Coffey County approves UR Solutions LiDAR processing contract to update county contours

County staff sought approval to contract with UR Solutions to convert existing 2018 LiDAR data into updated countywide 2‑foot contour lines with elevation attribution and a hillshade image. Commissioners were told the raw elevation data is freely available but requires professional processing to clean and produce reliable contours; the last full clean‑up had been done in 2010.

Connie (county staff) and other staff described frequent usage of county mapping by road, emergency and planning staff for tasks such as flood‑plain assessment and operational planning. Commissioners asked whether the county could do the work in‑house; staff said the data acquisition is free but the technical cleanup and contour generation is contracted work and UR Solutions has provided the county with similar services in the past. The contract presented to the board was a one‑time $3,750 engagement dated May 18, 2026. The commission voted to authorize the chairman to sign the contract; the motion passed 5-0.

The data update is intended to produce more accurate elevation attribution for parcel‑level and operational use and to provide hillshade imagery for public and staff access. Staff also said they will evaluate whether the county can establish a recurring update process or move to more automated updates in the future.