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P/CLOUDY Temp: 48 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Thursday, November 21, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend July 13, 2002 County’s property records open to anyone with a computer Along with public records, land-use applications are available on the Web site By DANI DODGE Mail Tribune Jackson County has taken "online" to a new level — now anyone anywhere can look up Jackson County property records anytime. A computer user just plugs in a name, and all properties owned by that person in the county will pop up. That includes elected officials, business leaders and even police officers. "I feel like you found my bat cave," said Medford police Lt. Mike Moran, when told his address is online. "It’s unfortunate because there are some officers that work with really, really bad guys every day, but then again I know some officers who have had their names in the phone books for years." Moran acknowledged the information is public record and "they aren’t out of line doing it." What really makes the system unique, according to those who built it, is that all the property records and assessment records on the site are tied to the county planning database so that applications for building, zoning and land-use permits also are available. "One of the advantages to people in Jackson County is it will save them a lot of money," said county Commissioner Sue Kupillas. "They don’t have to come (to the county offices) to get maps — they don’t have to pay at the counter, they can just get them off the Web." About three years ago, county computer specialists started using a limited program to allow some property information on the Web. But it was a problematic system with limited value, said Keith Massie, the county’s geographic information system manager. In December, they developed the new program and used it only at the county offices. County commissioners agreed to put the information online after the system would give information only to people who registered with a valid e-mail address. "By causing people to register, we provide some equivalency of showing up at the courthouse," said Marc Christensen, Jackson County’s information technology director. "The bottom line is this is very important information to people and is very useful." About two months ago, the service called "Front Counter Application" was launched. It remains rather cumbersome and slow for first-time users, with some frustrating bugs. But users say with time and practice people can produce amazing overlays of information on any property in the county. For instance, it can show the type of soils and slope and even traffic numbers for some properties. "The change they made has been phenomenal," said Curt Burrill, broker of Burrill Real Estate, a commercial real estate, sales, leasing and development company. "I can look at a piece of property, find the surrounding properties, find out if the people have paid their property taxes," Burrill said. "I can find out if the property is in a flood plain or in an airport overlay. "From day one, I have used it almost every day in some form." The system maintains information only on those who own property, not those who rent it. Commissioners, though, have some reservations. "I have some doubts that everything should be revealed like this," said Commissioner Ric Holt. "We are supposed to be all-encompassing county government that provides you with everything, but maybe we didn’t think this all the way through — I wasn’t looking at this from the point of view of the cops and judges ... but more for the business community." Holt said he hopes people will let their commissioners know specifically what they like and don’t like about the program. County Commissioner Jack Walker said he approved of the project after being assured that people weren’t getting online anything more than they would get at the county offices. "Do you cost people more time and money to access information, or do you deal with the problems after you give access?" Walker asked. "I’m sure this is something that will generate much interest." Fewer than 25 percent of cities and counties in the United States allow access to assessment information on the Internet, according to a spokesman at the Urban and Regional Information Systems Association. Six to eight counties in Oregon have some property records information on the Web, Massie said. The counties vary in both how much information they provide and what kind of restrictions they impose. For instance, in Deschutes County users must pay a fee for limited information while Tillamook County provides the whole database without restrictions. Massie said that since Jackson County’s program has been available he hasn’t had even one complaint about privacy concerns. Over the next two or three months he will be working out system bugs. Massie noted that he’s seen no literature linking increased crime to online property records. He predicted in five years that most counties will have these records online. Real estate broker Burrill acknowledged some people may have reservations about the new system, but the way he sees it, it’s a beautiful thing. Used to be, when he got someone calling him about listing a property, he had to call a title company and have them pull together information. Now, within a matter of minutes, he can find everything he needs right at his keyboard. "It has made my life, from a work standpoint, easier," Burrill said. "I’ve talked to several Realtors who have used it and pretty much everyone feels the same way I do — it’s an amazing way to get information and get it fast." To access property records and a myriad of other pieces of information about property in the county go to the county’s Web page at www.jacksoncounty.org and click on the "Front Counter Application" button. If you have questions, contact Christensen at 774-6023. For those without computer access, free Internet use is available at county libraries. Those who wish to continue going to the county offices for information will continue to go to the same offices they have in the past. Reach reporter Dani Dodge at 776-4471, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy webmaster feedback A D V E R T I S E R S