1.  Home
  2.  Engineering
  3. GIS Division

GIS Division

Mission Statement

The GIS Division’s goal is to provide the data and tools to allow for the City of Hobbs to make well informed decisions. We fulfill this mission by leveraging our knowledge, procedures, and techniques to collection data using high accuracy GNSS, manage data through industry leading GIS platforms, and by providing maps though digital and analog means.

About the City of Hobbs’ GIS Division:

The GIS division is one of the newer and smaller divisions within the City of Hobbs. It was originally founded as part of the Utilities Department. In its original incarnation of the division created many of the datasets still used today by digitizing a large number of pre-millennium plan sets, some of which date back to the 1950s. The division also did work to maintain and update this data by collecting newly installed Water and Sewer infrastructure. At this time the GIS division also provided the Utilities department with maps and other documentation to help with items like line spotting and infrastructure replacement.

In 2006 the GIS division was moved from the Utilities Department to the Engineering Department. This move was in part due to the expansions of the GIS division from a Utility oriented group to being more of a general services group. After shifting over to being under the umbrella of Engineering Department, the GIS division became the primary data collection and map making group within the City of Hobbs. The division’s new role would eventually encompass additional services and assets, such as E-911, flood plain, traffic sign inventory, and other non-utility related data tracking.

In the Late 2010s, the third iteration of the GIS division came into being, with an even more expanded role within the City of Hobbs. During this time the GIS division moved to a much more capable GIS Server and mobile mapping solution. Also during this time, the GIS division became responsible for maintaining the City’s fleet of Trimble GNSS surveying equipment. The GIS division also did a large amount of work to prepare the City for a future as a Smart City, NG911 compliant community, and being fully prepared for the 2022 nationwide datum shift.

GIS Division Staff

  • Scot Youngblood (GIS Specialist) - syoungblood@hobbsnm.org

Online and Downloadable Maps

The City of Hobbs’ GIS division provides several web maps and downloadable static maps for use by the public. The static maps are updated as needed and may not match data available in the Web Maps. Also, if you are using data or maps provided by the City of Hobbs, please see our Data Disclaimer prior to downloading or access the maps or data.

Surveyors and City of Hobbs

The City of Hobbs’ GIS Division is dedicated to providing tools to help Surveyors collect high accuracy data in and round the City of Hobbs. As part of this mission the City of Hobbs has established a geodetic monumentation network throughout and around the Extra Territorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) that also extends into Texas. The geodetic monumentation network was set up and surveyed in by Bohannan Huston, Inc. in 2017 as part of our Arial Lidar Project. Also as part of this project, the City of Hobbs’ updated and upgraded its real-time corrections base station.

The City of Hobbs’ real-time corrections base station along with its monumentation are all tied to NAD 83 (2011) in for preparation for the nationwide datum shift that is to occur in 2022. If you would like to use our monumentation, or access our real-time corrections base station please see the links below or reach out to the city of Hobbs’ GIS Division. If you are using data or maps provided by the City of Hobbs, please see our Data Disclaimer prior to downloading or access the maps or data.

Field Data Collection

One of the ways the City of Hobbs’ GIS Division ensures it has the most up-to-date data is by providing GNSS and Total Station field data collections for many public utility installations. This is achieved by working hand in hand with other City of Hobbs’ departments and utilities contractors, to ensure the City of Hobbs can get access to the newly installed utilities before they are fully backfilled. To make sure all parties are aware of what the City of Hobbs’ GIS Division is needing to collect, we have created a procedure, GIS/GPS Procedures for Data Collection Compliance for City Project (also known as our GIS Boiler Plate) which is linked below.

The City of Hobbs’ GIS Division understands that some utilities contractors may already have a surveyor under contract, and may wish to use them for as-built purposes. The City of Hobbs’ GIS division is happy to let outside surveyors collect the as-built data as long as they can meet our data collection standards for later sharing with the City of Hobbs. All data that is collected by outside parties must be done using high accuracy methods (cm vertical & horizontal accuracy), in US Survey Foot using the NAD83 (2011) New Mexico State Plane Zone East and collected using the City of Hobbs’ Feature Code Library with attributes populated. To assist with meeting these requirements, the City of Hobbs provides a copy of our Feature Code Library (built for Trimble devices) and our Notes on Codes and Attributes document in links below. The Notes on Codes and Attributes document breaks down all the feature codes and attributes in our current Feature Code Library with their schema and full descriptions in case they need to be converted for use in a non-Trimble surveying device.

Title 16 Dataset and Planning

The City of Hobbs’ GIS division works with the Planning department to help developers get the data they need. As part of the Subdivision section of the City of Hobbs’ Municipal code (known as Title 16), the GIS division provides basic utility location data for use on plan sets. While this data is meant to be used within design plan sets, this data is available to anyone for download. If you are using data or maps provided by the City of Hobbs, please see our Data Disclaimer [link to data disclaimer pdf] prior to downloading or access the maps or data.

Some things to note about the Title 16 dataset is some critical, proprietary, or internal use information has been removed for public safety. Additionally the Title 16 dataset is updated at the beginning of each Quarter. If the data you are using is not from the same quarter that you downloaded it, the data should be considered out of date. If you have any questions please feel free to contact the City of Hobbs’ GIS division.

Final note, the City of Hobbs does not have Zoning and the Title 16 dataset does not contain a Zoning Map or Zoning Data. Please contact the Planning Department for more information about the City of Hobbs and Zoning.

  • Link to Title 16 KML dataset zip
  • Link to Title 16 Shape File dataset zip

Contact and Work Requests:

The City of Hobbs’ GIS division is the primary point of contact for Data or Access to our real-time corrections base station. You can reach us by calling (575)-397-9232 or by reaching out to us using our work/data requests form (powered by Survey123).

  • Link to Requests Survey

Other GIS, Addressing, and Data Partners/Resources

FAQs

What is GIS?

GIS is a system used to manage digitally a collection of objects that reflect the real world. The letters stand for Geographical Information System. The typically elements that make up a system are; software (ArcMap and QGIS), hardware (computers and servers), data (vector and raster), procedures (standards & work flows) and personnel (technicians, specialists, & managers). The most important elements are data and people. But when these elements are combined in some fashion they can be used to gather, create, manipulate, analyze and present geographical information. Geographical information is merely information about an object that has a geographical location on the Earth's surface.

For help with these definitions click ESRI's Online GIS Dictionary.

What software and equipment does the Hobbs GIS Division use?

We use ESRI software as the foundation for our daily work. And we're working to integrate more open source software solutions. However, with the ESRI platform we maintain a Arc GIS Server with several SDE databases, multiple desktop clients along with a Arc GIS Online Account.

We use Trimble based GPS units for the majority of the data collection efforts. Though we have also introduced another mobile GPS collection method for general mapping purposes. This method utilizes Android tablets with a Bluetooth link to a external GPS receivers, namely the Bad Elf GPS Receivers. This solution offers a inexpensive yet flexible solution, with a reduced learning curve. This allows for broader data collection options throughout the organization, rather than being dependent upon only a few individuals.

What if I can't find what I am needing or maps are not available for certain areas?

Our aim is to serve the citizens of Hobbs and the various organizational departments within the government body with relevant data and resources. If there are subjects or data which you feel would be of value to the general public please contact us with your GIS suggestions at gisinfo@hobbsnm.org