City & Town

In this Issue:

• Highlighting DLS New Hires and Promotions

• The Advantages of Standardized Parcel Mapping

• FY2017 Certification Workshops Schedule

• Unique Opportunity to Work for DLS

• Community Compact IT Grant Program Deadline is February 29th

• Save the Date - Assessment Administration: Law, Procedures, and Valuation (Course 101)

• OSD Announcements

Highlighting DLS New Hires and Promotions

Bob Bliss - DLS Regional Manager and Director of Strategic Planning

The Division of Local Services has filled out its post-ERIP (Early Retirement Incentive Program) roster with a series of new hires and promotions.

DLS has hired two new field representatives in the Bureau of Accounts (BOA), promoted two BOA field reps to regional office supervisors, promoted a Bureau of Local Assessment (BLA) field representative to supervisor, and gained the services of an employee who transferred into BOA from DOR's Revenue Accounting Unit.

The new BOA field reps are Bobbi Jo Colburn and David Guzman. Both will work out of the Worcester DLS office, replacing retirees Maura O'Neil and Kathy Reed. The new BOA supervisors are Andrew Nelson in Worcester and Deborah Wagner in Springfield. Wagner replaces retiree Dennis Mountain, while Nelson is now the first regional supervisor stationed in Worcester. The new BLA supervisor is Sandra Bruso in Springfield who becomes the first BLA supervisor assigned to that office. The supervisor appointments fill out the new DLS staffing plan, which groups a supervisor and three field staff in both BLA and BOA in every DLS office.

Bobbi Jo Colburn, Worcester BOA field representative

Colburn served as Town Accountant in her hometown of Shirley for almost 12 years before joining DLS. Prior to that, she worked in corporate accounting and as an analyst for 11 years. Colburn has an Associate Degree in Accounting from Mt. Wachusett Community College and is certified as a Governmental Accountant by the Massachusetts Municipal Auditors and Accountants Association. She is the mother of two teenagers, Charlie and Danielle, and serves as the Treasurer and Softball Coordinator for Shirley Youth Baseball and Softball. Colburn will cover communities in northern Worcester, Middlesex and Essex counties.

David Guzman, Worcester BOA field representative

A native of Salinas, Puerto Rico, Guzman was the City of Holyoke's Tax Collector for the past five years before joining DLS. He earned his Master's in Business Administration from American International College. A resident of Holyoke, Guzman has coached football and baseball for Holyoke High School. He lives with his fiancee, Siobhan, and their two children, Jayden and Michaela. Guzman will cover communities in Worcester and Norfolk counties.

Andrew Nelson, Worcester BOA field supervisor

A native of Grafton and current resident of Shrewsbury, Nelson has worked in the DLS Worcester office since 1998. He previously worked in Child Support Enforcement for DOR. Nelson is a graduate of Bentley College with a degree in Accounting and earned his MBA from Anna Maria College. He and his wife Jennifer are expecting their first child in May. Nelson will supervise field representatives who work in Worcester, Essex, Middlesex and Norfolk counties.

Deborah Wagner, Springfield BOA field supervisor

A native and current resident of Chicopee, Wagner has worked for BOA in the Springfield office since 2001. She previously worked in the private sector as an internal auditor for Baystate Health Systems and as a senior financial analyst for Top Flite Golf/Etonic after having started her career as an accountant with KPMG Peat Marwick. She graduated from Our Lady of the Elms College with a BA in Accounting and Business Management. She is the oldest of four children, all of whom live in Chicopee as do her parents, and is the mother of Katherine and Timothy. She will supervise field representatives who cover counties in the Pioneer Valley and Berkshires.

Susan Whouley, BOA Boston

A native of Worcester and current resident of Tewksbury, Whouley worked for nine years in DOR's Revenue Accounting Unit before transferring to BOA where she will assist field staff and handle special projects. Prior to working at DOR, Whouley was a controller in the private sector. She is a graduate of Merrimack College with a double major in Accounting and Finance and is a member of Women in Public Finance, Boston Chapter.

Sandra Bruso, Springfield BLA field supervisor

Bruso is a native of Canton and current resident of Somers, CT. She has worked in DLS for 21 years as a field representative in the Springfield area. She came to DLS with 12 years of experience on Beacon Hill working on legislative issues relating to Proposition 2 1/2. She is a graduate of Bridgewater State University with a degree in History. She lives with her three children, Claire and twins Charlie and Audrey. She will supervise BLA field staff who cover communities in Berkshire, Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester counties and the state owned land project.

