"Merrick was awarded the project based on our competitive scoring system, which included high marks for their technology, methodology, delivery options, and their attention to details that are important to the county," explains Denny Kron, director of land management/county surveyor for Stearns County.
Gary Outlaw, GISP, Merrick's vice president of business development, GeoSpatial Solutions states, "Merrick is pleased to support this topographic mapping program. We are using the county's existing imagery in order to reduce the overall project cost."
Stearns County is located in central Minnesota and is home to more than 140,000 residents. The county has experienced steady annual growth of approximately 3 percent in the recent past, and presently has approximately 72,000 parcels. The new LiDAR and derived data will be used throughout the county by various public and private entities for flood insurance analysis, planning and zoning studies for new subdivisions, watershed management, assessing land value based on production potential in agricultural zones, and supporting geographic information system applications.
Visit Stearns County on the Web at www.co.stearns.mn.us.