The city has set aside more than $75,000 to use a service called PlotBox to accurately map and manage cemetery operations.
One of the unique projects the city agreed to begin was the mapping of cemetery via PlotBox. The Cemetery Operations office currently maintains more than 26,000 cemetery spaces in five cemeteries.
This covers more than 52 acres of land and also includes data stored on index cards that dates back to the early 1900s. The office is currently using maps that are pre-digitization, or paper copies that have been used over and over again for years. However, that system is outdated and makes accurate tracking of the spaces, their occupants and ownership records a lofty feat. The city manages lot sales, burials and operations on an Access database and paper, and has an average of 90 interments per year.
The city found a solution in PlotBox, which “uses drone technology combined with an on-site survey to create a map that is not only representative, but captures longitude and latitude.” Instead of looking at a map, the graves cemetery staff have verified can have accuracy to within three inches of their location.
Once PlotBox is utilized, the current database for the five cemeteries will be uploaded to its cloud-based system, which adds extra security for the city’s records. The paper records that are on file will be scanned and entered into the new system as well so everything is stored in one place.
This service will allow the city to have a view of all the available grave inventory as well as burial obligations linked to their proper locations via a mapping unit. The staff can then view, edit and manage active records from anywhere with an Internet connection thanks to the cloud. PlotBox said its system reduces operational risks because everything is unified in one place, so there is a smaller chance the city will have double-sold plots or mislocated burials. The service will come with a method for staff to then communicate more efficiently with contractors via electronic work orders.
PlotBox also comes with a mobile app that will allow the user to quickly find the space they are searching for. The service has a high-resolution interactive map and there is an option for a public portal if the city chooses once all of the information is updated. That portal comes with a way to locate burial information, view grave locations and marker images, and it also offers an opportunity for the user to “conduct genealogical research on their own.”
The PlotBox purchase will cost the city $75,610. This comes with the PlotBox “Essential” package, which provides “data migration, hi-resolution drone flight and map overlay, data matching, software configuration and first year subscription.” The city said additional funds are provided in this project to allow for professional document scanning.
The City of Winter Haven has utilized the service since late 2019. City employee Robert van Druten left a five-star review for the product and called the process “straightforward, painless and will help to bring a lot of efficiencies to our organization.” Commissioners unanimously agreed to purchase the service and there is an annual subscription, hosting and support fee of $6,480 that is locked in for a five-year initial subscription period to “ensure data protection and the most up-to-date software system.”
