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ELKINS -- The City of Elkins is advertising to hire a GIS technician, the first such position in the history of the city's government.
The position's duties will include Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping and geographic data analysis, but will also work to "improve interdepartmental data sharing, support timesaving use of mobile devices in the field, and enable streamlined communication between citizens and government officials," a city press release states.
The release says the city hopes to find a qualified person for the position within the next few months.
The city's advertisement for the position asks for applicants with "either a bachelor's degree in Geographical Information Systems (or related field) and two years of responsible, relevant work experience or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience that provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities."
The advertisement states the city "offers a competitive compensation package with generous benefits. Pay will be based on qualifications and experience."
On Thursday Elkins City Council voted to place the creation of a city manager position on the ballot for the March municipal election. No decision has been made on what that position would be paid.
"A well-run GIS program can not only provide significant time and cost savings but also enable all kinds of new capabilities that can help us expand the information and services we provide to our customers," noted Elkins Operation Manager Bob Pingley, the city official who will supervise the GIS technician.
"We have a whole list of our own projects waiting for the new hire, naturally," Pingley said. "We'll be bringing a new public-facing dilapidated properties dashboard online next year, and managing that will be a key part of their duties, as will managing the city's address maps and database and coordinating data sharing with county addressing officials.
"Right now, we have to rely more than we want to on human memory when it comes to locating key pieces of underground infrastructure," he said. "It will be a big step forward to be able to start systematically mapping all of that so that all city departments can access the information.
"Another early project where we will put this person to work is mapping the replacement remote-read water meters that are about to be installed throughout the city," Pingley added.
He noted a GIS database can include notes about recent maintenance work, including water meters.
"The value of having every one of these water meters in a GIS database is not just being able to see them on a map and locate them more easily in the field, it's being able to easily access information about each one, like its installation date, maintenance history, and other details that can save our crews time troubleshooting problems or making maintenance decisions," Pingley said. "That's just one of many examples of how GIS can help us by centralizing information in one easy-to-access place."
"It's fair to say that we are starting to really see the limits of what you might call the 20th-century approach to mapping and geographic information," Pingley said. "It will be great to see what Elkins can accomplish with 21st century mapping tools and the expertise to get the most value out of them."