Gem State Surveyor volume xxxix| Issue 3
Fall 2015
Construction Surveying: Hoping the Manhole is Correct! Photo by Vincent Blommer
In this Issue: Mile Posts Fourteen and Sixteen.........8 Common Research Mistakes..........12 CP&F Contest Winners.......16 Surveying Merit Badge..........20 Board Meeting Minutes..........22
Idaho Society of Professional Land Surveyors 2016 Conference Coeur d’Alene Resort March 1-5, 2016
Featured Presenter
Gary Kent
Mark your calendars and join us for this very special event at one of the most beautiful locations in Idaho! http://www.cdaresort.com/ www.idahospls.org/conferences
Exhibitor Opportunities Contact Gale Dahlman grdpls@frontier.com Information Conference Chairs: Rob Stratton rob@strattonls.com Allison Younger allisonyounger@moscow.com 2 | GSS
Table of Contents
Gem State Surveyor editors:
Clint Hansen & Aaron Rush Katy Dang
art director:
The Gem State Surveyor is a quarterly publication of the Idaho Society of Professional Land Surveyors. It is not copyrighted and articles may be reprinted with due credit. Any article, letters, or other contributions will be accepted and considered for publication regardless of the author’s affiliation. Statements of opinion which may be expressed may not necessarily represent the official views of ISPLS unless specifically noted. Article submission must be in digital form. Photographs must be high resolution .jpeg files.
Co-Editor’s Note Aaron Rush............................................................4 President’s Message Jeannie Vahsholtz..................................................6 Mile Posts Fourteen and Sixteen Jack Clark..............................................................8 Common Research Mistakes 1.Seniority of Title Knud Hermansen.................................................12 Common Research Mistakes 2. Forward Search.........13 Common Research Mistakes 3. Road Records...........14 CP & F Contest Winners John Elle..............................................................16
Deadlines for articles & advertisements are as follows:
Winter Issue Spring Issue Summer Issue Fall Issue
December 1 March 1 June 1 September 1
Surveying Merit Badge Frank Lenik...........................................................20 Board Meeting Minutes Robert Liimakka...................................................22 Visit our webpage for the latest news
ADVERTISING POLICY Advertisements should be submitted in digital form to fit an 8 ½ x 11 page. Rates for color are as follows: Full Single Size Dimensions Year Issue Full Page 7.25” w x 9.75” h $800 $200 1/2 Page 7.25” w x 4.7” h $400 $100 1/4 Page 3.46” w x 4.7” h $200 $50 Business Card 3.46” w x 2.25” h $100 $25 Sustaining members 10% off above prices. Publishing an advertisement does not imply endorsement of the advertiser by ISPLS and the editor reserves the right to reject advertising which may be in poor taste or in opposition to the policies of ISPLS. The Gem State Surveyor will advertise equipment stolen from any of our members free of charge. ISPLS will pay $50.00 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrator.. Idaho Society of Professional Land Surveyors 1365 N. Orchard Street, Suite 259 Boise, Idaho 83706 208.658.9970 208.658.8112 fax info@idahospls.org www.idahospls.org
www.idahospls.org
Calendar of Events ISPLS Board Meetings: December 1, 2015 March 1, 2016
Boise Coeur d’Alene
Idaho Board of PE & Land Surveyors Meetings: November 5-6 January 28-29, 2016 March 1-2, 2016
Meridian Meridian Coeur d’Alene
PS Exams in Boise: October 30 & 31, 2015 Boise April 15 & 16, 2016 Boise
NSPS Meetings: October 8-10, 2015
Sandusky, OH
WFPS Meetings: October 10, 2015
Seattle, WA
NCEES Meetings:
May 19-21, 2016
Anchorage, AK
ISPLS Annual Conferences: March 1-5, 2016 Coeur d’Alene 2017 Boise fall
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Co-Editor’s Message Aaron Rush, PLS
Hello, fellow Surveyors! As you may have heard, the Gem State Surveyor was searching for a new editor to take over for Clint Hansen, who is ready to pursue other interests. Clint has done an outstanding job of filling the shoes that Jack Clark vacated a few years ago. The service that our Executive Director Katy Dang provides in making this publication what it is can also not be overstated. Without her dedication and hard work, the Gem State Surveyor would not be possible. The challenge was thrown down to me a few months ago, and honestly, I was hesitant to accept it. There is a dedication required that I do not take lightly. I approached Clint to see if it were possible to create a co-editor position. It’s my belief that to make this publication all that it can be, the burden cannot rest entirely on the shoulders of just a few individuals. My feeling is that I can ultimately fill the editor position, but I want a co-editor to help me with this undertaking! It will be my job over the next several months to figure out what this co-editor role will ultimately be, and then search the ISPLS for the right individual to fill it as I transition into the editor role. The goal of this publication is to keep the members of ISPLS informed on current issues that affect our profession. It provides us with a platform to share ideas and strengthen our profession while strengthening ourselves as professionals. The legislative changes to the rules of surveying that have occurred over the past year will challenge us all to remain informed and to uphold the trust that has been given us. These significant changes will demand clear answers for those who regularly work with land surveyors, and those who may wish to become a land surveyor. I predict that the spotlight will grow as certain aspects of these changes begin to affect how business is done. For instance, there are many functions that a surveyor has traditionally been hired to perform that until recently, did not fall under the umbrella of “professional services”. How might this affect the way contracts are written with government agencies while continuing to maintain the objectives of QBS? Will we stand united in our voice and action? I’m curious to see how this and other aspects of the rule changes play out. It’s a very exciting time to be a land surveyor in Idaho. 4 | GSS
