Happy Summer to all! We hope you’ve been getting outside and doing the summer things that we all love – picnics, grilling, swimming, gardening, hiking, beaching, camping, and on and on…

There’s a lot to do during the summer. Almost too much. Folks may say that you can’t have too much of a good thing, but is that really true? Sometimes there’s so much that we want to do during the summer, it’s impossible to fit it all in.

Sometimes there can be too much of a good thing in CSDatum, too. That’s why we build all sorts of tools to help search for, filter out, and find the specific information you’re looking for. Back in September 2019, we went live with a new feature that added many new Map Overlays in CSDatum. These overlays are maps from sources like FEMA, DEP, PennDOT, and many others. This data is great but when it’s combined with your own municipality’s overlay map data, you can end up with a menu of overlays longer than your arm.

For example, look at East Hempfield Township’s CSDatum overlays below. What you can see in the screenshot only 1/3 of them. Try scrolling through that list to find the specific one you’re looking for--Not fun! But do you see that search box at the top? That’s new and a very quick way to hone in on the overlay that you’re looking for.

Let’s say I want to find some floodplain information and add it to my map. I could scroll through the whole menu looking for something related to floodplains, or I could simply type “flood” into the search box and reduce the Overlays menu to a very manageable list of only two! Much easier!

We’ve got a small but growing team of folks working to make sure that CSDatum and Permit Manager never feel like they’re “too much” or “too complicated.” We’re always quick to respond to emails and phone calls for help or guidance. Our contact form will go to the whole team, ensuring that someone will be able to reply as quickly as possible. You can also contact any of us directly. We’re always happy to help.

If you want to get acquainted or reacquainted with any of the software team, check out our updated Our Team page. Some of us dressed up for our photos and others dressed down, but nonetheless, it may help you put a face with a name as we continue to collaborate virtually.