A powerful resource in Porter County Government is helping local departments, emergency responders, and everyday residents make smarter, faster decisions — thanks to a small team with a big vision.
Charles "Chuck" Miller, the county's Geographic Information Systems (GIS) director and database administrator, leads a two-person department dedicated to transforming complex data into clear, visual tools.
"Our job is to give information about a location," Miller said. "Once you can place data on a map, you can analyze how everything connects."
Miller's background in computer programming gives him an edge in a field traditionally rooted in geography.
"I come from the IT world and sort of fell into GIS many years ago," Miller said. "This background allows me to manage everything — from databases to web services — without relying too heavily on our IT department."
The county's GIS system touches nearly every department. While the GIS team itself consists of just Miller and a GIS technician, they support offices including the auditor, assessor, and stormwater divisions.
"There aren't many departments in the county that aren't using GIS," Miller said. "There are at least seven different offices that use our technology."
At the core of their public service is the county's GIS Data Hub, which provides interactive maps, downloadable PDFs, and live streaming data to anyone who needs it.
"We average between 500 to 1,000 hits a day on our data hub," Miller said. "It shows the public is using what we offer."
Miller emphasized that the platform is built for everyone — from casual users exploring property boundaries to advanced users pulling real-time data into their own systems.
"We have a little bit of everything," he said. "Everything we provide is meant for the public. Transparency is huge for us."
The technology has proven valuable across multiple county functions. During emergencies, GIS maps help first responders navigate efficiently. For property owners, the system provides clear boundary information and tax details. County planners use the data to make informed development decisions based on geographic factors like floodplains and soil types.
The GIS team recently played a critical role in the county's emergency response. After a high wind event, the Emergency Management Agency (EMA) turned to Miller's team to create web maps for Federal Emergency Management Agency damage assessment.
"We're actually in talks with EMA about building something more wide-reaching," he said. "Weather events seem to be happening more often, and we want a system they can turn to immediately."
Miller is also working to expand GIS applications for community health initiatives. His team collaborates with the health department to map public aid programs and identify underserved areas.
"We're setting up applications for things like bike share and ride share programs," Miller said. "The goal is to see where we can improve services and make sure no one is left out."
Miller invites the public to not only use the GIS tools, but also to get involved.
"If people want to reach out with questions or ideas — they absolutely should," he said. "The strength of our department relies on that interaction. We're here to serve the public, and feedback is awesome."
For more information about the Porter County Government and the GIS department, please visit portercountyin.gov.