The role of co-editor with the Gem State Surveyor is something of a work in progress, and its’ ultimate funtion will unfold through an organic process. The role of the positions that have made this publication what it is will remain the unchanged. My hope in this co-editor role is to further the goals of the Gem State Surveyor by expanding readership interest. Some of my ideas for doing this include soliciting many of you for content – what are your experiences? How did you get into land surveying? This publication should not represent one region, or one voice, but the entire spectrum of thought and geographic reach of our state’s society. We have an opportunity with the Gem State Surveyor to help educate and inform our members, while at the same time promoting our profession to the individuals who may be interested in joining it. Where else in this state are they going to look for specific information while researching land surveying as a possible career? If I were looking to start a new career, I would conduct my search in three places: The educational opportunities afforded to me, the state board that licensed the profession, and any professional associations that represent that profession. All of us belong to at least one of those, and some to two of the three. If you have ideas for an article, would like to be interviewed, or have any suggestions for future issues, please feel free to contact me anytime. Rest assured, I’ll be seeking out many of you soon. GSS
Proudly Supporting ISPLS Since 2004 Building relationships, one monument at a time. 877.686.8561 • www.berntsen.com Berntsen International, Inc. • PO Box 8670 • Madison, WI 53704-8670 • Toll Free: 877.686.8561 • Fax: 800.249.9794 • Email: surveymark@berntsen.com
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president’s message Jeannie Vahsholtz, PLS
Greetings, I hope everyone is ready for the weather change this fall and raking of leaves! My summer went very fast. I took one short vacation over to the Oregon Coast to see my grown sons, daughter-in-laws and my three grandsons. If you haven’t been to the Oregon Coast, I would suggest visiting sometime; it has quite the tranquil effect to one’s soul. Thank you to all who voted for the additional professional land surveyor who was recently appointed to the Idaho Licensing Board. Congratulations to Dusty Obermayer for his recent appointment. Our Licensing Board has recently put out a challenge to the professional land surveyors in the state to come up with the best CP&F design. This edition of the GSS has the results of that contest and the winners’ CP&F documents. Your ISPLS Board of Governors recent meeting up in Moscow was met with much enthusiasm and lots of smoke! Please see the ISPLS board minutes in this edition of the GSS for an outline of current items of discussion and action. I will highlight some of the discussion in this message to the membership. Boundary surveying experience for licensure is being discussed, and input is requested of the general membership. In a ‘nut shell’ two years minimum boundary experience for new licensees with an additional two years of surveying experience, accompanied with a bachelor’s degree in surveying is required for licensure in Idaho. The ISPLS board voted to send a letter to the Licensing Board requesting language that is not passive regarding the minimum boundary experience. This issue is being kept as an agenda item for continued discussion and input. The webpage is a current item of discussion and input is greatly appreciated from the general membership. Find a 6 | GSS
Surveyor link will be added very soon to the webpage, as finishing touches are being made with the webpage designer. Soon, you will be asked to update your area of service to include five counties. This will enable the search engine to find you and see who else in your area is listed. We hope to draw membership into our great society with this added benefit, and also assist the general public with finding a surveyor in their area. An added item to the Education link on the webpage was discussed to inform any reader ‘how to become a surveyor.’ Photos and ideas are encouraged. W need to get the word out there on what we do, and spark interest in becoming a land surveyor. Our recent board of governor’s meeting had a student who informed the board that she was interested in the photos of surveyors working outdoors. Pictures are worth a thousand words, I know that is cliché, but still so true. Please send any photos to show how exciting surveying is to Katy Dang. Our last conference in Boise the ISPLS recognized several deserving folks, and honored them with special awards. Please be thinking of your colleagues who have contributed to the surveying profession. The ISPLS Board is taking nominations until our next Board of Governor’s meeting in December. We look forward to the 2016 ISPLS Conference in Coeur d’ Alene. A conference committee is working diligently to make this conference a success, and it is always refreshing to have the awards banquet and honor these very deserving folks. Please go to the ISPLS webpage and see the photo of the venue for the 2016 conference. Click on ‘Conferences’ and from the photo will see it is breath taking! Please plan a family trip and come to the conference and invite your fellow land surveyors. GSS
