County of Stettler council awarded a five-year geographic information system services contract to MRF GeoSystems Corporation at its Oct. 14 regular council meeting, approving a change administration said would substantially reduce costs.

The contract totals $105,600 plus GST, including initial setup and five years of service. The transition to the new provider is scheduled for Jan. 1, 2027.

Geographic information systems, commonly called GIS, connect information to locations on a digital map.

County staff use the system to access information about properties, roads, utilities, development applications and other municipal infrastructure.

During the discussion, planning and development director Craig Teal explained that the county had used GIS for 17 years through annually renewed contracts. The current service is provided by Catalis, previously known as MuniSight and, before that, Accurate Assessment.

The county issued a request for proposals this year to secure a five-year agreement. Nine proposals were received and reviewed by a six-person committee representing several departments.

Administration explained that a two-envelope process allowed the committee to assess service capabilities before considering prices. The evaluation considered references, integration with existing software, experience, the proposed work schedule and cost.

Pricing accounted for 40 per cent of the overall evaluation, while the remaining criteria accounted for 60 per cent. MRF ranked first with a score of 74 out of 100.

Administration estimated that continuing annual renewals with the existing provider would cost approximately $370,000 over five years, compared with roughly $106,000 for MRF’s proposal.

That annual-renewal estimate was separate from Catalis’s submitted five-year bid of $318,017, excluding GST, listed in the council package.

Council members asked whether MRF’s system could work with software already used by other county departments. Administration said integration was an important evaluation requirement because departments need to share information while continuing to use other providers’ programs.

Questions also addressed additional services available through MRF, including law enforcement applications. Administration explained that the request for proposals had been kept specific so competing bids could be assessed on the same requirements.

The county’s GIS system is also available to the public through its website. According to the council report, county users accessed it approximately 7,200 times in 2025, while public users accessed it about 3,400 times.

The report projects combined GIS and required data subscription costs of $36,720 in 2027, compared with the $83,600 budgeted for 2026. Funding comes through the planning and operations departments.

Council carried the motion to approve the recommended contract award and authorize administration to enter into the service agreement.