GIS Partners

Central to any Geographic Information Systems is the data upon which it is built. The City of Bakersfield in cooperation with the County and other organizations have built partnerships for sharing data. The collection of datasets is used in geographic analysis and map productions.

Kern Geographic Information Network (Kern GEONET) was established by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the City of Bakersfield, the county of Kern and the Kern Council of Governments. The MOU was signed in April 1996.

Of the three agencies involved in the partnership, the City, the County and Kern COG, the City of Bakersfield is the undisputed leader in development of GIS in the region. In the late 1980s the City began development of a highly accurate base map of the greater Metropolitan Area of Bakersfield. Currently, the City has the largest staff with the greatest level of expertise in the region.

Kern COG is an association of City and County governments primarily created to address regional transportation issues. Its Member Agencies include the County of Kern and the eleven incorporated cities within Kern County. >> Kern COG website.

The Geographic Information Services Staff are also present at a number of GIS organizations including the California Geographic Information Association (CGIA), Kern GeoNET, and the Kern Chapter of the Urban and Regional Information System Association (URISA).