen to what users want, and generally help GIS become more widely used.
LESSONSYou don’t have to be a GIS expert
Map = an intuitive interface that can improve customer success/satisfaction
Users are not GIS experts either – they have specific needs
Multiple specialized apps is better than one big app that tries to do it all
LANDMARK EXAMPLE
UNINC EXAMPLE
UNINC EXAMPLE
https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/vitalrecords/cvtlist.pdf
UNINC EXAMPLE
UNINC EXAMPLE
UNINC EXAMPLE
UNINC EXAMPLE
UNINC EXAMPLE
UNINC EXAMPLE
UNINC EXAMPLE
AND CEMETERIES TOO
USESOriginal intent:Vital records
Other uses/users: Genealogy :: Historians :: Students :: Historical societies :: Researchers :: Map-makers :: Writers
GENEALOGY
WHO
WHEN
WHERE
CROSS-COUNTY COLLABORATIONS
Yes, RODs have a county mandate
But…RODs also serve the citizens of the state, regardless of county
There is value in statewide data… imagine purchasing a book on Amazon one chapter at a time where each chapter is in a different format
Would that meet user needs???
Citizens are going to benefit from this change by having access to their records anywhere in the state. it is going to also benefit title companies, funeral homes, lawyers
and banks to obtain records on behalf of their
customers.
STATEWIDE PARCEL MAP
100% contributor participation for V1 and V2 projects
No county with less than 54% digital parcels
92% of counties are above 95% parcel completeness
3% more parcel coverage in V2 vs. V1
V2 parcel layer is 97% complete
STATEWIDE PARCEL MAP USAGEWeb site usage stats to assess demand for parcel data
Stats are from Google Analytics and BOX
Track downloads (statewide and county-specific datasets)
Track pageviews, sessions, and visitors for web app
For V2 data, downloads began July, 2016 and web app went live Oct., 2016 (Only a few months of data)
BENEFITSDATA & APPS
USERS, DOWNLOADS, SESSIONS, DOCUMENTS
CUSTOMERSATISFACTION $ FEES $
RETURN ONINVESTMENT
JUSTIFICATIONOF ROD
FUNCTIONS
Feedback aboutuser needs
Investment
CHALLENGESTechnology: Who can assist? Availability of education and training. Learning new skills. Costs. Computers, servers, cloud storage…
Changing Established Practices: Getting assistance and buy-in. Local county GIS expertise. Culture change.
Focus on the User: A task for the GIS community as a whole. Something we need to get better at.
Other Challenges…
Adams County Courthouse. Royalbroil, Wikimedia Commons
Corktown - Detroit's Oldest Neighborhood 1834. Brain Mulloy, Wikimedia Commons
Former Michigan Central Train Station. Albert duce, Wikimedia Commons
Green County Courthouse. Corey Coyle, Wikimedia Commons
Green Lake County Courthouse. Royalbroil, Wikimedia Commons
Keep Calm and Hand Over the Money. http://sd.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/i/keep-calm-and-hand-over-the-money.png
Kenosha County Court House. Richie Diesterheft, Wikimedia Commons
Kewaunee County Courthouse. Chris Rand, Wikimedia Commons
Old Iron County Courthouse. Bobak Ha'Eri, Wikimedia Commons
Old Waukesha County Courthouse. Kenneth C. Zirkel, Wikimedia Commons
Racine County Court House. Richie Diesterheft, Wikimedia Commons
Science Hall Exterior. Bryce Richter, © Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System
Western part of the abandoned Packard Automotive Plant in Detroit, Michigan. Albert duce, Wikimedia Commons
Wisconsin Marriage Certificate. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~wigrant/CD-LSmithmarriage.gif