Geographic Information System

Miss. Code Ann. tit. 25, ch. 58
in effect

Miss. Code Ann. § 25-58-1 Definitions; boards of supervisors authorized to create geographic information system and prepare multipurpose cadastre.

For the purposes of this section, the following words shall have the meanings ascribed herein unless the context clearly requires otherwise: “Geographic information system” means a computerized, spatial coordinate mapping and relational data base technology which (i) captures, assembles, stores, converts, manages, analyzes, amalgamates and records, in the digital mode, all kinds and types of information and data; (ii) transforms such information and data into intelligence; and subsequently (iii) retrieves, presents and distributes that intelligence to a user for use in making the intelligent decisions necessary for sound management of private or political affairs. “Data base” means a collection of available information and data assembled into electronic files for efficient and timely management of county and municipal affairs and functions and the exercise of the powers, duties and responsibilities placed upon the governing authorities of a county or municipality by Mississippi law and the Mississippi Constitution. “Multipurpose cadastre” means a uniformly accepted base map registered to the Mississippi State Plane Coordinate System and depicting boundaries of all public properties. “Mississippi State Plane Coordinate System” means the system of plane rectangular coordinates established by the National Geodetic Survey which system is further identified as North American Datum (NAD) 1983. The board of supervisors of any county and the governing authorities of any municipality are hereby authorized and empowered, in their discretion, to do all things necessary and desirable to create a geographic information system for the county or municipality, as appropriate. Data bases for such a system shall be created under the direct supervision of persons who are experienced in and possess a demonstrated knowledge of the preparation of geographic information systems and of the data bases and the other requirements and activities related thereto. The board of supervisors of any county and the governing authorities of any municipality are further authorized and empowered, in their discretion, to prepare, or have prepared, a multipurpose cadastre registered to the accuracy standards promulgated by the Federal Geodetic Control Committee established under the provisions of the United States Office of Management and Budget Memoranda A-16.

Miss. Code Ann. § 25-58-3 Borrowing money to create geographic information system and to prepare multipurpose cadastre.

The board of supervisors of any county and the governing authorities of any municipality (both referred to in this section as “governing authority”) are hereby authorized and empowered, in their discretion, to borrow money, pursuant to the provisions of this section to create the geographic information system and prepare the multipurpose cadastre authorized in Section 25-58-1. Before any money is borrowed under the provisions of this section, the governing authority shall adopt a resolution declaring the necessity for such borrowing and specifying the purpose for which the money borrowed is to be expended, the amount to be borrowed, the date or dates of the maturity thereof, and how such indebtedness is to be evidenced. The resolution shall be certified over the signature of the head of the governing authority. The borrowing shall be evidenced by negotiable notes or certificates of indebtedness of the governing authority which shall be signed by the principal officer and clerk of such governing authority. All such notes or certificates of indebtedness shall be offered at public sale by the governing authority after not less than ten (10) days’ advertising in a newspaper having general circulation within the governing authority. Each sale shall be made to the bidder offering the lowest rate of interest or whose bid represents the lowest net cost to the governing authority; however, the rate of interest shall not exceed that now or hereafter authorized in Section 75-17-101, Mississippi Code of 1972. No such notes or certificates of indebtedness shall be issued and sold for less than par and accrued interest. All notes or certificates of indebtedness shall mature in approximately equal installments of principal and interest over a period not to exceed ten (10) years from the dates of the issuance thereof. Principal shall be payable annually, and interest shall be payable annually or semiannually; provided, however, that the first payment of principal or interest may be for any period not exceeding one (1) year. Provided, however, if negotiable notes are outstanding from not more than one (1) previous issue authorized under the provisions of this section, then the schedule of payments for a new or supplementary issue may be so adjusted that the schedule of maturities of all notes or series of notes hereunder shall, when combined, mature in approximately equal installments of principal and interest over a period of ten (10) years from the date of the new or supplementary issue, or if a lower interest rate will thereby be secured on notes previously issued and outstanding, a portion of the proceeds of any issue authorized hereunder may be used to refund the balance of the indebtedness previously issued under the authority of this article. Such notes or certificates of indebtedness shall be issued in such form and in such denominations as may be determined by the governing authority and may be made payable at the office of any bank or trust company selected by the governing authority. In such case, funds for the payment of principal and interest due thereon shall be provided in the same manner provided by law for the payment of the principal and interest due on bonds issued by the governing authority. For the prompt payment of notes or certificates of indebtedness at maturity, both principal and interest, the full faith, credit and resources of the issuing entity are pledged. Furthermore, the governing authority may annually levy a special tax in an amount not to exceed three (3) mills upon all of its taxable property, the avails of which shall be paid into a sinking fund and used exclusively for the payment of principal of and interest on the notes or certificates of indebtedness. Until needed for expenditure, monies in the sinking fund may be invested in the same manner as the governing authority is elsewhere authorized by law to invest surplus funds. The proceeds of any notes or certificates of indebtedness issued under the provisions of this section shall be placed in a special fund and shall be expended only for the purpose or purposes for which they were issued as shown by the resolution authorizing the issuance thereof. If a balance shall remain of the proceeds of such notes or certificates of indebtedness after the purpose or purposes for which they were issued shall have been accomplished, such balance shall be used to pay such obligations at or before maturity and may be transferred to any sinking fund previously established for the payment thereof. Proceeds from the sale of notes or certificates of indebtedness not immediately necessary for expenditure shall be invested in the same manner as surplus funds of the governing authority may be invested. Regardless of the method of paying for the creation of a geographic information system or for the preparation of a multipurpose cadastre, and notwithstanding anything in the Mississippi Public Records Act Section 25-61-1 et seq., to the contrary, a county or municipality which has created or acquired a geographic information system or prepared a multipurpose cadastre may assess a fee or charge in accordance with the provisions of Section 25-61-7(2). However, all fees shall be subject to a standard scale adopted by the governing authority. If the governing authority has issued notes or certificates of indebtedness, any fees shall be deposited into the sinking fund and used exclusively for payment of principal and interest on the notes or certificates of indebtedness until paid in full. Thereafter, the fees shall be deposited into the county’s or municipality’s general fund.

