HEIGHT MODERNIZATION COORDINATION MEETING

Meeting Notes

Tuesday, January 11, 2005

 

 

Purpose:  To exchange information and provide an update on Height Modernization activities, events, and issues

 

Budget Update                                                                                           Juliana Blackwell

• Congress approved $9.6 M for Height Modernization (HM) for FY05.  In FY04, Congress allocated approximately $9.0 M for HM.
• Ten percent of the HM appropriations for FY04 were used to support and build the HM program through:

o        Contractual services for software development (such as leveling and web-enabled programs, Windows interface for NGS’ ADJUST software, Pocket GPS Manager), research and development projects (NGS 58 guidelines, geoid modeling), and project coordination and analysis;

o        Travel - NGS and invitational travel to participate in HM user forums, meetings, and conferences; and,

o        Equipment – leveling equipment (for training purposes), GPS/GIS equipment for educational programs, fixed height poles, hardware and software support.

 

Grants!                                                                                                                Renee Shields

·         Suggestion was made to add a “Grants” link or general information on grants and updates to the NGS or HM webpage

·         Grant recipients should file paperwork this year, but NOAA will be switching to grants online soon

·         Two training classes will be held in Seattle, WA, on February 7-8 (for Federal program officers & personnel) and on February 9-10 (for Award recipients).   Travel costs are to be paid by award recipient’s organization.

·         Informational letters were sent out in August 2004 for those who received HM grants last year.  Letters will go out ASAP to the 2 new states receiving HM funding this year.

·         For more information check out  http://www.ofa.noaa.gov/~grants/  and grants online at  http://www.grants.gov/

 

Leveling with you…                                                                                               Frank Mowry

• Two versions of leveling processing software are currently being used – one from Malcolm Archer-Shee (MD State Highway Administration) and one written by Chuck Whalen.     
• Frank discussed the capabilities of each of these software packages and the need to streamline and maintain leveling processing software.
• Documentation is underway for Malcolm Archer-Shee software. 
• Malcolm is willing to add other functions to the software if there is a need.

 

What’s going on?                                                                                       Gilbert Mitchell          

NGS Convocation

• Gilbert Mitchell provided a summary of the NGS Convocation held in Silver Spring (November 2004). 
• Leveling software was demonstrated by Malcolm Archer-Shee and LineTool was demonstrated by Vic Richmond.  More work is required before LineTool is publicly available.
• Convocation survey results indicate that most people thought the Convocation went very well.  Some suggestions for improvement:

 

  

 

o        Outreach presentation (Friday afternoon) would have been more beneficial earlier in the week

o        Include hands-on workshops – too hard to sit still and listen for hours

o        More discussion needed on NGS “Vision”

o        More involvement of Norfolk personnel

o        Schedule time for State Advisor “reports” as in previous Convocations

• NGS management looking into holding yearly Convocations

 

Scheduling for 2005 (state, regional, National)

·         NGS plans to hold regional Height Modernization meetings or possibly one National Height Mod meeting in Silver Spring this year.  Dates to be determined.

 

Recent meetings

• Recent meetings in Texas in early January to discuss Height Modernization for Texas.  Dr. Roy Dokka provided background on the Louisiana Spatial Reference Center (LSRC).
• Texas A&M to create a Spatial Reference Center

 

Programs/Software/Web                                                                                            All

Status of programs and tools underway

·         ADJUST interface program – Mike Potterfield

·         PDA application to log GPS observation information – California Spatial Reference Center

 

Information needed - State Pages, Gravity, Leveling

·         Please provide relevant information on Height Modernization events, projects, links, etc., to Juliana Blackwell.

 

Projects – Who’s doing what?                                                                                       All

·         LSRC to host Geospatial Data Exchange Expo on May 10-11 for users of GIS data (Dr. Dokka)

·         January 27 – Florida DOT & Alabama DOT met to discuss Height Modernization (Ronnie Taylor)

·         Week of May 16^th – plan to hold a Height Modernization Forum in Tampa, FL (Ronnie Taylor)

·         Plea to change the way NGS does adjustments – California and other areas need to address velocities (Marti Ikehara)

 

Action items:

1.       Add Grants link and/or info to Height Mod webpage

2.       Add Gravity/Geoid link and/or info to Height Mod webpage

3.       Add Height Modernization Survey Station tag to datasheets

4.       Check on North Carolina tidal leveling status