Firm Hired to Take Aerial Photos of Barrington to Improve Tax Assessments

Aerial photographs of Barrington for property-tax assessment purposes were approved by the Town Council Monday evening, Dec. 9, at a special meeting.

The aerial photos – known as an “oblique imagery” because they provide 45-degree angles with the ground – will probably be taken over the next week or so, said Tax Assessor Mike Minardi.

“The leaves are off the trees and there is no snow on the ground yet,” said Minardi. “They are ready to go.” 

Minardi was referring to the company, Pictometry, one of the leaders in the field. Cost of the contract with Pictometry is about $20,000, he said.

Aerial photos for tax purposes typically are taken when there are no leaves to obscure the view and snow does not make it difficult to separate roof lines from the ground, Minardi said.

The photos generated will provide 45-degree angle views of all four sides of a property. The photos allow viewers to measure the top and sides of objects.

The last flyover in Barrington was eight years ago. But the technology on the market now is leaps and bounds ahead or what was out there 10 years ago, Minardi said.

The Pictometry photos will also a provide a level of accuracy that is not available with free systems, such as Google Earth.

“Just about everybody uses this,” said Minardi. “It’s a very good tool.” 

Click here to go to a photo gallery on the Pictometry website. Two of the photos are attached here.