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mile posts fourteen and sixteen Jack M. Clark, PLS The third Friday of August, a smoky morning, found Jerry Hastings, P.L.S., Ada County Surveyor, and I near the Ada-Boise County line just off of Bogus Basin road north of Boise. Jerry has a control point there he established from both the Orbitec, Inc. photo-control and from the Towell, Inc. flood-study control surveys conducted several years ago. The ridge we were on is located between Mile Posts Twelve and Thirteen of a mile-post survey done in the 1880’s. Mile Zero is the confluence of the Boise River and Moore Creek that is now under Lucky Peak Reservoir near Spring Shores Marina to the southeast of us. Jerry had called me the previous Monday to make arrangements to spend the day in the foothills to remonument two of the stone marks that had been found. We completed the Trimble, Inc. R-8 G.P.S. base and radio transmitter set-up and headed northwest on a power-line access and fire control dozer track.
Mile Post Thirteen was remonumented earlier in the summer; one can see the white Carsonite witness post easily, if you know where to look. The road was pretty dicey. There is a steel-tower power-line running from the Barber Valley, east of Boise, northwestwardly toward the Brownlee Dam Hydro-electric Complex in Hells Canyon. It was built in the 1950s or 60s. The area was fairly lush Sage, Bitterbrush and grassy vegetation, a lot of it hadn’t been burned or grazed in decades. At any rate the jeep trail (road) was nearly washed out in a couple of places. From where we parked near Mile Post Fourteen it was about a five-hundred-foot walk up into one of the many side canyons and the location of the found mark. When we got the equipment out of the truck I noticed a twowheeled dolly that Jerry was loading up. He explained that a few weeks earlier he had given a presentation to the Board of the Boise County Commission about this long-term project of finding the line between the two counties. He made a promise to them of an artifact from the recovery effort.
Control set up. 8 | GSS
Mile 14 Stone in place. When I started working for the Ada County Assessor in 1996, my boss, Sheldon Bluestein, showed me the notation on the 7 ½ minute quad sheet, “Boise North”; it indicates the county line to be an “INDEFINITE BOUNDARY”. Wow, what a challenge by the U.S.G.S.! To location guys like Sheldon, and any other surveyor that is like a red cape waved in front of a bull. There has been effort spent on the project by the Assessor’s Office, and the County Engineer and Surveyor Office and interested volunteers ever since. The stone at Fourteen is fairly large, Jerry measured it at 9” X 4”-6” X 21”; it is a piece of lichen covered, weathered granite and weighs eighty-three pounds. There is a chiseled “B” faced to the northeast, a chiseled “A” faced to the southwest and the numerals “X I V” chiseled on the southeast face. The stone was upright and in place. For some miraculous reason, the grazing cattle had not disturbed it. This mark has been there since 1883. We have copies of the Ada County Commission authorizing payment for the survey fees of T.W. Randall, a local G.L.O. contract surveyor to make a mile post survey of this irregular, diagonal line between the two counties. One major problem of this retracement work has been that we do not have access to his field notes. The rock was dug out fairly easily but we had to work hard to
excavate deep enough to accept the Bernstein, Inc. breakaway monument. Interesting land, a fairly thin veneer of soil overlays some really tough decomposing granite. Well, this stone was the artifact that was going to the Boise County Commission. While Jerry pulled the dolly, I was able to wedge a shovel into the frame as a lever to keep the dolly upright. It wanted to roll down the hill and actually did manage to throw me down the hill a couple of times. Did I mention it was fairly smoky? The temperatures were into the eighties, we were a couple of tuckered puppies at the end of that 500 foot trek out. Jerry promised that we could drive to the next marker. We made our way back to the power-line track and headed up station to the northwest. Mile Post Fifteen appears to have been obliterated by the dozer trace, as the location is down in the fill area below the road cut. About half way to Mile Post Sixteen, we peeled off the dozer trace and followed a disc track fire-break that had been made in the grazing lands. It was fairly good going but the thin veneer of silty soil didn’t provide much traction in the steeper areas. Jerry is a very skillful and experienced off-road driver, and the county four-wheel drive has a great, low center of gravity and fairly new tires. We did just fine. Continued on page 10
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continued from page 9
The author at the mark.
