History
In 1995, H-GAC formed a Geographic Data Sharing Consortium (GDSC) that initially included six agencies. The agencies were in various stages of developing separate GIS programs and there was little consistency in software or program parameters. There was real concern that opportunities for the sharing of data and for enhanced communication across jurisdictions would be substantially harmed, if separate and un-coordinated program development continued. The consortium’s initial agenda was to discuss potential sharing of resources, technology, and associated costs, and to identify any duplication of effort that might be streamlined across agencies.
During the course of initial discussions, the group quickly identified a common interest in development and maintenance of a digital, geographically accurate and topologically correct base map. Each of several agencies, including the City of Houston, the Harris County Appraisal District, the Metropolitan Transit Authority and the Texas Department of Transportation, were spending substantial sums and devoting several staff members to trying to produce a comprehensive, up-to-date map, for their geographic areas. None was succeeding. Consortium members agreed to consolidate and coordinate resources, in an attempt to produce a geocodeable base map for the region. This effort gave birth to the Star*Map.
Present Day
In time, the GDSC’s name changed to the Geographic Data Committee (GDC) but continued to subscribe to the GDSC’s mission: to coordinate, share, foster training and cooperation in regional GIS endeavors. The GDC is a consortium of public, private, non-profit, and educational organizations meeting once a month to discuss GIS (Geographic Information System) related matters, to network, and to plan on cooperative purchases of software, aerial imagery, and data that would be too costly if purchased by separately. The GDC also searches out special deals with training facilities that provide GIS training for the region.
GDC membership includes access to some of our cooperatively purchased data such as InfoUSA business and household data, aerial imagery, and the Key Maps grid. GDC members enjoy discounted prices on cooperative software purchases. We provide a one-time free courtesy copy of the STAR*Map (Street Centerline and Address Point) to new GDC members, and access to an information-sharing FTP server.