Miss. Code Ann. § 25-58-21 Mississippi Coordinating Council for Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems established; duties and responsibilities; composition of membership; terms; compensation; funding; staff.

There is established the Mississippi Coordinating Council for Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems, hereinafter referred to as the “council.” The council shall set and assure enforcement of policies and standards to make it easier for remote sensing and geographic information system users around the state to share information and to facilitate cost-sharing arrangements to reduce the costs of acquiring remote sensing and geographic information system data. The council shall not oversee or regulate the activities of higher education entities where it relates to the fields of teaching or research; however, the council shall be informed of these activities for the purpose of coordinating these higher education activities with other public remote sensing and GIS initiatives to achieve the maximum benefit for the State of Mississippi and its taxpayers. The council’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Coordination of remote sensing and geographic information system activities within Mississippi; Establishing policies and standards to guide Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services (MDITS) in the review and approval of state and local government procurement of both hardware and software development relating to remote sensing and geographic information systems; Oversight of MDITS’ implementation of these responsibilities; Preparing a plan, with proposed state funding priorities, for Mississippi’s remote sensing and geographic information system activities, including development, operation and maintenance of the Mississippi Digital Earth Model; Oversight of the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality’s development and maintenance of the Mississippi Digital Earth Model, including establishing policies and standards for the procurement of remote sensing and geographic information system data by state and local governmental entities and establishing the order in which the seven (7) core data layers shall be developed; Designating Mississippi’s official representative to the National States Geographic Information Council and to any other national or regional remote sensing or geographical information system organizations on which Mississippi has an official seat; Establishing and designating the members of an advisory committee made up of policy level officials from major state, local, regional and federal agencies, including, but not limited to, the National Association of Space Administration, the Mississippi Institute for Forestry Inventory, the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, the Mississippi Public Utilities Staff, the Department of Marine Resources, the county E911 coordinator, the State Health Officer, the Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce, the State Tax Commission, the Council of Consulting Engineers and the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, as well as members of the private sector; Creating a staff level technical users committee, in which any public or private sector entity in Mississippi interested in remote sensing and geographic information may be allowed to participate; Coordinating with the State Tax Commission to assure that state and local governmental entities do not have to comply with two (2) sets of requirements imposed by different organizations. The Mississippi Coordinating Council for Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems will be composed of the following members: The Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality; The Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services; The Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Transportation; The Executive Director of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency; The Executive Director of the Mississippi Development Authority; The Secretary of State; The Executive Director of the Mississippi Forestry Commission; The Director of the Mississippi State Board of Registered Professional Geologists; A representative from the Institutions of Higher Learning, appointed by the Commissioner of the Institutions of Higher Learning; One (1) mayor, serving a municipality, appointed by the Executive Director of the Mississippi Municipal League; The Executive Director of the Mississippi Municipal League or his designee who will serve as the member; One (1) county supervisor appointed by the Executive Director of the Mississippi Association of Supervisors; The Executive Director of the Mississippi Association of Supervisors or his designee who will serve as the member; A member of the Tax Assessors/Collectors Association or the executive director of the association, to be appointed by the president of that association; A representative of the Planning and Development Districts, appointed by the Governor; A Senator, as a nonvoting member, appointed by the Lieutenant Governor; A Representative, as a nonvoting member, appointed by the Speaker of the House; A county surveyor who is a member of the Mississippi Association of Professional Surveyors, appointed by the president of the association; and The members listed in paragraphs (a) through (g) may appoint a designee, but the designee must be the head of an office, bureau, division or branch within the member’s agency. The members of the council shall serve for a term concurrent with their service as an elected or appointed official or concurrent with the term of the appointing official. The Executive Director of the Department of Environmental Quality shall serve as council chair and the Executive Director of Information Technology Services as vice chair for the first two (2) years. After the first two (2) years, the council shall elect from its members a chair and vice chair, for terms to be specified by the council. With regard to the designee chosen by the Executive Director of the Mississippi Municipal League or the Executive Director of the Mississippi Association of Supervisors, the designee shall become a permanent member of the council for a term concurrent with the term of the appointing executive director. At the direction of the chairman of the council and contingent upon the availability of sufficient funds, each member may receive reimbursement for reasonable expenses, including travel expenses in accordance with rates established pursuant to Section 25-3-41, incurred in attending meetings of the council. Any member of the council who is also a state employee may not receive per diem compensation for attending meetings of the study committee, but may be reimbursed in accordance with Section 25-3-41 for mileage and actual expenses incurred in the performance of the duties, if authorized by vote, at a meeting of the council, which action must be recorded in the official minutes of the meeting. Legislative members of the council will be paid from the contingent expense funds of their respective houses in the same amounts as provided for committee meetings when the Legislature is not in session. The council may accept money from any source, public or private, to be expended in implementing the duties under this section. The council may utilize staff employed by the agencies affected by this section and any other assistance made available to it.

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