IRON MOUNTAIN — Aerial imagery for GIS websites in Dickinson County will be updated by fall after a flyover conducted May 2, Iron Mountain City Manager Jordan Stanchina said.

Breitung Township took the lead in getting the work done through the Michigan Statewide Authoritative Imagery and Lidar Program, he said.

Municipalities provide GIS maps on their individual websites and the Dickinson Area Economic Development Alliance aims to provide enhanced parcel mapping at a central online site. Geographic information system mapping is an important tool for economic development, among other uses.

Total cost for the new imagery was $8,501, split between the participating municipalities based mainly on geographic size:

≤ Breitung Township, $5,506;

≤ City of Norway, $1,960;

≤ City of Iron Mountain, $662;

≤ City of Kingsford, $373.

The new maps will have double the resolution of the current ones, Stanchina told the IM council Monday.

Lidar, which stands for light detection and ranging, can be used to make digital 3-D representations of the Earth’s surface. The data can be analyzed for many purposes, including pavement conditions, roadside measurements, elevation studies and tree assessments.

In other action, the council:

≤ Approved a quote of $13,564 from PK Contracting of Lake City to do line striping on major streets, along with pavement markings for railroad crossings and crosswalks. “We have been warned that road paint is in short supply and they may not be able to get to everything on the list,” Stanchina said.

≤ Authorized buying scraper blades for plow trucks and other equipment at a cost of $7,709 from Road Machinery & Supplies Co. of Negaunee. RMS is the only vendor of four contacted that can supply all of the blades needed, according to Scott Thomas, Department of Public Works supervisor. The order was placed to ensure delivery by winter.

≤ Approved paying $4,880 in annual dues, an increase of 3.3%, to renew membership in the Michigan Municipal League. Benefits include legislative advocacy, technical assistance, training and education.