City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
Meeting Date: 11/14/05 Item Number: C-4
AGENDA ITEM: Authorization to Execute a Memorandum Of Understanding
(MOU) with the County of Los Angeles to Obtain Citywide Aerial Photography.
Contact Person/Dept.: Danielle Bram
Michele Seals
Phone Number: (310) 253-5976
(310) 253-5959
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [X] No []
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [X] Attachments: [X]
Public Notification:
Master E-Mail Notification List on 11/10/05;
And Mate Gaspar, Engineering Services Manager on 11/3/05.
Department Approval: CAO Approval:
23
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council execute a Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) with the County of Los Angeles (Attachment A) to authorize an expenditure
not to exceed $23,479 to support the update and expansion of Culver City aerial
photography and supplementary deliverables (LiDAR Digital Terrain Model data, 2
foot elevation contours, oblique aerial imagery and infrared imagery).
BACKGROUND
The Culver City Geographic Information Systems program manages and publishes
multiple data layers of City information for staff and the public. The most critical
layer is aerial orthophotography. This imagery provides an important base upon
which we build other GIS layers; and can be utilized as an analysis tool and
resource by most departments in the City, as well as citizens. Aerial photos are
frequently used for location information, Community Development, Code
Enforcement, Public Works and occasionally, emergency response.
Culver City has historically updated these aerials every four to five years. Although
we received updated imagery last year, we have the opportunity to take part in an
aerial imagery acquisition consortium with Los Angeles County and twenty eight
other public agencies within the LA County region. As a cost-saving measure (for
the City and in terms of public funds), the Information Technology Department
supports collaboration with other public agencies for large scale projects such as
aerial photography acquisitions. This is the first time such an extensive group of
local agencies have banded together to form such a consortium.
John Richo 11/03/04 Jerry Fulwood 11/9/05
City Controller Approval:
Marlee Chang 11/9/05
City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
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DISCUSSION:
Agencies involved in the consortium such as Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, City of Los
Angeles, Torrance, LAUSD and CalTrans (For complete list, see Attachment B) are
collaborating with highly recommended aerial imagery companies (VARGIS LLC –
Attachment C, and Pictometry – Attachment D) to have their regions flown.
Furthermore, Culver City will receive imagery updates every 2 years at a
progressively decreased cost. This arrangement is possible due to the fact that the
City would be joining the consortium. County representatives have stated that
monetary penalties will apply to agencies who wish to join the consortium at a later
date.
The following table illustrates the additional value and benefits of the Los
Angeles County Aerial Consortium compared to the City’s previous aerial acquisition
project:
LA County
Aerial Imagery
Consortium
Previous
Aerial Imagery
Acquisition
Project Extent
5 miles beyond the City
boundary
2,000 feet beyond the City
boundary
Imagery Resolution
for Culver City
4 Inch Pixels *
3 Inch Pixels
Imagery Resolution
Beyond the City
Boundary
4 Inch Pixels 2 Foot Pixels
Photography
Format
Digital Imagery Scanned Film
Additional
Deliverables
Oblique Aerial Imagery
LiDAR (Digital Terrain
Model)
Infrared Imagery
2 foot elevation contours
None
* Although the resolution for Culver City will decrease from 4 inch pixels to 3 inch pixels,
quality and clarity will actually be enhanced due to the use of digital photography rather than
scanned film.
City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
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Details about the LA County Consortium deliverables are described as follows:
Coverage: In order to provide City staff with expanded planning and analysis tools,
the deliverables will include aerial imagery 5 miles beyond the City boundary.
This will be beneficial for use in viewing all routes of Culver CityBus, and landmarks
such as the new Playa Vista development. The coverage (Attachment E) will extend
West of Marina Del Rey, South of LAX, North of Westwood and East to downtown
Los Angeles. Currently, the City has aerial imagery for the West Los Angeles
region, but the resolution (the ability/capability to resolve objects as being separate,
unique features) is lower and the coverage is not as extensive. Therefore, the
resolution will be upgraded from the existing 2 foot pixels to 4 inch pixels, providing 6
times the increase in clarity.
Digital Imagery: The aerial acquisition project uses new digital technology (rather
than film) to capture the aerial imagery. The use of digital technology significantly
reduces the time, effort and cost needed for data acquisition while dramatically
improving the quality and accuracy of the imagery.
Oblique Aerial Imagery: Oblique aerial imagery is an aerial photograph that is
taken at an angle rather than the traditional straight down view (Attachment F). It is
far more intuitive and useful in many situations where more information is needed.
Oblique imagery will allow City staff to calculate length, distance, height, acreage,
and other measurements more accurately for City properties and buildings.
Furthermore, the imagery provides a vital benefit for first responders as they can
more easily and quickly understand the area and surroundings in an emergency.
