The Pain and Problem of Legacy Addresses

The Pain and Problem of Legacy Addresses

Indiana GIS Conference

February 2010

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What are Legacy Addresses?

• A legacy address is any address that was assigned prior to your assuming the role of address coordinator.– Your predecessor gets the praise if it works– You get the blame and responsibility to fix it if it is

wrong– You get the pain of living with it

How do they happen?

• No policies established

• Policies not enforced

• Creative interpretation of policies

• Personnel change

Legacy Addresses

Dealing with Legacy Addresses

• Study what has been done in the past– Policies-written or verbal– Implementation of the policies– Try to understand the “why” it was done the way it

was done– Talk to the people who implemented the policy

and assigned the addresses to get insight


• Study the current situation– Identify the problems and issues– Identify who and what is impacted by the issues

• Safety

• 9-1-1

• Public access/location

– Decide if the issue requires a “fix” or a “work-around”


• Test the solution– Work through various scenarios to determine if the

solution actually works– Use GIS to model the solution and the results

• If the solution works– Document, document, document– Incorporate into policy– Train/explain/use


• Success will depend on how well you do your “homework”– Clear definition of the problem– “Do the least harm” solution– Clear process to implement solution– Obtaining the political support for the solution– Clear definition of the benefits of the solution– Educating the people involved in the solution


• Don’t re-invent the wheel– Look at the way other people deal with similar

problems• Will their solutions work in your situation?

• How did they make it work?

• What problems did they encounter?


• Readdressing– May be difficult– Painful for both sides– Don’t attempt in a re-election year– Identify all the instances requiring readdressing

and try to do it at one time– Go the extra mile to make it as painless for the

people involved as possible


• Sometimes what is…is.– What’s there is not going to change– You can make sure that it doesn’t reoccur

• Sometimes what is…takes longer.– You may be able to bring about change, but it will

have to be over an extended period of time.• Flag addresses to be changed when there is change of

ownership

Legacy Addresses


• Do “the least harm”

• Be consistent

• Document what you do

• Recognize you may have to live with it, and create the best possible work-around

• Leave a good legacy for those who follow you

Questions?

James MorseGIS Project Manager

Stantec Consulting Services Inc.1901 Nelson Miller ParkwayLouisville, Kentucky 40223

Ph: (502) 212-5044Fx: (502) 212-5055

[email protected]

The Pain and Problem of Legacy Addresses

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