The Advantages of Standardized Parcel Mapping

Neil MacGaffey - MassGIS Acting Director

Between 2011 and 2013, mapping companies and regional planning agencies working for MassGIS produced a standardized mapping for every Massachusetts community except Boston. This process of standardized parcel mapping resulted in digital versions of each community's assessor maps that comply with the MassGIS Standard for Digital Parcels (see http://www.mass.gov/itd/standardparcels). These can be accessed on the MassGIS website, which has a parcel map viewer on its home page.

The MassGIS standardized parcel mapping has been endorsed by the Massachusetts Association of Assessing Officers and recommended by BLA. In part, this is because of its stringent requirements for the number of CAMA records that can be linked to a single map parcel and vice versa. This linkage depends on the use of a unique identifier, the "locational ID," or "LOC_ID" for short.

The LOC_ID is based on the location of a point inside each parcel in the standardized parcel mapping and is unique statewide. It is produced using GIS software capabilities and maintained by the individuals, regional planning agencies, and consultants that maintain the standardized maps. The LOC_ID is not intended to replace existing map or CAMA record identifiers.

The initial bulk-loading of LOC_IDs has been supported by all the major vendors of CAMA systems. As of early 2016, approximately 275 communities are maintaining the standardized parcel mapping, and about 175 of those are also maintaining LOC_IDs in their CAMA databases.

The LOC_ID has four benefits:

1. The LOC_ID, a form of "GIS ID," enables tighter and easier integration between CAMA records and their corresponding parcels. Trying to link records based on the map parcel ID information in a CAMA database extract is very inefficient since the parcel IDs are typically stored in several fields (i.e., map, block and lot). While it's true that you can maintain a merger of map/block/lot information in a CAMA record, it may need additional work before it will reliably link with the parcel map. For example, a database join between 12-02-2A in CAMA and 12_2_2A on the map will fail. Furthermore, even for the same CAMA system, a solution based on map/block/lot may be implemented differently from one community to the next.

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2. LOC_ID resolves issues related to associated CAMA records by assigning the same identifier to each parcel. You could attach the CAMA ID to each parcel (Vision "PID", Patriot "Account #", CSC "Link ID", PK-Systems "Key", etc.). However, the CAMA ID is unique for every CAMA record. So when you have more than one CAMA record associated with a parcel (for example, condominiums), you have to create some sort of workaround so that mapping software can link all the condo records on one parcel to that parcel. In the standardized parcels, this has been taken care of because each condo on a single parcel will have been paired with the same LOC_ID. [Note that this problem also exists with map/block/lot information as condo records in a CAMA database will each have a sub-lot number, but the map parcel ID only goes to the level of the lot number.]

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3. The LOC_ID solves the problem that neither the map parcel ID nor the CAMA ID are unique outside of any given community. An ID that's unique statewide supports merging of data across communities while still making it possible to display data specific to a single community. Alternatives to the LOC_ID exist, for example adding a unique "town ID" to each map/block/lot ID, but they are cumbersome and not standardized.

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4. LOC_IDs lower software costs because consultants don't have to modify their GIS applications to use some other identifier for linking CAMA records with the assessor's parcel map.

Who supports using the LOC_ID?

Standardized mapping, including use of the LOC_ID, is supported by all the consultants that use GIS for parcel map maintenance (Tighe and Bond, PeopleGIS, Polaris Consultants, O'Donnell and Associates, MainStreet GIS, CDM Smith, CGIS, CAI Technologies, and Applied Geographics). It is also supported by all the regional planning agencies that provide parcel map maintenance services.

Once in the CAMA database, how are LOC_IDs kept up to date?

In maintaining standardized mapping, providers of map maintenance services are responsible for producing LOC_IDs for new or changed parcels. When they update maps, they will provide the assessor with a list of map and lot numbers (or map/block/lot) and their corresponding LOC_IDs for new or changed parcels. Using this list, the assessor looks up a map/lot number in their CAMA system. They then use computer mouse controls to "copy" and "paste" the LOC_ID from the list into the location where the LOC_ID is stored in the community's CAMA system. If any of the new lots are associated with more than one CAMA record (as with condominiums), then each associated record will need to be found and the LOC_ID updated.

