June 15, 2011 in City

County OKs aerial photos for city

Firefighters, police, recruiters may use multiple-angled shots

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Aerial photography that was purchased to help the Spokane County asessor’s office has a new home and more uses.

County commissioners Tuesday approved a contract in which the city of Spokane will pay $53,402, or about half of this year’s cost of a contract for photos that show the sides as well as the tops of buildings.

The photos by a Rochester, N.Y., company called Pictometry were controversial last year when then-Assessor Ralph Baker signed a six-year contract.

Baker convinced commissioners the photos would help him cope with a $347,500 budget cut. The photos show structures from several angles in addition to traditional straight-down views, and allow accurate measurements.

However, voters replaced Baker with Vicki Horton, who thinks the cost greatly outweighs the benefits. She was satisfied with the straight-down photos the assessor’s office used to get for free.

Now, though, the Pictometry cost is spread among all county departments through the Information Systems Department, which took over the contract in January. Horton’s staff retains use of the photos, but engineers, planners, sheriff’s deputies and other county employees have access.

Spokane officials plan similarly broad use, including a new layer of information for the city’s digital mapping system.

Spokeswoman Marlene Feist said the oblique-angle photos will be useful to firefighters and police as well as to business recruiters who want to give prospects a virtual “walk-around” of properties.

Fire Chief Bobby Williams said the photos will help dispatchers clarify locations and will give his officers more information at fire scenes. He said the photos also will be useful in planning for potential fires.

“It seems to be working out the way we expected,” Commissioner Mark Richard said, noting Baker predicted other agencies would want the photos.

Ian Von Essen, the county’s geographic information system manager, said penalties made it “pretty onerous” to cancel the six-year contract that Horton wanted out of her budget.

The contract allows the county to sell the photos to members of an Avista-led consortium that previously contracted for straight-down aerial photos.

Members included Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, Airway Heights, Cheney, Medical Lake, Deer Park, Spokane Valley Fire Department, Liberty Lake Sewer and Water District and the state Department of Transportation.

Von Essen said Tuesday’s contract with Spokane is a first step in marketing the photos to the other consortium members.

“We’re certainly interested in looking at the option of participating in a cost-sharing system with them,” said Randi Rich, Avista’s manager of engineering technical services.

Rich said the Pictometry contract would have to be amended to provide extra-high resolution photos throughout the county, not just in urban areas.

Avista usually commissions annual flights for photos to update its digital maps, but didn’t this year.

Von Essen said the county typically pays $30,000 to $40,000 a year for photos from Avista, and he hopes to make the Pictometry cost similar by signing up more partners.

Nine comments on this story so far. Add yours!

• 

  west on June 15 at 7:42 a.m.

  Now the assessor will spot added on garages, fences , out door decks, additions, that permits were not taken out to construct them..

• 

  mikeln on June 15 at 8:44 a.m.

  And you thought your property was private, think again. You may be the one paying the bills but in the end you really own nothing.

• 

  Coffee on June 15 at 8:55 a.m.

  Will the general public have access to the pictures over the internet?

• 

  eagleproducer on June 15 at 9:22 a.m.

  west: Are you defending people who break the law and make your property taxes higher as a result? The only reason this has become a “privacy” issue is because we have a bunch of deadbeats who work their way around laws to avoid paying their fair share of taxes.

  Assess every square foot and heavily penalize property owners who scam the system. I’m tired of watching my colleagues lose jobs because Billy Bob avoided paying taxes on his pole building.

• 

  soccermomsusie on June 15 at 9:31 a.m.

  My nephew called me crazy when I told him about the black helicopters that seem to constantly hover over my house, especially when we are having Tea Party meetings.

  I thought they were taking pictures. Probably have X-Ray cameras too. That’s OK. I have nothing to hide, just my undying love for freedom, Cathy McMorris-Rodgers, Nancy McLaughlin, George McGrath and future Tea Party mayor - David Condon. All of these individuals still receive unwavering, high-powered radio messages to their heart and “gut” (Yecchhh, I prefer “tummy) from George W. Bush. I am tuned-in too. I call this station KGOD.

  Take that black helicopters!!! Our freedom shield will protect us!!!

  HEAR OUR VOICE!!!

• 

  Providing_Buttonholes on June 15 at 9:38 a.m.

  I assume under our public disclosure laws we can access this public information. Spokesman give it a try.

• 

  greenlibertarian on June 15 at 1:28 p.m.

  And this is superior to Google Earth how?

• 

  selkirks on June 15 at 11:13 p.m.

  How is this an invasion of privacy any more than Google Maps/Google Earth/Google Street View? I fail to comprehend what @mikeln and @west can possibly be thinking, that this is any different. I don’t understand. Not to mention, why is this a big deal in the first place?! It seems like a responsible use of government resources.

  But no, this small, vocal group of people would rather channel McCarthy.

• 

  woamike on June 26 at 6:36 p.m.

  EP Says:

  west: Are you defending people who break the law and make your property taxes higher as a result? The only reason this has become a “privacy” issue is because we have a bunch of deadbeats who work their way around laws to avoid paying their fair share of taxes.

  Assess every square foot and heavily penalize property owners who scam the system. I’m tired of watching my colleagues lose jobs because Billy Bob avoided paying taxes on his pole building.
  ********************************
  This is precious coming from you EP. You are a confessed tax avoider (all legal???) and have said people who pay high property taxes are fools. Once again: “Do as I say, not as I do.”