Noble County GIS

Click to go to Beacon™website selection screen

First time users of Beacon™ are strongly advised to review the following sections.

Why Switch to Beacon™

Noble County’s new Beacon™ GIS website replaces the previous GIS website.  This new website has been in production since 2006 and is now ready to be released for use.  The previous GIS website has been in use serving user’s inquiries into land parcel information since 2005.  Noble County’s first GIS website has provided users with the ability to access land ownership information and assessment information provided by both the Noble County Assessor’s and Surveyor’s Offices.  The website contains a GIS map providing a view into the configuration of tax parcels while giving access to information from associated databases.

Noble County’s first GIS website has served the needs of users well; however, a better way to server our GIS data is available.   Schneider has recently acquired Beacon™ allowing easier website maintenance while providing greater functionality, future capabilities, and a better user interface.  The Schneider Corporation is suggesting to their clients that they move to Beacon™. Noble County has determined that GIS website users will be better served by the move. With Beacon™, Noble County is now able to offer greater access to land ownership information.  

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What's New with Beacon™

Some of the new features available on Beacon™ include:

• An Info panel found along the right-hand side of the map.  This panel displays contact information for various county offices along with the ability to send the office holder email.  The Info panel also displays information for selected features appearing on the map.
• Layers are now automatically turned on when selected without the need to refresh the map. This option can be disabled using the Options button.
• The user interface includes tabbed screens, improving navigation. Tabs provide quick access to the map window, the search window, the window showing the results of a search, the report window, and both the new comparables search and comparables results windows.
• The comparables search is a great new feature providing the ability to search for certain category criteria of a feature.  If you already have a parcel feature selected on the map, its values will be populated in red on the right side of the comparables search.  Different categories are available along with a check box to enable the category in a search. The comparables search is only available when using the Parcels (Assessor) layer.
•  Two parcel layers now exist.  The Parcels (Assessor) layer provides property assessment information from the Assessor’s Office and limited tax information from the Auditor’s Office.  The Parcels (Surveyor) layer provides property land ownership information from the Surveyor’s Office.
• The Report tab provides more customized report options. The printed report is better structured and easier to use.
• There is an Options screen for controlling the map size (three screen resolution sizes are available depending on the size of your screen), map print size, and turning on or off the auto-refresh map layer option.
• A built-in help system provides information for performing common tasks.
• Three additional layers have been added to the GIS website: Control Points (section corner features), Landhooks, and Soils.
• Surveyor’s Office scanned tie card PDF documents are now available for viewing for selected section corners features found on the Control Points layer.
• Limited tax information including Transfer history, Exemptions, Homestead Allocations, and Tax history is now available.
• The Report tap displays all available Assessor and Auditor information in one convenient place.
• An overview map is now available at all times to help you position yourself within the county when zoomed into an area of interest.
• A Feedback screen is available giving users the ability to provide feedback on use of the site.  This will help both Schneider and the county provide users with a better user experience.
• The Search tab has been expanded to provide search criteria including the Auditor’s 10-digit Tax ID number.

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Relevent Issues Regarding Beacon™

The following issues should be kept in mind when viewing map features on the GIS website.

What is Seen Existing on the Ground in the Aerial Photography May Not Exist Today

Aerial photography is a picture of the ground taken at a point in time.  Two series of aerial photographs (orthophotographs, rectified to the ground and usable for measuring ground distances) are available, one flown in April 2003 and another flown in April of 2005.  Since these pictures represent what the ground looked like at a specific point in time, any ground features found to exist after these dates will not appear in the aerial photography. Aerial photography is flown by the county about every 4 years.  The last flight prior to 2003, took place in 1999.  This set of photography was taken in black and white.  Recent 2005 photography, made possibly by an initiative of the Indiana Geographic Information Council, Inc, was flown in natural color, greatly increasing its usefulness. The next flight is projected for sometime in the spring of 2008 or 2009.  It is important to realize that what is visible on the aerial photographs is not a current view of what exists today.

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Discrepancies May Exist Between Land Occupancy Ownership and What is Shown on the Parcels (Assessor) and Parcels (Surveyor) Layer

Two Parcels layers, showing the same exact parcel boundaries but referencing different databases, serve as a general representation of the location of parcel boundaries.  The aerial photographs show physical signs of land ownership occupation—physical boundaries such as fences are visible and are referenced as parcel boundaries by land owners.  There are areas that exist where the parcels layer will not line up with the aerial photograph.  Every effort has been made to represent parcel boundaries as accurately as possible.  Many reasons exist to explain why parcel boundaries don’t line up with the aerials.  One main reason is due to poor or vague legal descriptions. Another reason may be attributed to occupation deviating from how it was originally laid out in a subdivision plat (this is especially true for urban areas).  Areas where parcel lines don’t line up with the aerials will need to be researched and possibly resurveyed to determine reasons for the discrepancy.  When time permits, county offices responsible for parcel maintenance will perform research and refer to historic and new survey information to correct problem areas.

