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Page 2 of 3 <br />Information Technology “Study Session Staff Report”, 3/31/2026 <br />maintain operations, this approach has not been a successful substitute for internal GIS <br />architectural capacity and long-term program development. <br />More recently, the County has experienced a vacancy in its sole GIS Analyst position. IT <br />believes refilling that position “as-is” will not, by itself, provide the level of knowledge <br />and skill needed to meet service level expectations and complete upcoming <br />modernization work on required timelines. <br /> <br />DISCUSSION: <br />Current Condition and Service Impacts <br />Our current mix of in-house staffing and consulting support has kept GIS services <br />running. However, we still have trouble providing steady, predictable service, and we do <br />not have enough in-house expertise to plan ahead and improve the program—much of <br />our work is focused on responding to issues as they come up. <br />IT must plan and execute an upgrade path to ArcGIS Enterprise version 11, as version 10 <br />is reaching its end of support. <br />IT believes the County’s GIS resourcing approach must align with the complexity and <br />timeline expectations of this modernization work, while also strengthening day-to-day <br />support and program direction. <br />To address these needs, IT is presenting three potential models for Board discussion and <br />direction. These options are intentionally presented at a high level to support in-person <br />dialogue and refinement at the study session. <br />Option A — Hire a Senior GIS Specialist/Architect; minimize consultant reliance <br />• Concept: Recruit a senior-level GIS Solution Architect to provide primary <br />technical leadership, system architecture ownership, and program development <br />capacity. Use the consultant selectively for specialized or time-limited work. <br />General advantages: Strong internal ownership; improved continuity; reduced <br />dependency on third-party availability for core functions; improved ability to <br />prioritize and execute modernization work. <br />General considerations: Higher recruitment difficulty and compensation <br />requirements. Even with a highly qualified senior hire, relying heavily on one <br />person to understand and maintain a complex GIS environment can recreate a <br />“single point of failure.” If that employee leaves or is unavailable, the County <br />could again face an urgent scramble to maintain continuity and recover key <br />knowledge. <br />Option B — Hire a GIS Solution Architect I/II; continue consultant for escalations <br />Concept: Recruit an intermediate-level GIS Solution Architect to rebuild internal <br />capacity while retaining the consulting firm as an escalation path and for advanced