Lieutenant Governor Gregory R. Francis recently hosted a meeting with the heads of departments and agencies with the Government of the Virgin Islands to discuss the collaborative effort needed to move the Geospatial Information Systems (GIS) program to the next level. More than 10 agencies participated in the presentation and discussion, including the University of the Virgin Islands and the departments of Police, Fire, Health and Planning and Natural Resources.

Michael Terner, of Applied Geographics System, led the presentation on the status of the Territory’s program and the steps necessary to make the program more beneficial to the agencies and to the community. He spoke analytically, discussing both the strengths and weaknesses of the existing system. Terner told the participants that by identifying the weaknesses, it will enable coordinators to identify opportunities for improvement and growth within the system.

Participants agreed with Terner on the concept of creating a single GIS data clearinghouse standardized by the Government.

“This is a sensible, practical program,” Terner noted. “With the right resources, you can do a lot with what [the data] you have already acquired.”

Another key component integral to the success and implementation of the GIS program in the Territory is the complete naming of roads and streets in the Territory. Terner said having reliable addresses were a “foundation of GIS.” The current lack of street naming uniformity within the Virgin Islands impacts emergency services.

Chief of Staff for the Lieutenant Governor’s Office Raymond Williams encouraged all of the agency heads to participate in the already established Virgin Islands Geospatial Information Council (VIGIC) so that their views can be incorporated into the implementation of GIS.

Lt. Governor Francis said GIS has the potential to promote efficiency and enable agencies and departments to more accurately monitor the government’s fixed assets.