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Layer Features on the Map Represent a General Representation of What Really Exists on the Ground

Physical features that exist on the ground, such as roads, structures, and water bodies, are represented in Beacon™ as points, lines, and enclosed areas called polygons.  Map features are a general representation of what actually exists on the ground.  Various means are used for drawing map features.  Various sources of information are used as reference (e.g., recorded documents and surveys, digitizing features directly from aerial orthophotographs, and downloadable information from trusted websites).  Every effort has been made to utilize proper techniques and reference viable data sources when drawing map features.  It should be noted that some data sources are more accurate than others and this may explain why certain map features appear to be drawn incorrectly.  Users of Beacon™ should take notice that the map serves as a general representation of what exists in the real world and should be used accordingly. To obtain information (metadata) about map layers, please contact the Noble County GIS Coordinator.

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Property Land Ownership Information May be Different Between the Parcels (Assessor) and Parcels (Surveyor) Layers

As mentioned earlier, two parcels layers are being used for displaying parcel boundaries. The Parcels (Assessor) layer is used for accessing parcel land ownership, assessment, and tax information residing in both the Noble County Assessor’s and Auditor’s Offices.  Use this layer to identify and view a parcel’s land ownership, assessment, and tax information in Beacon’s Report tab.  The Parcels (Surveyor) layer is used for accessing parcel land ownership and drainage information residing in the Noble County Surveyor’s Office.  Use this layer to identify and view land ownership and drainage information in Beacon™’s Report tab.  Since these three databases are separate from one another and maintained by different county offices, information may be different or non-existent in one or the other’s database.  The Surveyor’s database represents each legally described tract of land as a separate record in its database.  However, the Auditor’s and Assessor’s databases tend to group multiple tracts under one tax identification number.  Parcels displayed on both Parcels layers are drawn to show each legally described track of land. Each parcel is referenced with a unique 18-digit State parcel identification number (PIN) in the Surveyor’s database, while groups of parcels in the Auditor’s and Assessor’s databases are referenced with one 18-digit State PIN.  This can result in no property match when the Parcels (Assessor) layer is active and while using the 18-digit State PIN or Tax ID as search criteria in the Beacon™ Search Tab.  If you are experiencing trouble finding a parcel, instructions are provided at the bottom of the Search tab.

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Current Assessment and/or Tax Information May Not be Available for Recent Property Transfers

Every night Beacon™ updates are sent from the county to the Schneider Corporation, who hosts the website.  Information may not be made available for nightly updates from the county.  As parcels are transferred in the Auditor’s Office, time is required to update the internal GIS layers to reflect the transfer, especially if the transfer creates a new parcel split or a new subdivision plat.  Please be aware that recent transferred parcels may not show up on the website; this, however, doesn’t mean that the transfer did not occur in the Auditor’s office.  Parcel transfer information is also entered into all three county property databases: Assessor’s, Auditor’s, and Surveyor’s databases. At this time, all three databases are separate from one another and maintained independently. This causes information to be entered into these databases at different time intervals depending on the office’s work flow.  Assessor’s assessment information is required to be withheld from the public during times of trending.  During this time, the previous year’s assessments will still be viewable on the Report tab, but may not reflect current assessment values.  When the trending process is completed, the updated values will be made available.

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Indiana Public Access Law and Privacy

The county’s GIS data is considered a strategic asset established for directly benefiting county office decision-making abilities, promoting economic development, and delivering public services more efficiently.  The county recognizes that GIS data is also a benefit to others.  The decision-making process for allowing distribution of GIS data, along with assessment and tax information, is based on the following principles(1):

• Public information is a necessary component of the democratic process and open government.
• The value of geospatial data is realized through its usage.
• Widespread distribution and use of public information benefits the county’s entire jurisdiction.
• Public agencies increasingly store data electronically, and such digital data constitutes the public record.
• In their roles as data custodians, public agencies have a responsibility to make data available both for citizen access and to reduce duplication of effort among public agencies.
• Public agencies need funding to develop, maintain, and distribute their data.

Noble County’s distribution of public information is governed by Indiana Code 5-14-3, “Access to Public Records.”  Two other documents play a role in establishing access to Noble County’s public information:

• Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) of 1966
• Federal Information Reform Act (FIRA) of 1986

Indiana Code (IC) 5-14-3-2 defines who is eligible for gaining access to public data.  The definition includes “…an individual, a corporation, a limited liability company, a partnership, an unincorporated association, or a governmental entity.” 

Indiana Code (IC) 5-14-3-3 (d), states that governmental entities shall make reasonable efforts to provide electronic data.  Information can be made available through various means, including electronic maps—Noble County has chosen to make electronic data available through Beacon™. 

Indiana Code (IC) 5-14-3-3.6 (d) provides the following privacy safeguards:

• Unauthorized enhanced access to public records
• Unauthorized alteration of public records
• Nondisclosure of confidential records

Along with these safeguards, Indiana Code (IC) 5-14-3-4 provides a list of exempted records from the public assess law.

Noble County strives to provide enhanced access to public records with regards to land ownership, assessment, and tax information while providing limits on what information is released that may compromise privacy.  With this in mind, Beacon™ provides these benefits:

• Reduced office traffic
• Provides greater access to a wider audience
• Greater accountability

Indiana’s Public Access Counselor has prepared a Public Access Handbook which has been referenced for guidance on public access issues.  This document is available at http://www.in.gov/pac/handbook/.

