The Carmel Town Board is being asked to approve a new online system that would allow residents and real estate professionals to access property records, maps and assessment information without visiting Town Hall.
Town assessor Christopher Paleo went before the board at its Feb. 11 meeting and requested that the board add Schneider Geospatial as a vendor so the Assessor’s Office can launch the company’s Beacon platform, a web-based system that publishes property records and digital maps online.
“This would modernize how our office operates and makes property information more accessible to the public,” Paleo said. “We get a tremendous number of requests for data that could be hosted online. This will actually increase the productivity of my office if we can get that stuff [online] and just point everybody to that site.”
If approved, the platform would allow users to search for properties and view property record cards — the town’s official documents that describe a property’s size, features and assessed value — through an online portal. It would also allow residents to file assessment grievances electronically rather than in person.
The system connects property assessment records with the town’s Geographic Information System, or GIS, which is a digital mapping system that shows property boundaries and locations. It would also integrate with the town’s existing assessment and tax software, according to the proposal.
Schneider Geospatial officials say the platform is designed to make local government data easier to access.
“Our Beacon platform allows towns to publish property and mapping information in one easy-to-use location,” the company said in its proposal to the town. “It combines assessment, tax and mapping systems so users can view related information in one place.”
The system is web-based and accessible from computers, tablets and smartphones. Schneider Geospatial would handle setup, hosting, maintenance and routine data backups, according to the proposal. The company said systems can typically go live within about four weeks after receiving the necessary data.
Several assessors in Putnam County, along with the Putnam County Office of Real Property, are already using the Beacon platform, Paleo said, and have reported positive results.
The original quoted cost for Carmel was $17,550 for setup and $11,700 annually for hosting. Paleo said the town was able to negotiate a reduced rate with assistance from the county’s Real Property Office. The revised cost would be $8,775 for setup and $8,775 per year, a savings of $11,700 upfront and $2,925 annually.
Paleo also noted that the system has the option to charge a fee to users who download or print property record cards. He said many frequent users of the data are real estate agents, attorneys, builders, engineers, and tax grievance firms rather than residents.
“There should be a way to recapture some of the costs taxpayers are spending to host this data online,” Paleo said.
While the platform could eventually be expanded to other town departments, including the Building Department, Highway Department and Tax Receiver, the current request is limited to use by the Assessor’s Office.
“They have a module for that (to expand beyond the Assessor's Office),” Paleo told the board. “Be it tax receiver, or engineering, they have a pretty comprehensive suite. They are willing to demo anything for you if you want to see it.”
Town Board members said they liked the idea but have not yet taken action on the proposal.
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