ATHENS, Tenn. — Close-up aerial views of McMinn County are now just a mouse click away with a new, Web-based map viewing service, local officials said.
Operated from the county property assessor’s office, the Geographic Information System service offers online information about property that until recently was available only by visiting the office.
“You can get property owner information along with sale prices, property boundaries, FEMA flood plain information, soil information and topography,” county GIS technician Jeremy Brack said.
He said aerial photos were shot in February, 2005, and that they should be updated about every four years.
The county GIS site was begun in 1999, but professionals such as real estate agents and surveyors had to drive to the downtown Athens office every time they needed specific property information.
Although large, custom projects will still have get some specific information, “this will save a lot of time” for most customers, Assessor Don Cowart said. He said the GIS mapping service is primarily available in major metropolitan areas, and McMinn is one of only a few smaller counties that offer it.
Mr. Brack said multiple layers of information can be added to the site including roads, streams, ponds, property lines, golf courses, airports and utility lines. Officials in the assessor’s office still are considering what layers to offer.
He said all public information can be put on the map for anyone to use. Some information that is not public can be added but access can be restricted to those who are authorized to use it, he said.
Mr. Brack said he will update the parcel layers once a month when changes to tax records come into the assessor’s office. The information comes from deeds that are filed in the office.
Sweetwater Title Co. attorney David Siklosi said he has been on the Web site and found there is a “learning curve” to retrieving information.
“I’m still a fan of hard copy,” Mr. Siklosi said, but he also believes the site will help save time, especially in gathering routine information.
Athens surveyor Christian Medders said the new site has made his job easier.
“It’s one of the best in the state,” Mr. Medders said.
Mr. Cowart said the site is a good tool for economic development since companies all over the world can use it to find out more about McMinn County and Athens.
Built by GEO-Jobe GIS Consulting, the site went online on Feb. 28 and got 1,600 hits in the first two days, he said. He said tracking monitors show the average time spent at the site is 12 minutes and that inquiries have come from as far away as Florida, New York and California.
He said money from the county’s hotel/motel tax paid for the project.
ON THE WEB
To use the GIS map, go to www.mcminncounty.org click on Courthouse Offices, then Property assessor. Click on Parcel Mapping to access McMinn’s site, or CAAS Website for statewide property data.
