The Middle Georgia Regional Commission provides Information Technology (IT) services to its member governments in the areas of GIS mapping analysis, GPS data collection, multi-media development, graphical design, and printing. The local governments in Middle Georgia made extensive use of MGRC IT services during FY 2008. The following provides more detail about some of the IT project initiatives undertaken last year.
Local Update of Census Addresses (LUCA)
2010 LUCA was a federal program, developed by the U.S. Census Bureau, to provide local governments with an avenue to review and update the master address database and population maps that will be used to conduct the 2010 decennial census. The program was designed to increase the accuracy of the population counts for local governments. Accurate population counts affect grant eligibility and congressional representation--both of which are important to local governments.
In FY 2008, the MGRC used a combination of GIS and other information technology services to assist each of its member governments with completing the 2010 LUCA program. Following are examples of the LUCA assistance provided:
- Served as the official liaison between its member governments and the U.S. Census Bureau;
- Conducted a series of training workshops from October 2007 to January 2008 on LUCA program options;
- Completed and submitted LUCA participation packets to the U.S Census Bureau;
- Acquired, compiled, and integrated local address lists from each community into one local master address database;
- Used GIS and SQL scripting to address-match and edit each local master address database into acceptable U.S. Census Bureau formats; and
- Submitted local master address databases and worked with the U.S. Census Bureau staff to perform post-processing and quality control services.
