Today's inspectors may still choose to wear hardhats on site, but they carry laptops, PDAs and GPS units, instead of grimy notebooks, for record keeping. The county, home to more than 330,000 residents and the University of Michigan, is using wireless technologies to protect and enhance the environment in the midst of a construction boom.
The Environmental Impact
"Generally most contractors approach earth-moving responsibly, so major problems rarely occur," Myers said. "However, Washtenaw County has a unique environment with a good quality river [the Huron], substantial wetlands and valuable open spaces that the community has a strong desire to protect."
The Huron River Valley is home to 445,000 people; several threatened and endangered species of fish, mussels, amphibians and mammals; and numerous bogs, wet meadows and remnant prairies of statewide significance, according to the Mud Busters program developed by the Great Lakes Commission. The Huron River provides a wealth of recreational opportunities to area residents, and is the only state-designated scenic river in southeast Michigan.
Urban and suburban construction activities have been identified as a significant source of sediment entering the Huron system, and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources reported that sedimentation has negatively impacted fish species in the Huron River and its tributaries.
The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments predicts that, given existing development trends, 40 percent of the remaining open space in southeast Michigan may be lost to urban and suburban development by 2010.
The county is concerned about soil erosion and sediment control because of dangers posed to the county's economy and the health and safety of residents; environmental risks; and aesthetic and recreational reasons. Washtenaw County expanded on and supplemented state requirements in 1997 by adopting its own Grading/Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control Ordinance.
Controlling Soil Erosion
A key element of the county's program requires contractors to apply for soil erosion permits. On-site inspections help ensure that soil erosion and sediment control practices are incorporated into site development in the planning and design process. Inspectors then periodically inspect the building site for compliance.
Until recently inspectors pulled the hard copy file from the main office and took it into the field with them. They recorded their notes on paper and then returned to county offices where support staff entered the data into a database. An invoice noting the fee associated with the permit and the inspector's findings was generated and mailed to the contractor. The file was then returned to its original location.
This inefficient system wasted time because of dual entry as well as requiring inspectors to spend unnecessary time in the office rather than conducting inspections. In addition, field inspectors had no way to access an array of information that might affect a particular case.
In June 2005, the county announced its selection of Accela Wireless -- a mobile government application built on Microsoft's .NET -- to be implemented in the Development Services Division, which oversees the Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control program.
The division purchased tablet PCs from Motion Computing and distributed them to soil erosion inspectors. Instead of the laborious paper process, inspectors now carry a single tablet PC loaded with all of the digital files out into the field with them.
The tablets use several methods of inputting data, including a keyboard, guide sheet and a handwritten character-recognition feature. Data input occurs at the time of the inspection and can be synchronized with the home database throughout the day via a wireless connection. Tidemark Advantage, another software application packaged by Accela, connects the wireless application in the field to the Oracle database at the county offices.
Back in the office, the invoices are placed into a batch and run as required. Electronic filing frees floor space and reduces paper dependency. Permit holders can also retrieve their permit results online through eConnect, located on the Washtenaw County Web site.
Inspectors now have real-time access to the initial application, site plan, GIS data and notes from previous inspections. Inspection notes can be immediately incorporated into the database, and the eConnect Web site is automatically updated at that time.
The software also allows inspectors to view current parcel data or code violation history by remotely accessing their land management database. Often, inspectors discover code violations, such as abandoned vehicles or illegal signage, that have yet to be reported to the local code enforcement officer. When this occurs, inspectors can create new cases on the spot using the most current information available, and the code enforcement officer is notified of the potential violation. He or she can then launch an investigation into the complaint and take any action necessary to cite the violator and enforce clean up.
Behind the Tablet
Tidemark Advantage contains links that allow inspectors or support staff direct access to the county's GIS and imaging systems. As they are working on a particular permit, users can click to zoom in on a map or aerial photo of the parcel, or go to the imaging system to obtain a digital copy of the file for that particular parcel.
The database contains a wide variety of information associated with a parcel, including building, soil erosion, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits, soil evaluations, inspection history and inspection notes. Staff can search by address, contractor, parcel ID or permit number. This information is also available to the general public via eConnect.
While playing their part to protect the county's environment, the soil erosion inspectors also serve as the vanguard for a larger effort, Wireless Washtenaw, a partnership with the goal of providing a wireless network for urban, suburban and rural settings throughout the county by 2007.
The partners for Wireless Washtenaw include the county, the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, the Washtenaw Development Council, the Washtenaw Intermediate School District, Eastern Michigan University and other local government.
The county wants to expand the use of wireless technology to other inspectors in the field.
"If this pilot is successful, we would like to see more field inspections utilizing tablets, PDAs and other wireless/mobile devices -- get the data out in the field with the inspector who has to make the decisions," Myers said. "The county and the Wireless Washtenaw partners could access a seamless network and facilitate a rapid expansion of the community's growing mobile work force."
