Officials Use Satellites to Take Inventory of City
Cerritos is using Defense Department satellites to take inventory of the city.
Using the satellite and computer program called Global Positioning System, public works employees are walking through neighborhoods with yellow backpacks and antenna extensions counting each piece of city property, an official said.
Surveyors direct a laser beam at a tree, a fire hydrant, water meter, sewer manholes, street lights, stop signs and park benches. Using a satellite reading from the backpack antenna, a computer records the location of each piece of property and feeds it to a central computer at City Hall, said city spokeswoman Audrey Eftychiou.
“When we combine this mapping process with a work order software, it will make us a much more efficient maintenance operation,” said Assistant City Engineer Hal Arbogast.
The inventory, expected to be completed this summer, will allow city staff members to locate equipment quickly and efficiently, said Eftychiou.
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