Mile Post Sixteen had been disturbed but was still in its hole. There is a lot of sign of livestock grazing in the area. The soil veneer was thinner, a Bernstein Inc. break-away monument wasn’t going in here. It took a lot of work to get a 5/8th X 30 inch rebar driven with a “Thunder Bolt” slide hammer. Both of these remonumented positions were recorded with several epochs of observations with the Trimble, Inc. R-8 rover. The trip out caused puckering when we came back across the steeper disked silt. We had about a 300-foot-long controlled four-wheel drift at two miles-perhour.
Later in the afternoon, the smoke started getting worse. By the end of the day the valley was obscured. When we picked up the base about Seven O’clock that evening, we were two pretty tired men. This has been another step in a long process. I believe Jerry hopes to complete the job by next year and memorialize the work with a Record of Survey and Corner Perpetuations recorded in both counties. My guess is that there will be a more comprehensive narrative prepared as well.
Rehabilitated Mile 16. 10 | GSS
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common Research Mistakes 1. Seniority of Title Knud E. Hermansen, PLS, PE, PhD, Esq. + I am often involved in litigation involving surveying services and research mistakes. (I must also admit that in excess of forty years of practice, I have made my share of mistakes performing record research.) The are five common mistakes often made by surveyors when researching the records. The first article will explain the common mistake made by surveyors when determining senior title. Many surveyors are under the misunderstanding that once a person conveys property, they cannot subsequently convey good title in the same property to another person. This is never true. In fact, there is not a single state recording act that would place senior title with the first grantee unless the grantee took immediate steps to record the deed or take possession of the property. The recording acts in all states fall into one of three general categories of statute: 1) Race, 2) Notice, and 3) Race-Notice. The general definition of each category is the following: Race — The first person to record their deed has senior title regardless of the sequence the conveyances were made or the knowledge a grantee had of an earlier conveyance. Notice — The last conveyance made where the grantee did not have notice of an earlier conveyance has senior title Race-Notice — The first person to record their deed who was conveyed the property without notice of an earlier conveyance has senior title. Consider the following example: Sam conveys a lot to Andy on 1 July 2010. A short time later, Andy tells Betsy that he purchased the lot from Sam. Betsy goes to Sam and offers to buy the same lot that Sam sold to Andy. Even after Sam explains to Betsy that he has already conveyed the lot to Andy, Betsy insists of paying money to Sam in order to obtain a deed to the lot. Sam, with marginal ethics, goes for the money and conveys the same lot to Betsy on 2 July 2010 that was previously sold to Andy. Sam now realizes he can make a considerable profit if he keeps conveying the same lot to other individuals without knowledge of an earlier conveyance of the lot. Consequently, Sam conveys the same lot to Cassie on 3 July 2010. On 4 July, Sam 12 | GSS
conveys the same lot to Daniel. On 5 July, Betsy records her deed. (Thereby providing “the world” constructive notice of a conveyance of the lot from Sam.) On 7 July, Cassie records her deed. On 8 July Andy records his deed. Daniel never records his deed. Even though Andy was the first conveyance from Sam, he does NOT have senior title under any of the recording acts. Under the “race” category of recording act, Betsy has senior title. Betsy was the first to record a deed to the lot. Under the “notice” category of recording act, Daniel has senior title. Daniel was the last person to be conveyed the lot without notice of an earlier conveyance. In fact, Daniel will have senior title under a notice category of recording act even though Daniel never records his deed. Under a “race-notice” category of recording act, Cassie has senior title. Cassie was the first person to record a deed from Sam that was delivered to her without notice of an earlier conveyance. As can be seen from this example, without knowledge of the category of a state’s recording statute, surveyors will often terminate their record research prematurely or will mistakenly determine senior title resides with the wrong person in a situation such as an overlap. A surveyor should take the time and determine what category of recording statute is effective in their state. At least two states have more than one category of recording act in effect.
