Counties, Cities, Utilities Use Aerial Photos

New York-based Pictometry, a company specializing in aerial photography, captures this year the University of Arkansas’ famed Old Main. The company contracts with Washington County to photograph every parcel of land in the county.
New York-based Pictometry, a company specializing in aerial photography, captures this year the University of Arkansas’ famed Old Main. The company contracts with Washington County to photograph every parcel of land in the county.

FAYETTEVILLE — Washington County pays tens of thousands of dollars annually to take aerial photographs of homes, businesses, other real estate and infrastructure.

Cities and utilities have voluntarily shared the cost for almost 10 years through the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission. The uses of aerial pictometry are multiple, said city, county and utility officials.

New York-based Pictometry charged the county $183,798 for services this year, $56,051 in 2012 and $43,285 in 2011, according to records from the county comptroller’s office. The company photographs every parcel of land, said Jeff Williams, assessor.

The county sets market values on all real estate properties in order to tax the owners. Aerial photos save the county thousands of dollars in labor because appraisers can review properties from their computer instead of visiting a property in person, Williams said.

“We have approximately 100,000 parcels of land,” Williams said. “Out of that there’s about 65,000 with structures on them. Approximately 16,000 of those parcels we’re able to do by sitting at our desk.”

Williams said the state requires more costly images showing enhanced detail every five years during reappraisal cycles. That explains the $127,747 difference in cost this year compared to last, he said.

Williams told Quorum Court members last week he received a check from regional planning to help with the cost. The money was the sum of contributions from nine cities, SourceGas and the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department.

“I’ll be delivering to Washington County a check for $51,817.50 from other organizations that help participate in this year’s aerial photography,” Williams told the Quorum Court Sept. 19. “We’ve had one of the greatest participation levels this year that we’ve ever had.”

John McLarty, assistant director of regional planning, said Washington and Benton counties and several cities and utilities have used aerial pictometry since 2004.

Cites, during the late 1990s and early 2000s, were each paying for photographs of planning areas before deciding to share the cost, McLarty said. Cities have saved thousands of dollars, he said.

Since 2004, the commission has collected money from cities and utilities and distributed the photographs to entities in exchange for 10 percent of their contributions, McLarty said.

Melissa McCarville, Farmington business manager, said city engineers have used the aerial pictometry when developing infrastructure projects, such as roads.

BY THE NUMBERS

Photo Costs

Washington County pays an aerial photography company to take photos of every parcel of land annually. Other entities contribute to the cost and receive access to the photos.

Entity - - Contribution

Farmington - $2,520

Fayetteville - $10,200

Goshen - $1,440

Johnson - $1,320

Prairie Grove - $1,000

Springdale - $9,010

Tontitown - $3,650

West Fork - $3,000

Winslow - $480

SourceGas - $2,500

State highway department - $2,500

Total - 37,620

• Regional planning fee: $3,762

Total minus fee: $33,858

• 2012 contributions: $17,959

• Total payment to county: $51,817

Source: Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission

New computer software available this year could allow the city’s fire department to add fire hydrant locations to maps or the police department to verify the location of a registered sex offender, she said.

Patsy Christie, Springdale planning and community development director, said her department uses the photography on a daily basis for zoning and conditional-use permit requests. Other departments, such as public works, police and fire departments, use the photos as well, she said.

SourceGas uses the photography for planning new facilities and pipeline routes, said Charles Bayles, senior director of engineering and strategic planning. The utility has used aerial photography since 2004, he said.

Photos help planners choose routes that will minimally impact the environment, such as avoiding areas with lots of trees, he said.

“We actually have new facilities being installed at all times,” Bayles said. “Some of our bigger projects are currently in western Washington County and other projects in Gravette.”

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