To: Board of Supervisors
From: Public Works
Agenda Section: Consent
Vote Requirement: Majority
SUBJECT:
title
Transfer of Historical Aerial Photographs to Cal Poly Humboldt Library to Enable Free Public Access to Digital Files
end
RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Authorize the Department of Public Works to transfer ownership of the physical copies of the historical aerial photographs within the Public Works archives to the Cal Poly Humboldt Library for digitizing of the photographs and providing free public access to this historical resource.
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SOURCE OF FUNDING:
Road Fund (1200-331)
DISCUSSION:
The Department of Public Works has acquired an extensive collection of historical aerial photographs of areas within Humboldt County for various years from 1931 to 2002. Starting in 2005, county-wide aerial imagery became available in digital format. Aerial photographs are collected by aircraft and provide a "birds eye" view of the ground surface. These photographs are a valuable resource for documenting changes to landscapes and community development. The Public Works aerial photograph collection contains over 60,000 hard-copy photographs which are stored in approximately 35 drawers and boxes. The photographs were often used to analyze potential impacts associated with road projects and development of the collection was funded primarily through the Humboldt County Road Fund. Public Works previously facilitated access for members of the public to view and make copies of the historical aerial photographs. However, that service was discontinued in 2017 for budget savings and to focus staff time on delivering projects.
Efforts to compile Public Works' collection of hard-copy aerial photographs and other historical materials were led by Don Tuttle, who began working for Public Works in 1972, retired in 2002, and continued working on special projects and sharing his vast historical knowledge until his death in 2020. ...
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