KMZ Access Removed/Inoperable for Leaders

It appears that the ability to download KMZ files has been suspended/removed or maybe it is non-functional right now. Does anyone know what the situation is that ward or stake boundary KMZ files are no longer accessible?

Thanks!

I am also interested in the KMZ files and why they are no longer accessible. It was requested that I retrieve a file today, wasn't able to, and then found this post. Hopefully this is just a glitch but I would like to see these files returned or have a way to download them.

Are you referring to what's available via CDOL? (that's the only one I'm aware of for KMZ files). If so, it's interesting that I still see the entry for "Google File (KMZ)", just nothing listed underneath it. That gives me hope that perhaps there's just a bug in the system that needs addressing, as opposed to a decision to not provide them anymore.

Ah yes - I guess I totally skipped that detail, didn't I?! I am indeed referring to the capability in CDOL. I too hope that it is just temporary since the header is still there and it is just the link to the KMZ file that is missing. Hopefully they'll be able to address whatever the issue is and provide access once again.

As an aside, I don't know if you're aware but CDOL was completely disabled a while ago, with the idea that it wasn't coming back (at least for regular local leaders), and that there would be a future replacement for the functionality available to local leaders. This was one case where it seems massive pushback had an effect -- since the replacement functionality wasn't ready when they removed CDOL, they gratefully put it back in play.

All that to say that I'm not sure any of us know what similarities/differences there will be with the new "tool" compared to CDOL. I'd hope the maps/boundaries functionality will persist, but you never know...

Just keeping the thread fresh. I encountered the same problem today (7 Aug 2022). I'm checking to see if church employees face the same problem and will share once I hear back.

I started looking into this. The place CDOL normally gets these files from is missing all the KMZ files. I've started asking about what changed and will report back here when I find out more information.

Thank you very much!

From what I found out is that last fall they decided to discontinue the creation of KMZ files. I wasn't in the loop then so that section didn't get removed from CDOL. Since there is no source for CDOL to get those files I'll be removing that header.

Thank you for chasing that down. That is too bad that the decision was made to discontinue the KMZs. Over the years they have been incredibly helpful as we considered boundary changes, projected unit growth, etc. before going to the Boundaries & Leadership site to informally or even formally begin the process. Thanks again.

As a Stake Communications Specialist, I've found the KML files indispensable for orchestrating effective radio communications. The ability to visualize terrain and architectural barriers such as hills, buildings, and valleys through Google Earth and similar tools has been critical in refining our communication strategies.

I'm not privy to the entire rationale behind the removal of KML files; however, it seems plausible that employees at church headquarters might utilize them, especially given their significance in delineating precise boundaries. I advocate for the accessibility of these files to Stake and Ward Leadership and Stake Communications Specialists.

I hope that this message reaches both the committee responsible for removing the KML files from CDOL and the decision-makers who manage these crucial resources.

bretep wrote: Wed Mar 27, 2024 8:05 am As a Stake Communications Specialist, I've found the KML files indispensable for orchestrating effective radio communications. The ability to visualize terrain and architectural barriers such as hills, buildings, and valleys through Google Earth and similar tools has been critical in refining our communication strategies.

I'm not privy to the entire rationale behind the removal of KML files; however, it seems plausible that employees at church headquarters might utilize them, especially given their significance in delineating precise boundaries. I advocate for the accessibility of these files to Stake and Ward Leadership and Stake Communications Specialists.

I hope that this message reaches both the committee responsible for removing the KML files from CDOL and the decision-makers who manage these crucial resources.

This Forum is primarily user-to-user feedback, and there's no direct connection between the Forum and Church departments (there's a few Church employees who participate, but they often are not decision-makers or are in different departments). Since this topic has been discussed in a few different threads (for example, see KML Map Files - Who to Contact?), I think it's unlikely that your post will have any additional effect, even if many Forum members agree with your viewpoint.

As mentioned in the linked thread, my personal thought is that it's much more likely for change to occur if you communicate this up your "chain of command". It's been suggested that Stake Communications Specialists might have direct contact with somebody at the Area level, and that this person might be a better avenue to advocate for local access to KMZ files, for emergency preparedness and similar efforts. Have you tried this route?

bretep wrote: Wed Mar 27, 2024 8:05 am As a Stake Communications Specialist, I've found the KML files indispensable for orchestrating effective radio communications.

I can relate. Prior to the church making the KMZ files available via CDOL, I had Layton City contact the church to get a copy for emergency communications, as they (like other cities in the Wasatch Front) used the church's ward and stake boundaries for their emergency area and district boundaries respectively. The church always granted their requests, with the stipulation the maps only be used for emergency prep purposes.

This became unnecessary when the maps showed up in CDOL, but might be an avenue to explore now they're no longer available.

This became important to me after our massive reorganization of all boundaries in our Stake (outside of UT). I have the old KMLs, but they do no good for us anymore. I ask Leadership, and they stare at me and ask, what's a KML? They don't know how to communicate that up the chain. It's also very unimportant to them. These are the challenges I've been working with since November 2023, when the boundaries changed.

I imagine that Wards and Stakes that have not yet undergone a boundary change since the removal in 2022 will eventually be affected, and more requests will be made. We were unaffected until November 2023, for example.