Kentucky Cities FAQs (DGI/COT)

​What are the electronic filing requirements for City annexation or other KRS 81A.470 filings?
​An elextronic ​file containing a closed geometric figure depicting the territory being added or removed that is referenced to a Kentucky State Plane Coordinate System zone in any one (1) of the following formats:
1. AutoDesk AutoCAD DWG or DXF;
2. Bentley MicroStation DGN; or
​3. ESRI ArcGIS Shapefile.

What makes up a georeferenced ERSI ArcGIS Shapefile?
A georeferenced shapefile must include as at least 4 file extensions 
.shp
.shx  
.dfb 
.prj
​All four files (and any other related files) must be provided. If all the files are not included the file will not work and the filing will be declared unmappable​
​Here is a breakdown of each extension​​

What files make up an AutoCAD, AutoDesk .DWG, .DXF and .DNG file?
There is only one file extension for each of these file types. They must be georeferenced to a Kentucky State Plane Coordinate System Zone

What Kentucky State Plane coordinate system should the electronic file be provided in?
According to the Statute: An electronic file containing a closed geometric figure depicting the territory being added or removed that is referenced to a Kentucky State Plane Coordinate System zone.

The electronic file must be referenced to a Kentucky State Plane Coordinate System zone. The 3 Kentucky State Plane Coordinate Systems are 1) Kentucky Single Zone (FIPS 1600), 2) Kentucky Nort Zone (FIPS 1601) and 3) Kentucky South Zone (FIPS 1602).

What happens if an electronic file fails to meet the electronic requirements of KRS 81A.470?
If the any of the electronic file requirements are deeficient as described above the filing will be declared unmappable and the area will not be updated on the Kentucky Cities interactive map until an electronic file is provided that meets the requirements

Can the electronic file be sent for review prior to filing?
Yes, the City or surveyor can submit the electronic file early for a requirements review at any time. An upload link to Box can be provided for convenience. To receive a Box link send an email to cotdivisionofgeographicinformation@ky.gov with the subject line "Box link request - City BND".  

Please note that the area cannot be added or removed from the interactive map until the filing is approved and sent officially to the Secretary of State and the electronic file will still be required to be sent with the filing packet itself to Secretary of State as per the requirements. 

• 1. Electronic file provided does not clearly identify the area being described as required by KRS 81A.470. Files that include many boundary lines and other features can make it difficult to determine which lines in the electronic file are the ones being described in the filing. Ideally the only boundary in the electronic file would be the area being added or removed and that boundary would be a single, unbroken line. If significant time or guesswork are required to determine what area should be added or removed the filing will be declared unmappable. Below is an example of an electronic file th​at would be unmappable:​​
  
  
  
• ​ 2. Electronic file provided does not meet the georeferencing requirement of KRS 81A.470. This is of monumental importance because that is what places the ordinance in the correct location on the earth's surface. The example below shows an electronic file that is placed in Central Africa due to the fact that it is not in the correct coordinate system.
  

•  3.Shapefile does not include all necessary files.​ See first question. 
  

• 4. Electronic file provided does not meet the file format requirements of KRS 81A.470. ​Refer to file formats listed in KRS 18A.470​.​