Digital Parcel Files and CAMA Reports

Guidance for Municipalities and Regional Councils of Governments

Overview

Section 7-100l of the Connecticut General Statutes (CGS) requires each municipality to transmit a digital parcel file and associated property assessment data (CAMA report) to the regional council of governments (COG) of which it is a member by May 1 annually.  This requirement was passed into law in 2018 under Public Act 18-175 in recognition of the need for uniform and readily accessible statewide parcel data.  Parcel maps and property assessment information are of high value to businesses, academia, government agencies, and individuals who regularly consult and analyze such data for research, public services, and economic development.  For the latest parcel and assessment data, visit the municipal parcel download page.

Submittal Process

To comply with CGS Sec. 7-100l(b), municipalities must submit two separate files:  one file for digital parcels, and one file for a standardized CAMA report.  Follow the instructions below to submit each file.

Digital Parcel File

The tax assessor, GIS coordinator, or other town official should obtain the most recent digital parcel file from the vendor with whom the municipality contracts for creation or maintenance of such digital parcel file.  Some municipalities maintain their digital parcel files in-house or through a service provided by its COG.  The digital parcel file should contain all original attribute information, including any attributes that may be used as unique parcel identifiers (PID, MBL, Unique ID, Account Number, etc.).  Once the most recent digital parcel file has been obtained, it should be transmitted to the COG (see contact list below) and be accompanied by the CAMA report file described in the next section.

CAMA Report

Municipalities must provide a standardized CAMA report prescribed by the Office of Policy and Management (OPM).  The report is titled "OPM 7-100L" in most CAMA systems, but may go by a different name depending on how the vendor has it configured.  Vendor-specific instructions for running the report are available.  Tax assessors should contact their CAMA vendors for additional assistance running the report, if needed.  Compliance with CGS Sec. 1-217 regarding the non-disclosure of residential addresses of certain individuals should be ensured before the report is run.  The CAMA report must be submitted as a .CSV file.  No other file format will be accepted.

Transmittal to COGs

Once your municipality has prepared a digital parcel file and a CAMA report, transmit the files to the COG of which your municipality is a member (see contact information in the table below).  Also include the following information in your transmittal:

• The name and contact information of the person or organization responsible for maintaining the digital parcel file for the municipality (in-house staff, GIS vendor, COG, etc.)
• The reference date for the digital parcel file (current as of when)
• The name and version # of the CAMA software used to generate the CAMA report
• The reference date for the CAMA report (current as of when)

COG Reports

Pursuant to CGS Sec. 7-100l(c), COGs must submit a report by July 1 annually that lists each town that (1) has failed to provide its digital parcel file, and (2) does not possess a digital parcel file.  A copy of the report must be sent to the Secretary of OPM and to the Planning and Development Committee of the General Assembly.  OPM has prescribed a reporting template for COGs to use to achieve consistent reporting across COGs.  COG staff should contact CT GIS Office at giso.opm@ct.gov for instructions on preparing and submitting this report.