FY2017 Certification Workshops Schedule

Bureau of Local Assessment

The Bureau of Local Assessment will be conducting five Certification Preparation Workshops for assessors whose communities are scheduled for triennial certification of all real and personal property valuations for FY2017. The workshops will be held at the following locations:

Boston: March 7th - 10 am to noon, Saltonstall Building at 100 Cambridge Street, 2nd Floor Conference Rooms C & D

Sandwich: March 10th - 10 am to noon, Oakcrest Cove, 34 Quaker Meeting House Rd.

Worcester: March 15th - 10 am to noon, Worcester Public Library, Main Branch, 3 Salem Square, Saxe Room.

Springfield: March 16th - 10 am to noon, Springfield State Office Building, 436 Dwight Street, the Third Floor Courtroom (Room 305)

Sunderland: March 16th - 2 pm to 4 pm, Sunderland Public Library, 20 School Street, Community Room

Registration is required. Please email your name, community, email address and phone number to John Gillet at bladata@dor.state.ma.us.

The Massachusetts Association of Assessing Officers (MAAO) will grant two (2) continuing education credits to assessors attending the Certification Preparation Workshops.

Unique Opportunity to Work for DLS

The DLS Technical Assistance Bureau is looking to hire two energetic, innovative professionals to help cities and towns financial implement best practices as part of the Baker-Polito Administration's Community Compact Cabinet initiative. As a project manager, you will work collaboratively with Division team members to interview local officials, analyze complex financial and operational conditions, and deliver guidance on forecasting, capital planning, budgeting, and financial policies. This is great opportunity to work with a wide variety of cities and towns while traveling throughout the state to fulfill this critical role. Successful candidates can choose to be based in our Boston, Worcester, or Springfield office.

Interested? Click on the link below to learn more.

https://massanf.taleo.net/careersection/ex/jobdetail.ftl?job=160000JO

Community Compact IT Grant Program Deadline is February 29th

As a reminder, the application deadline for the new $2 million Community Compact IT Grant Program is February 29th, 2016. This is a competitive grant program focused on driving innovation and transformation at the local level via investments in technology. This grant opportunity is specifically for cities and towns who applied for a Community Compact on or before January 29, 2016. For more information about the grant program, please click here.

Save the Date - Assessment Administration: Law, Procedures, and Valuation (Course 101)

The Division of Local Services will offer the basic assessor training course "Assessment Administration: Law, Procedures and Valuation," also known as Course 101, in Barnstable this spring. The course will be held from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm on three Wednesdays starting April 6th and ending April 27th. Please note that there will be no class on April 20th due to school vacation week. If you have any questions regarding this training opportunity, please contact Donna Quinn at (617) 626-3838 or quinnd@dor.state.ma.us.

OSD Announcements

Operational Services Division

Apple Informational Webinar

Is a technology purchase on your to-do list? Get information about Apple products and services on Statewide Contract (SWC) ITC47 during the Apple informational webinar planned for Tuesday, February 23, 2016, from 11:00 am to noon. OSD staff and Apple representatives will:

• Review available products and services

• Explain how to locate online resources for Apple product and pricing information

• Discuss account setup and purchasing instructions to receive SWC discounts

• Take questions from participants

Register to reserve your spot. Participants will be emailed information to connect to the webinar in advance of the meeting.

Have questions about Apple products now? Contact Marge MacEvitt, Strategic Sourcing Lead, at Marge.MacEvitt@state.ma.us.

Wider Selection of Vehicles on SWC VEH98 Puts Buyers in the Driver's Seat

Recently, OSD announced its comprehensive light-duty vehicle contract, VEH98, with eight vehicle brands, ten awarded dealers, and opportunities to maximize value and minimize expense. The contract offers six vehicle categories, including passenger cars, sport utility vehicles (SUVs), vans, trucks, special services vehicles (SSVs), and police pursuit vehicles (PPVs) with options starting as low as $11,965 (base model price as of February 10th, 2016).

Meet the VEH98 Vendors

Sign up to attend our VEH98 buyer meeting on Friday, February 19th, 2016, in Boston to learn about contract products and benefits and meet with the awarded contractors. Get additional details and register here. Refer questions about the VEH98 contract to Lana Gunaratne, Strategic Sourcing Lead, at Lalana.M.Gunaratne@state.ma.us.

Send questionts to OSD at OSDOutreach@state.ma.us.