common Research Mistakes 2. Forward Search In a previous article I stated that surveyors often make five common mistakes in researching the records. In the first article I discussed mistakes made in determining senior title. The second of five common mistakes often made by surveyors when researching the records is the failure to perform a forward search. Many surveyors perform a record research back in time but fail to perform a search forward in time. As a consequence, the surveyor will often miss recorded outconveyances from a parcel. The surveyor will also fail to find other recorded documents (e.g., boundary agreement) related to the boundary of the parcel being researched. Assume a research of the records has disclosed that Randy owned a residential lot from 4 June 1932 to 16 August 1974. On 13 June 1950, Randy conveyed a fivefoot strip of his residential property to his neighbor, by a properly executed deed. The neighbor built a fence along the new boundary on 2 May 1954 (thereby providing notice). On 16 August 1974, Randy conveyed the residential lot to Bill. The deed from Randy to Bill used the original description and did not mention the five-foot strip conveyed to the neighbor twenty-four years previously. On 23 August 1989 the executrix (personal representative) of the neighbor’s estate discovered that the deed for the five-foot strip from Randy to the decedent had never been recorded. The executrix recorded the deed for the five-foot strip on 23 August 1989. Although the deed was executed in 1950, the deed was indexed in the indices covering the 1989 time period when the deed was finally recorded. If a surveyor fails to perform a forward search, the surveyor will not discover the recorded deed conveying the five-foot strip of land to the neighbor. The surveyor, with Bill as a client, would believe the fence was encroaching on Bill’s property
What this example illustrates is that a complete record search entails using the name of a previous owner and searching every grantor index from the time the property was conveyed to a predecessor in title up to the present time. This procedure is known as a forward search. Unless a forward search is performed, the surveyor will not discover some conveyances that were made, properly indexed, and are effective against the title to real estate. Bringing to light a surveyor’s failure to perform a forward search will not necessarily convince surveyors to undertake the tedious and time consuming research necessary to overcome this limitation. Yet, the failure to perform this task could expose the surveyor to liability. At the very least, the surveyor should inform the client that these deficiencies in the research exist at the completion of services. Should the client want to compensate the surveyor for the time to perform a thorough search, these limitations can be overcome.
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common Research Mistakes 3. Road Records In previous articles I have explained two of the five common mistakes made by surveyors in researching the records. In the first article I discussed mistakes made in determining senior title. In the second article I explained the deficiency existing when a forward search is omitted. The third of five common mistakes often made by surveyors when researching the records is the failure to research the road records. Surveyors often omit searching for road records even though their property is bounded by a public road. Even if a search of road records is conducted, a surveyor will often fail to find the appropriate road records. Road records are particularly difficult records to research for three reasons: 1) First, road records are not always found where other property records are recorded. Road records are often found in municipal offices, department of transportation offices, court records, county commissioner records, and even state archives or other historical archives. The location of road records often depend on the manner the roads were created (e.g., dedication, condemnation), the type of road (e.g., municipal, county, state) and age of the road. 2) The second difficulty arises because there is seldom an index to help locate the appropriate road record among the plethora of government documents that exist. 3) The third difficulty is the trouble in identifying a particular road from the ancient description often used when describing roads found in the records. In other words, when a road record is discovered and read, the reader often finds it difficult if not impossible to identify what road is described and where the road exists on the face of the earth using the ancient description. Consider how difficult it would be to locate the following road if knowledge of the area has been lost with the passage time. Beginning 2 rods from Samuel Widman’s pasture fence at the turnpike road, thence through Ezekiel King’s land, N20°E 25 rods to a stake; thence N36°E, 120 rods to a stake; thence N48°E 90 rods to Jacob Denton’s sawmill lane… To be opened at four rods. 12 June 1834.
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Researching road records is not so much a matter of following a particular procedure as employing dogged determination and fortitude. The failure to search for and locate the appropriate road record often results in the surveyor failing to properly fix the width of the road and thereby causing the client or other landowners to mistakenly build in the public right of way. Describing typical weaknesses in the surveyor’s record search will not necessarily convince surveyors to undertake the tedious and time consuming research necessary to overcome the limitations that were explained. Knowledge of the deficiencies should allow the surveyor to inform the client that these deficiencies in the research exist at the completion of services. Should the client want to compensate the surveyor for the time to perform a thorough search, these limitations can be overcome.
† Knud is a professor in the surveying engineering technology program at the University of Maine. He offers consulting services in the area of boundary litigation, title, easements, land development, and alternate dispute resolution. GSS
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CP&F COntest Winners John Elle, PLS, PE
The 2015 Idaho State Legislature approved new rules and forms for Corner Perpetuation and Filing in the state of Idaho. The new rules, effective as of April, required surveyors to make fundamental changes in the way they prepare CP&F forms for filing. In order to promote awareness of the new rules and form, ISPLS Sponsored a contest to see which Idaho licensed professional surveyors could complete the best Corner Records! The contest was open to all Idaho licensed Professional Land Surveyors currently practicing in Idaho. The top six winners are: 1st place: Ryen Johnson - $700 2nd place: Allison Younger- $500 3rd place: Kurt Luebke- $350 4th place: George Yerion- $200 5th place: Stewart Ward - $100 6th place: Gwen Innskeep- $50 Thank you to evereyone who entered and congratulations to our winners! The top 3 entries can be viewed on the following pages.
