Small Utilities GIS Cooperative In 2008, RCAP coordinated 18 communities and Rural Water & Sewer Districts to apply for a Local Government Services and Regional Collaboration Grant through the Ohio Department of Development, and the group was successful in receiving a $75,000 award to pay for the study.  The Village of Carrollton volunteered to be the lead applicant and administrator of the grant.  Ohio University was selected to lead the study, with RCAP assisting in the effort.  The study started in December 2008 with some planning and scheduling.  Research was conducted throughout the year, culminating in final report at the end of December 2009.  The result of this study was a recommendation to move forward because of the resulting cost savings to communities. In 2010, RCAP coordinated Six Northeast Ohio Communities to win a competitive EfficientGovNow Grant.  Thank you to everyone that voted for our project.  We won a $70,000 grant from the Fund for Our Economic Future and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.  Click here to watch a 90 second video about our proposal.  In 2010 and 2011, RCAP coordinated another 20 communities to apply for ARC grant funding to pay for mapping of their utilities.  Thank you to the Ohio Mid Eastern Governments Association (OMEGA) for funding our project.  We are currently in the middle of completing this project. And, recently announced, USDA awarded $185,000 to for continuing technical assistance, training and GIS data maintenance for ten communities in the OMEGA District over the next three years. To date, our GIS Team members have assisted 40 small communities with GPS data collection and/or GIS mapping of their water, sewer and stormwater systems. In 2012-2013, RCAP looks forward to the launch of GIS Services via Internet and smartphone applications to its participating communities.  Any villages, small cities, utility districts or non-profit utilities that are interested in becoming part of this cooperative rural community GIS service  should contact Sherry Loos.   We thank the Ohio Water Development Authority for its continuing financial support of our staff who have been involved in the development of this program!  Without their help, we would not have been able to coordinate so many communities and leverage this funding to create this cooperative GIS service for Ohio's small and rural communities!