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Page 1 of 3 <br />Information Technology “Study Session Staff Report”, 3/31/2026 <br />KITTITAS COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS <br />STAFF REPORT FOR STUDY SESSION <br /> <br />Information Technology <br /> <br />STUDY SESSION DATE: 3/31/2026 <br /> <br />TOPIC: GIS Resourcing Discussion and Direction <br /> <br />ACTION REQUESTED: Direct Staff <br /> <br />LEAD STAFF: Zane Kinney <br /> <br />RECOMMENDATION: <br />Provide direction to the IT Department on the preferred resourcing model for Kittitas <br />County’s GIS program to ensure continuity of service and timely modernization of the <br />County’s ArcGIS Enterprise environment. <br /> <br />BRIEFING SUMMARY: <br />• The County currently has a vacancy in its sole GIS Analyst position and continues <br />to experience capacity and continuity constraints within the GIS program. <br />• Prior staffing changes in 2023 led IT to augment GIS support through an outside <br />GIS consulting firm to provide escalated technical support when needed. <br />• The current model has been effective for continuity in some areas, but the County <br />is falling behind in several key GIS program needs and planned modernization <br />work. <br />• A major shift in GIS resourcing is needed to meet service expectations, reduce <br />operational risk, and complete the required upgrade path to ArcGIS Enterprise 11. <br /> <br />BACKGROUND: <br />Kittitas County’s GIS program provides critical support to County operations and to <br />departments that rely on accurate spatial data, mapping services, and GIS-enabled <br />business processes. <br />In 2023, the County’s GIS Coordinator position was vacated abruptly. At that time, IT <br />identified significant challenges in recruiting a qualified replacement within the <br />constraints of the prevailing GIS job market and the County wage scale. With Board <br />approval, IT implemented an alternative support model by contracting with an outside <br />GIS consulting firm to provide an escalation path for advanced GIS needs and continuity <br />of expertise. <br />Under that model, the IT Assistant Director (Zane Kinney) provided supervision and <br />direction to GIS staff and served as a key point of continuity due to institutional <br />familiarity with the County’s GIS environment. While this provided stability and helped