STUDENT CORNER RECORD CONTEST In order to promote awareness of the new rules and form, the Idaho Society of Professional Land Surveyors (ISPLS) is sponsoring a contest to see which Idaho surveying students can complete the best Corner Records! Cash prizes will be awarded to the top authors of the best Corner Records. Judging will be done by a 3 member panel of Idaho Professional Land Surveyors. CONTEST RULES AND SCHEDULE Eligibility The student competition will be open to all students in Idaho civil engineering technology programs which have a surveying component (ISU and LCSC) and to all students in the ISU Geomatics program. One entry per contestant only, please! Submittals Contestants will use the new CPF forms and rules Contestants may wish to modify the field sizes and include additional pages to the form as necessary to include all the required information. The new rules can be found on the ISPLS website http://idahospls.org, or on the Idaho licensing board website, http://ipels.idaho.gov Contestants will submit entries as scanned documents in PDF, JPeg formats to facilitate transmittals. Forms shall be filled out as directed in the new rules for CPF’s. Contestants SHALL NOT include their names on the forms submitted for judging (this will ensure the judges do not know whose entries they are reviewing).Contestants shall include their name, phone number and e -mail address on in the e-mail portion of the submittal. All submittals shall be made to Executive Director Katy Dang at the ISPLS: katy@idahospls.org Contest Schedule The contest will open on October 1, 2015 and close on November 1, 2015. Late entries will not be considered. Winners will be notified by email and their entries may be included in ISPLS publications All entries will be reviewed and returned to the author with comments (if appropriate) as to deficiencies in compliance with the new rules and form. Questions regarding the contest can be directed to John Elle, PLS elle@ae-eng.com
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First Place: Ryen Johnson
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Second Place Place: Allison Younger
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third Place: Kurt Luebke
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Surveying Merit Badge: A Recruitment Tool Par Excellence Frank Lenik, PLS
There are few challenges facing the profession of land surveying today which are as great as the need to revitalize our ranks with young and technologically savvy individuals. We all recognize the aging of our colleagues but cannot seem to identify the reasons for the lack of new blood coming into the field. New tools and technologies have been introduced, but the application of these tools to our methodologies has been slow. One of the storied tools for education and outreach has been the Boy Scout Surveying Merit Badge. As a former scout and scout leader, I recognize the value of the merit badge system as a way to introduce young people to various fields as a way to encourage them to grow and learn about the world around them. I typically attend a troop meeting or camporee to teach the scouts about the highlights of surveying and guide them through the requirements for the badge. Recently however, I was introduced to a new and exciting way to work with scouts to earn this merit badge which I believe is a game changer. This idea was shared with me by the students at the Pennsylvania State University in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania. If you are unfamiliar with the school I will just say that it is one of the premier Surveying Engineering institutions in the United States. PSU offers three options to its students, a two year associate degree in Surveying Technology, a four year bachelor’s degree in Surveying Engineering and a five year concurrent program which results in both a bachelor’s degree in Surveying Engineering and a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering. The Penn State model is really quite ingenious. Rather than teaching the scouts at some remote location where their attention is easily diverted, the students and faculty invite local scout troops to visit their campus for a Surveying Merit Badge day. The program run by the surveying students themselves and includes a field component, a computer lab component and a barbecue prepared by the students. 20 | GSS
The main strengths of the program are the peer to peer sharing of the knowledge of our profession and the introduction of the Penn State Surveying Engineering program to middle and high school age youth who will soon be looking to enter into the higher education system. What better emissaries of our field than those who are young and excited about it and how better to attract new students to our college programs than to invite them in for hands on experience. As your liaison to the NSPS Young Surveyors Network and Chairman of the Youth Outreach subcommittee I challenge you to share this idea with every educational institution in your region. I further ask that you share with NSPS any ideas which you have on how we can grow and sustain our profession. I welcome your comments and can be reached via email at frank.lenik@ me.com, via twitter @franklenik, or on face book at National Surveyors Week.