(1) Adopted from the Open Data Consortium project Model Data Distribution Policy. Oct., 2003, GIS Consultants. 1615 Broadway, Suite 415, Oakland, CA 94612. (510) 238-9771 GIS.Consultants@joffes.com

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Zoning Codes Displayed on the Zoning--Countywide Layer May Have Different Meanings within Each Zoning Jurisdiction

The Zoning—countywide layer includes all zoned areas residing in both the rural areas of the county governed by the Noble County Plan Commission and urban areas governed by the following incorporated jurisdictional areas: Albion, Avilla, Cromwell, Kendallville, Ligonier, Rome City, and Wolcottville. A general listing of zoning codes has been applied across the entire county; however, each jurisdiction has its own definitions and regulations with regards to their zoning codes.  Please consult with the controlling jurisdiction about the meaning of the zoning label found on the map and to check for zoning changes that may have occurred.

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Tips on Searching for Parcel Information

Beacon™ provides the following means of searching land ownership information.

One can search by using the Search tab. The following search options are available.

• Land ownership name—it is possible to search by last name only or by first and last name. The first and last name can be entered in any order.  It is not necessary to separate first and last names with a comma.  If you are not sure what name(s) the property may be listed under, try using only the last name.  This will help guarantee that all the parcels listed under the last name are found.
• Address—searching by address may be a trickier proposition.  The system will attempt to find a match for the address entered.  If there is more than one private residence on a parcel, the system may only have one of the two to compare with the search criteria.  If the Parcels (Assessor) layer is active when performing your search using the Search tab and no results are found, try making the Parcels (Surveyor) layer active by clicking on the layer name.  A blue symbol with an “i” will appear next to the layer.  This is how you will know what layer is currently active.  Enter your search criteria and see if you get a match.  If you do, go to the Map tab and click the parcel using the identify button to select the parcel.  This should retrieve information under the Report tab.
• Parcel ID—Parcel ID is the 18-digit State parcel identification number (PIN) used by all county offices dealing with property.  See the Parcels layers below for an explanation on interpreting this number.  The number consists of a series of hyphens “-“ and one period “.”  It is not necessary to enter the 18-digit PIN using the punctuation.  Again, if the Parcels (Assessor) layer is active when searching for a PIN using the Search tab and no results are found, try searching by setting the Parcels (Surveyor) layer active.
• Tax Bill ID—This number is an 11-digit tax identification number assigned to a parcel or a group of parcels in the Auditor’s Office.  This is an older parcel identification numbering system still in use.  The Tax Bill ID consists of the following format: XXX-XXXXXX-XX, where every number begins with a zero “0”.  Notice that this number consists of two hyphens.  It is not necessary to enter the hyphens when entering Tax Bill ID search criteria. Again, if the Parcels (Assessor) layer is active when searching for a PIN using the Search tab and no results are found, try searching by setting the Parcels (Surveyor) layer active.

An alternate search method is navigating the map under the Map tab.

• Set the Parcels (Assessor) layer active for identifying and viewing a parcel’s land ownership, assessment, and tax information in Beacon’s Report tab.
• Set the Parcels (Surveyor) layer active for identifying and viewing land ownership and drainage information in Beacon’s Report tab.

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Beacon's™GIS Layers

The following 37 layers are available for viewing in Beacon.™ Each layer is briefly described below.

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Using Beacon's™ Built-In Help System

Beacon™ has a built-in help system to assist with questions that you may have.  To access the help system, use the blue circle button that has a white question mark, located in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.  This button will offer the following help topics:

• Overview—A brief review of the help system.
• Map—Information on navigating the application’s map on the Map tab.
• Search—Information on performing searches using the Search tab.
• Results—Information about using and sorting the results that appear based on a search.
• Reports—Information for printing, moving back and forth between the Reports tab and the Map tab, and performing comparable searches.
• Login—Information about logging into Beacon™. 
• Feedback—Information on how to provide feedback on Beacon™.
• Options—Information on setting defaults for map size, print size, and color scheme in Beacon™.
• Print Setup—Information on how to customize your printing experience.

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Reporting Corrections, Comments, and Contact Information

Noble County is excited to offer its citizens and others access to land ownership information.  Please feel free to send your comments about Beacon™ using the feedback button, the button with an “i”, in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. If you should have specific questions on Beacon’s™ web functionality other than what can be answered using the built-in help menu, or questions about the availability of GIS data, or about parcel map corrections that may be necessary, please contact Steven Hook, Noble County GIS Coordinator at:

If you have a parcel map issue, please be aware that in order to correct identifiable problems, the Auditor's Office may need to perform extensive research. The Auditor's Office will assist those requiring help with researching activities. The Auditor's Office will research parcel map issues when time permits. The Auditor’s Office may require the land owner(s) to have prepared and recorded a new legal description and/or new survey to correct legal description ambiguities.  Some problem parcel issues may not be resolved unless a new legal description and/or survey are prepared and recorded. Questions regarding requirements for fixing problem parcels can be answered by the Noble County Auditor’s Office. 

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