LiDAR (Digital Terrain Model): Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) technology is
universally used as a tool to measure elevation change. The LiDAR collection system
uses a powerful laser sensor mounted on the underside of an aircraft to emit infrared
laser light that measures the distance to the ground. LIDAR technology can be utilized
as a source for highly accurate digital elevation/terrain models (DEM/DTM), to create
precise elevation contours and to enhance orthoimagery. Furthermore, the data can be
used for enhanced 3-D visualization, disaster management purposes, and mapping
applications (i.e. flood mapping, drainage of streams, and water tables contamination).
See Attachment G for LiDAR DTM sample.
City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
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Infrared Imagery: Infrared film is sensitive to green, red, and near-infrared portions
of the spectrum. As such, the colors on the imagery appear un-natural, but they show
information about vegetation health, water and water content, and other information
not visible to the eye. Infrared imagery can be used to assess soil moisture and
seepage patterns, differentiating deciduous and coniferous tree species, and identify
areas of "stressed" vegetation. See Attachment H for an infrared imagery sample.
2 Foot Elevation Contours: Accurate 2 foot elevation contours from LiDAR DEM
points will be included as a deliverable.
The aerial flyover required to obtain the imagery listed above is planned for the end
of this year (A December/January timeframe). The City is scheduled to receive the
deliverables in June/July of 2006.
FISCAL ANALYSIS:
Although the City spent $21,823 on an aerial photography project in 2004, the
number and quality of deliverables was substantially limited. Furthermore, Culver
City will be getting on “cycle” with the County Consortium project from this point
forward. Finally, the City is avoiding the monetary penalties should we decide to join
the consortium at a later date.
The authorization to execute an MOU with The County of Los Angeles would result
in an expenditure not to exceed $23,479. Sufficient funds have been allocated in the
Aerial Photography CIP budget (42000456) for this purpose.
ATTACHMENTS:
A. MOU
B. Participating Agencies
C. VARGIS LLC
D. Pictometry
E. Aerial Coverage Map
F. Oblique Aerial Imagery Sample
G. LiDAR DTM Sample
H. Infrared Imagery Sample
City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
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MOTION:
That the City Council:
1) Authorize the execution of the MOU with The County of Los Angeles to obtain
aerial photography and additional deliverables for an expenditure not to exceed
$23,479;
2) Direct the City Attorney to prepare the necessary documents obtaining Citywide
Aerial Photography and the Chief Administrative Officer to execute the
agreements; and
3) Authorize the Chief Administrative Officer to increase the agreement with The
County of Los Angeles by an amount not to exceed 10% of the agreement, if
deemed advisable by the CAO.
MEETING DATE: 11/14/05
AGENDA ITEM: Authorization to Execute a Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) with the County of Los Angeles to Obtain Citywide Aerial Photography.
ATTACHMENTS
Pages
A. MOU 1-10
B. Participating Agencies 11
C. VARGIS LLC 12
D. Pictometry 13
E. Aerial Coverage Map 14
F. Oblique Aerial Imagery Sample 15
G. LiDAR DTM Samples 16
H. Infrared Imagery Sample 17
12345678910PARTICIPATING AGENCIES
1 COUNTY LOS ANGELES
2 AGOURA HILLS
3 ARCADIA
4 BEVERLY HILLS
5 BURBANK
6 CALTRANS(A)
7 CARSON
8 CERRITOS
9 CULVER CITY
10 EL SEGUNDO
11 GLENDALE
12 INGLEWOOD
13 LA HABRA HEIGHTS
14 LAKEWOOD
15 LAUSD
16 LONG BEACH
17 LOS ANGELES (LA DWP INCLUDED)
18 LYNWOOD
19 MALIBU
20 MANHATTAN BEACH
21 MONROVIA
22 NORWALK
23 PALMDALE
24 PASADENA
25 SANTA CLARITA
26 SANTA MONICA
27 TORRANCE
28 WESTLAKE VILLAGE
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About VARGIS
The Company
VARGIS LLC is a leading provider of
integrated GIS solutions to the government,
utility and commercial market verticals. Driven
by its experienced management team and
skilled and enthusiastic employees, VARGIS’
expertise extends from photogrammetry and
associated data services to software
development and implementation, system
integration and consultancy services. We are
committed to helping clients across specific
industries improve their speed to market,
optimize resources and reduce costs, thereby
creating measurable business impact.
Executive Profiles
Gregory B. Tilley
President
Alan R. Sneyd
Chief Operating Officer
Gerhard Sehnalek
Director of Technical Services
Bob Montgomery
Director of Sales and Marketing
Ben Davenport
GIS Solutions Architect
Bill Folchi
Member, Board of Directors
Company History
Since its inception in 1995, VARGIS has gained
prominence as prime contractor on some of the
largest civilian mapping projects in the United
States, including statewide programs in Texas,
Michigan, New York and Virginia. Through
these and other projects VARGIS has gained
industry-recognized expertise for outstanding
management and quality assurance processes
that ensures delivery on time, to quality and to
budget. Due to the significant level of
experience and quality that VARGIS applies on
its projects, our customers can rely on a first-
time acceptance rate in excess of 98%.
