Zone Management & Inspector Coverage

Zone management defines geographic areas (tax maps) and assigns inspectors to cover those areas. This ensures citizens are served by inspectors familiar with their region and enables efficient route planning.

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Understanding Tax Maps

What Are Tax Maps?

Tax maps are geographic zones that divide the jurisdiction into manageable areas for inspection coverage. They're based on:

• Tax assessment boundaries
• Geographic regions
• Administrative districts
• Service areas

Why Tax Maps Matter

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Tax Map Structure

Example Tax Map Configuration

Tax Map Properties

Each tax map includes:

• ID - Unique identifier
• Name - Descriptive name
• Boundaries - Geographic coordinates
• Assigned Inspectors - Who covers this area
• Capacity - Maximum daily inspections
• Active Status - Whether currently in use

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Inspector Assignment to Zones

How Assignments Work

Inspectors are assigned to tax maps based on:

1. Certification - Qualified for inspection types in that area
2. Location - Lives/works near the zone
3. Workload - Balanced distribution
4. Specialty - Building, electrical, fire, etc.

Multiple Zone Coverage

Inspectors typically cover multiple zones:

John Smith (Building Inspector)
-- Tax Map 1 - Western Howard (Primary)
-- Tax Map 2 - Central Howard (Secondary)
-- Tax Map 4 - Northern Howard (Backup)

Jane Doe (Building Inspector)
-- Tax Map 2 - Central Howard (Primary)
-- Tax Map 3 - Eastern Howard (Primary)
-- Tax Map 5 - Southern Howard (Backup)

Overlapping Coverage

Each zone should have multiple inspectors for:

• Redundancy - Coverage when someone is out
• Capacity - Handle high-volume days
• Flexibility - Adjust to demand

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For Administrators: Managing Tax Maps

Viewing Tax Maps

1. Navigate to Calendar App > Settings
2. Select Tax Maps or Zones
3. View list of all tax maps
4. Click to see details and assignments

Creating a Tax Map

1. Click "Add Tax Map"
2. Enter basic information:
   • Name
   • Description
   • Active status
3. Define boundaries:
   • Upload GeoJSON file, OR
   • Draw on map interface
4. Save the tax map

Editing Tax Map Boundaries

1. Select the tax map
2. Click "Edit Boundaries"
3. Adjust polygon on map
4. Save changes
5. Review affected appointments

Deactivating a Tax Map

When a tax map is no longer needed:

1. Ensure all inspectors reassigned
2. Check for pending appointments
3. Set status to "Inactive"
4. Tax map remains for historical records

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For Administrators: Inspector Zone Assignment

Assigning Inspectors to Tax Maps

1. Navigate to Calendar Settings > Inspector Assignment
2. Select a calendar (Building Inspections, etc.)
3. For each tax map:
   • Click "Assign Inspectors"
   • Select inspectors from available list
   • Set primary/secondary/backup designation
4. Save assignments

Removing Inspector from Zone

1. Navigate to inspector assignment
2. Find the tax map
3. Click remove/delete icon next to inspector
4. Confirm removal
5. Check coverage - ensure zone still has coverage

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How Zone Assignment Affects Scheduling

When a Citizen Schedules

1. Citizen enters property address
2. System geocodes address to coordinates
3. System identifies matching tax map
4. System finds inspectors assigned to that tax map
5. System checks inspector availability
6. System assigns based on round-robin + availability

Example Flow

Citizen schedules Foundation Inspection at 123 Main St

1. Geocode "123 Main St" -> Lat: 39.2103, Long: -76.8542

2. Point-in-polygon check against tax maps
   -> Matches Tax Map 2 (Central Howard)

3. Find inspectors for Tax Map 2 on Building calendar:
   -> John Smith, Jane Doe, Mike Johnson

4. Check availability for requested date:
   -> John Smith: Available
   -> Jane Doe: Time-off (vacation)
   -> Mike Johnson: Available

5. Apply round-robin:
   -> Last assignment: John Smith
   -> Next in rotation: Mike Johnson

6. Assign to Mike Johnson

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Zone Capacity Management

Understanding Capacity

Each zone has capacity limits:

• Daily maximum inspections
• Per-inspector limits
• Total zone limits

Monitoring Capacity

Managers can view:

• Current bookings per zone
• Available capacity
• Historical utilization
• Capacity trends

Adjusting Capacity

When demand changes:

1. Add more inspectors to high-demand zones
2. Adjust inspector primary/secondary assignments
3. Enable overtime or extended hours
4. Consider temporary zone boundary adjustments

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For Citizens: How Zones Affect You

What You See

When scheduling an inspection:

1. Enter your property address
2. System identifies your zone
3. You see message: "Your property is in [Tax Map Name]"
4. Available slots shown based on zone coverage
5. Inspector assigned from your zone

Location Not Found

If you see "This location does not match any tax maps":

• Address may be at zone boundary
• New development not yet mapped
• Address geocoding issue
• Contact permitting staff for assistance

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Troubleshooting

For Administrators

Q: Inspections aren't being assigned correctly by zone. A: Check:

• Tax map boundaries are correct
• Inspector assignments are current
• Address geocoding is working
• Round-robin logic functioning

Q: No inspectors available for a zone. A: Verify:

• Inspectors are assigned to that zone
• Inspectors are active and not on time-off
• Zone has adequate coverage
• Consider temporary additional assignments

Q: How do I handle zone boundary disputes? A: Work with GIS team to verify correct boundaries. Update tax map polygons if needed. Historical appointments remain with original zone assignment.

For Citizens

Q: Why did my inspector come from far away? A: Inspectors may cover multiple zones. Your usual zone inspector may have been unavailable, so a backup from another zone was assigned.

Q: My address shows wrong zone. What do I do? A: Contact permitting staff to verify your address zone assignment. There may be a mapping update needed.

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Best Practices

For Administrators

1. Regular boundary reviews - Ensure tax maps reflect current geography
2. Balanced assignments - Distribute workload evenly
3. Redundant coverage - At least 2 inspectors per zone
4. Monitor utilization - Adjust based on demand
5. Coordinate with GIS - Keep boundaries current

For Managers

1. Review daily coverage - Ensure all zones staffed
2. Plan for absences - Backup coverage ready
3. Track patterns - Identify high-demand areas
4. Communicate changes - Inform team of zone updates

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Related Features

• Inspector Scheduling & Route
• Inspector Assignment
• APO Property Selection