For complete information on the Boy Scout Surveying Merit Badge, visit our website: www.idahospls.org/education/scouting-merit-badge
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ARE YOU A CST? NSPS
CERTIFIED SURVEY TECHNICIAN PROGRAM click on
www.nsps.us.com
CERTIFIED SURVEY TECHNICIAN
tab
Phone: 240.439-4615 ext. 112; E-mail: <cstinformation@nsps.us.com> NSPS, 5119 Pegasus Court, Suite Q, Frederick, MD 21704
CST Exams will be admisinistered in conjunction with the ISPLS Conference on March 5, 2016. Please contact CST Coordinator Robert Limaakka for information on how to register: limrobe@isu.edu
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Minutes - Board of Directors Meeting Moscow August 29, 2015
Call to Order: Jeannie Vahsholtz President, 8:34 AM Members Present: Jeannie Vahsholtz, President; Thomas Judge, Vice President; Robert Liimakka, Secretary; Katy Dang, Executive Director; Nate Dang, West Fed Representative; Glenn Bennett, IBPEPLS; Coy Chapman, Southwestern Section Director; George Yerion Magic Valley Section Director; Rob Stratton, Northern Section Director; Allison Younger (Proxy for Steve Staab) Clear Water Section Director; Tyson Glahe, David Thompson Section Director; Elizabeth Younger, OIT Student. Introductions: Attendees introduced themselves. Motion(s): Rob Stratton moved to approve Jeannie Vahsholtz’s appointment of Robert Liimakka as ISPLS Board of Governor’s Secretary, seconded by George Yerion. Jeannie Vahsholtz called for a vote; MOTION CARRIED unanimously Agenda: Glenn Bennett: NCEES survey award to surveying programs. Allison Younger: Declaration of Proxy for Steve Staab. Steve Staab is back teaching at LCSC. Reports: • Treasurer’s Report - Steve Frisbie No Report Conference Updates: • 2016 Conference to be held in Coeur d’Alene. Discussion included: • Rob Stratton: starting up a list of things to do • Discussion of budget • Tyson Glahe will be contacting potential auctioneers, and comment on the 2015 auctioneer’s rates • Nate Dang noted 2015 was a record fund raiser • Discussion of auctioneer’s percentage and how it is calculated • Allison Younger: Probable speakers are Gary Kent (main speaker), Art Macomber (attorney) • Venue Visit: Katy, Allison Younger and Rob Stratton are going to tour the conference center facilities August 30, 2015. • Katy Dang: Gem State Surveyor will advertise 2016 conference in the next issue. Full schedule will appear in the Winter issue. 22 | GSS
• Discussion of December issue and conference details
• 2017 Conference • Need venue and chair • Location will be Boise • Katy Dang suggested getting the Southwest
• • •
Section to form a conference committee. Coy Chapman will bring this item up at the Southwest Section meetings. Jeremy Fielding was suggested to oversee the auction items Nominations for Committee/Chair will take place at December BOG meeting Discussion of possible venues
Committee Updates: Internal Marketing Committee – Katy Dang • Aaron Rush volunteered to help edit the Gem State Surveyor as co-editor with Clint Hansen • Concerns of readership of GSS numbers were better for the spring – 97 reads • Discussion of paper copies vs online reading. There will be additional costs for paper copies • Rob Stratton liked that Katy Dang stated the content of the GSS in her emails • Thomas Judge suggested options of paying for Aaron Rush’s expenses for travel to BOG meetings. • Thomas Judge suggested creating a print option for the GSS. Discussion included how to print/ save a pdf of GSS to the desktop and then print. Katy stated that this is already and option, both on the ISPLS website and through the online publication. George Yerion confirmed. • External Marketing Committee – Jeannie Vahsholtz • Professional Board Nomination Subcommittee was tasked with tallying the votes for the recent appointment to the licensing board. Dusty Obermeyer requested a tally of the votes Question was brought up – Can paying members request vote tallies? Governor’s office wants the second place nominee in addition to the winner. George Yerion quoted Bylaws regarding Section XI, entitled “Books and Records” Thomas Judge – Should not release results until nominee has been appointed. Nominee should be notified that their names will be submitted to the Governor’s office.
Discussion that the order of voting results should
be by rank 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 etc. without showing actual number of votes or percentages received. Motion(s): Thomas Judge moved to only release results by rank after appointment and specific request limited to the Professional Licensing Board, seconded by Nate Dang. • Discussion of election of officers as written in the Bylaws is not part of this motion • Coy Chapman inquired about Bylaw change Jeannie Vahsholtz called for a vote; MOTION CARRIED unanimously st
nd
rd
• MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) between the
•
•
•
• Discussion of the amount of experience in boundary work.
