Scott County finds hundreds of errors in street name database

BENTON, Mo. -- Scott County officials are hoping a combination of automatic updates and communication between offices will clear up street name errors in county databases.

Commissioners met with Amber Scudder, addressing technician for Scott County; Debbie Evans, mapper for the assessor's office; and Assessor Teresa Houchin during the regular Scott County Commission meeting Tuesday.

The county's geographic information system has two data layers with street names: the county addressing layer, which is used to update 911 dispatching maps, and a mapping layer for the assessor's office.

While proofreading a draft of the new county plat book, which is based on the assessor's mapping data, Scudder found around 400 errors.

"Mainly streets that weren't there or not labeled," she said.

Evans said she only receives street name data when it is submitted to her as part of a subdivision.

The assessor's mapping data can't be merged with the county addressing data layer, however, because while street names are more accurate in the addressing layer, centerlines for those streets are not.

The ultimate goal is to find "a one-step process for all the maps to update at one time," Presiding Commissioner Jamie Burger said. "We're trying to get where when Amber's office creates the address, everyone gets it."

In the meantime, officials agreed on a protocol they hope will ensure all mapping databases are updated with the same street names.

After editing or adding a street name in her database, Scudder will submit that information to Evans to copy and paste or manually enter into her database.

"Anything new, I can copy and paste it, I think," Evans said. "If not, I can trace it or close to it."

Evans said she will work on adding street names to her data layer for a couple of days and then report to commissioners how long it takes to make the updates as submitted by Scudder.

Scudder said one problem she deals with on her addressing layer is residents naming and putting up street signs on private drives.

Evans suggested perhaps adding a GIS layer specifically for private lanes.

"I think we're always going to have people that see a street sign for sale in a novelty shop and put it up on a post," Burger said.

Scudder said it is important for emergency dispatching that she not only make sure not to approve a street name already in use in the county, but to also not approve street names that are spelled differently but sound the same as existing street names.

Burger asked that Scudder also keep her eye out for and not approve street names that people will want to steal the sign for -- "like 'Wii Lane.'"

Addressing can become a very serious issue during an emergency, Burger said.

"If 911 can't find you because you're not on our map, that's going to be a problem," he said.

Pertinent address:

Benton, MO