EagleView at Kentucky’s Conference on Assessment Administration: Day 1

This week, EagleView is attending the 99^th annual Conference on Assessment Administration in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Every assessment official—or Property Valuation Administrator (PVA)—in Kentucky is in attendance. With reelections coming up in November and tax bills recently mailed out, it’s a busy time for PVAs in Kentucky. But there’s also a lot to celebrate, like the 20^th anniversary of Kentucky’s IAAO chapter forming. On Tuesday night, EagleView sponsored an anniversary celebration. The next day, we had the chance to catch up with several PVAs and hear about the issues that concern them most. Managing budget and bandwidth efficiently are top-of-mind for many assessment officials. Our customers in Kentucky are using Pictometry imagery to help them confront these and other issues:

Local support just a phone call away

“We use Pictometry imagery daily as our primary assessment method. Most often, we’re able to avoid field visits,” said Barbara Tichenor, PVA for Nelson County. Having local support is also crucial for Barbara’s department. Phil Gardner is the Regional Technical Manager for Kentucky, and he is just a phone call away for support. Phil has worked as a GIS Analyst and GIS Supervisor for the Louisville Metro Department of Public Works; prior to that, he maintained GIS data for the Highway Information System in the Department of Planning for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Today, Phil regularly visits counties all over Kentucky to provide training and support for Pictometry imagery customers. “EagleView’s customer service is top notch,” Barbara said. “Anytime I have a question, I call Phil. He is always quick to respond and usually stops by my office to assist us.”

Finding value and a more efficient workflow

For Tim Popplewell, PVA of Russell County, the biggest issue is manpower—something that Pictometry imagery has helped the department overcome. “Lake Cumberland is filled with gated communities that we often don’t have the codes to access,” Tim explained. “Pictometry imagery and ChangeFinder help us prioritize if or when a field visit is necessary.” What is the value of that data for Russell County? “Our first flight with EagleView helped us identify roughly $5 million that wasn’t on the tax roll,” Tim said. “By sharing our imagery with the community on a public-facing web map, we’ve been able to provide constituents with valuable information while reducing the amount of inquiries and traffic in our office.”

Staying fair, equitable, and transparent

“Since I began using Pictometry imagery, I’ve sold all of my appraisal vehicles,” Bill Alward, PVA for Muhlenberg County, told us. “The imagery is what I need to do my job in a cost-effective manner, and it’s more fair and equitable than what can be done on foot.” Bill also uses Pictometry imagery when members of the public have questions, giving them insight into the assessment process. “I keep a 48-inch monitor in my office,” he said. “When property owners have questions, I pull Pictometry imagery up. No one can argue with that.” Next up: Read about Day 2 of the conference here.