Eagle, Colorado’s Day-to-Day Operations are Transformed by ArcGIS® Online
The Town of Eagle, Colorado, located between Vail and Glenwood Springs, is quintessential Colorado. The Eagle River runs through the town, attracting fishing enthusiasts. Proximity to mountain biking and hiking trails as well as skiing make Eagle well worth the stop on heavily traveled Interstate 70.
Moving from paper maps to a holistic GIS system
In early 2023, most of the Town of Eagle’s maps were still in paper form and only a few people were using AutoCAD, limiting access to spatial data. The Town utilized Argis Solutions’ Jumpstart for ArcGIS® program to build an accessible GIS foundation that would not need to rely on dedicated staffing. To gain a comprehensive understanding of its existing spatial data and needs, as well as define a plan for its future state goals, the Town began its Jumpstart with Argis’ GIS Assessment.
Assessing GIS needs
The GIS Assessment included a review of data files, storage structure, equipment and software to capture its present state implementation. A data dictionary was created, and county data sources were researched. Subject-matter expert interviews were conducted with the Public Works and Community Development departments to determine their specific GIS needs. Lastly, a roadmap for ArcGIS® Online implementation was developed, outlining the level of effort each of the Town’s GIS goals would require. This roadmap allowed the Town to clearly prioritize its next steps for data and development.
During the data review, sixty different data sets were identified, including computer-aided drafting (CAD) files and data from Esri’s website. Some data was unavailable and would require scanning or extraction to make the data accessible. The Town chose to address the unavailable data at a later date. Argis converted the CAD files so that they could be useable within ArcGIS Online.
The transition to ArcGIS Online
Once the assessment was complete, Argis Solutions partner Platte River Analytics gathered all usable existing data and base layers and set up the Town’s first map in ArcGIS Online, identifying all data gaps.
The Town had a wish list of GIS tools that it wanted to use from past staff experiences, so Argis documented the tools’ functionality and the level of effort required to build them allowing the Town to prioritize which tools to build. The new tools were built by Argis using ArcGIS® Experience Builder.
Argis Solutions’ Jumpstart brought the Town of Eagle from approximately fifty GIS users to 150, spanning across eleven departments. These GIS users now have access to maps ranging from storm drains to EV charging stations and easements. Looking to the future, the Town hopes to implement several ArcGIS® Solutions for state and local government that will further streamline and support its day-to-day operations.