With almost a decade of experience in providing
high quality mapping and data services projects,
VARGIS is now proud to be part of a global
geospatial services group delivering solutions to
industry and government customers around the
world. This brings added strengths to VARGIS
including our ability to offer a complete and
integrated set of software services delivered on
all major GIS technologies. Existing and new
customers and business partners will now
benefit from the extensive capacity, domain and
technology expertise that VARGIS can now
leverage from group offices and development
centers worldwide.
In January 2004 VARGIS LLC became a wholly
owned subsidiary of Infotech Software
Solutions, Inc. of Riverside California. The
Infotech group operates facilities and offices
across North America, Europe and Asia. Since
inception in 1991, the Infotech Group has grown
exponentially by serving many companies
worldwide with a commitment to achieving the
highest levels of quality. Infotech currently
employs over 2,000 professionals worldwide,
with over 1000 dedicated to geospatial and
mapping services. Infotech is one of a select list
of companies, worldwide, that has achieved and
conforms to both ISO-9001: 2000 and SEI-
CMMI Level-5 certifications ensuring
outstanding quality procedures in every project.
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Company History
Pictometry is located in Rochester, New York, the "Imaging Capital of the World."
Pictometry is a unique, patented information system that combines aerial imaging with a state of the art software system
that has the ability to provide visual information unlike any other system available. While Pictometry libraries contain
orthogonal (straight down) images like ordinary aerial imaging, over 80% of Pictometry's images are oblique (taken from
angles) so that features can be easily seen in their entirety. Within seconds, using Pictometry's software, a user can
literally see everywhere, measure anything and plan everything. This means that clients can literally view and analyze any
house, building, intersection, fire hydrant, tree or any feature in their area from their laptop or workstation. Features can
be viewed from at least three and up to twelve different directions. The images are all in a full color, high resolution, digital
format. Pictometry does not utilize or produce authoritative or definitive information (surveying) from its aerial images, but
is a second order visualization tool that supports the many needs of its customers in their market segments.
Corporate Milestones:
1996 - Steve Schultz begins development of capture and display system.
1998 - Proof of concept system functional.
2000 - Pictometry International Corp formed. New CEO Richard Kaplan aligns product and business plan. Technology is
reworked to create the current product line. Company achieves first sale and revenue generation.
2001 - First major installation - Arlington County, VA. Company closes eight other counties and several custom
installations during its first complete fiscal year of operation.
2002 - Company achieves over 75% growth for second fiscal year during a time of economic recession, massive layoffs in
corporate America, and cuts in government spending. The company’s customer list expands to over 40 counties and the
State of Massachusetts. Company begins marketing to private industries such as engineering and architectural firms, title
companies, real estate developers, and others.
2003 - Company triples its sales force of district managers and experiences dramatic growth of over 400% for its third
fiscal year.
2004 - Company’s customer base expands to over 125 counties. Presently negotiating contracts with over 300 counties,
numerous states and federal agencies, international opportunities, and private business applications.
Notable Applications:
• A 9-1-1 operator using Pictometry helps locate a cellular call for help from someone needing emergency
medical assistance. The caller did not know the address of the location, and in less than a minute, the 9-1-1
Center found it using Pictometry.
• Pictometry helps a county GIS Department and Appraisal Staff dramatically reduce their number of site visits by
70%.
• Pictometry selected by the United States Geological Survey to provide the preliminary digital camera calibration
system for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) at the Earth Resource Observation Systems (EROS) Data
Center.
• Pictometry images used by Arlington Fire Department on scene during the Pentagon incident on September 11,
2001.
• Documenting the aftermath of 9/11 in New York City - Pictometry's capabilities were brought to bear on the
World Trade Center site by a group of state and federal agencies which included the NYS Office for
Technology, NASA, and the Institute for the Application of Geospatial Technologies. Pictometry’s imagery
and information system were used by the New York City Fire Department and the Federal Government
(FEMA, EPA).
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AERIAL COVERAGE MAP
14 OBLIQUE AERIAL IMAGERY SAMPLE
Above: A traditional orthogonal image of the
Transamerica Building.
Right: A Pictometry oblique image of the same
building at approximately the same ground sample
distance.
15LIDAR (DTM) SAMPLES
LiDAR – City Topography
LiDAR – Bare Ground Imagery
LiDAR – City Building Heights
16INFRARED IMAGERY SAMPLE
17