th
ISPLS, ISPE & ACEC Updates are needed Katy Dang – important to have collaborative effort amongst all organization involved Jeannie Vahsholtz will propose update suggestions and share it will ISPLS, ISPE and ACEC Coy Chapman and Nate Dang recommended – ISPLS, ISPE & ACEC subcommittees should work together not independently. Education Committee – Allison Younger, Discussion included: • Not much to report, hopefully the education can meet on a regular basis. • Katy Dang mentioned the ISPLS Scholarships and getting representatives from the Education Committee to bring awareness of funding to the students. • ISU – Funding goes through the Scholarship office. Innovation Committee – Tyson Glahe • Looking into opportunities for grants • Rob Stratton stated that Frontier Communications is funding a contest that is exploring new and creative ways to use drones, the cities of Rathdrum, Hayden, and Post Falls are participating in this contest. Rob Stratton will send information regarding this Administrative Committee – Thomas Judge • Draft language should be updated • Proposed changes to the Bylaws will begin and wording will be brought to the ISPLS Board of Governors and ISPLS members.
Old Business: • Survey Education Task Force • Not much to report, anticipate getting further input from John Elle.
• Boundary Surveying Experience
IBEPLS wants to have flexibility to evaluate each candidates experience on an individual basis.
• Thomas Judge commented on the subjectivity of • • •
•
the IBEPLS by incorporating the word “shall” instead of “may” Discussion of the pros and cons of the use of “shall” vs “may” Coy Chapman suggested that this is a trust issue with the licensing board. Further discussion of the two year boundary experience requirement pursued. Comments that a minimum of 2 years boundary experience is to be REQUIRED stands: this was the agreement made by the board and approved by the membership during discussions of the change in Definition of Surveying. Anything less is unacceptable.
Motion(s): Thomas Judge moved that the ISPLS BOG send a letter to the licensing board stating that ISPLS BOG will not support a rule change with passive language in the boundary experience requirement, seconded by George Yerion. Jeannie Vahsholtz called for a vote; MOTION CARRIED unanimously Break at 9:53 AM Call to order 10:15 AM
• QBS Representative • New potential representative is Joe Jones, he needs to become an ISPLS member before being appointed by the BOG
Motion(s): Rob Stratton moved to appoint Joe Jones as QBS representative upon becoming an ISPLS member, seconded by Thomas Judge. Jeannie Vahsholtz called for a vote; 1 Nay, MOTION CARRIED Motion(s): Rob Stratton moved to appoint Aaron Rush as co-editor of GSS, seconded by Coy Chapman. Jeannie Vahsholtz called for a vote; MOTION CARRIED unanimously
• CP&F Contest • Glenn Bennett received entrees two weeks ago, •
they still need to be reviewed. There were seven entrees, included one student. IBEPLS wanted to have all registrants to participate, not just ISPLS members. fall
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• John Elle will consult with Katy Dang to see if •
there are any more applicants. Decision will be made by September 14th in order to publish results in the next issue of GSS
• IBEPLS Legislation Proposals • Surveyor’s Narrative • Rob Stratton – discussion of surveyor’s ‘narrative’ • •
• •
in the rules. If proposal is placed in the rules, it is much easier to change and apply Discussion of using educational process/ requirements instead of rules Question of how to implement educational requirements. Mandatory education requirements were suggested Discussion of the necessity of narratives on surveys and who should enforce or oversee that narratives are implemented Discussion of an independent investigator to research courthouses and monitor frequency or percentage of record of survey reports or narratives
Motion(s): Rob Stratton moved to ask the IBEPLS Board in the form of a proposal from ISPLS BOG to not make changes until further discussion and input from ISPLS members, seconded by Thomas Judge.
Motion(s): Coy Chapman – Based on legislative proposals, Items 1 & 2 of Keith Simila’s said letter regarding 54-1202 and 54-1214 to approve changes, seconded by Nate Dang. Jeannie Vahsholtz called for a vote; MOTION CARRIED unanimously
• Discussion per said letter of Violation and Penalties - Prosecution of Offenses 54-1222
Motion(s): Coy Chapman – Based on legislative proposals, Items 3 of Keith Simila’s said letter regarding 54-1222 to approve changes, seconded by Nate Dang. Jeannie Vahsholtz called for a vote; MOTION CARRIED unanimously Motion(s): Coy Chapman – Based on legislative rule proposals, Item 1 of Keith Simila’s said letter regarding proposed rule changes to accept, except for the minimum boundary survey requirement which ISPLS wants to be stated in the affirmative, seconded by Nate Dang. Jeannie Vahsholtz called for a vote; MOTION CARRIED unanimously
Discussion followed that this topic could be a class or discussion forum at 2016 Conference.
Motion(s): Coy Chapman – Based on legislative rule proposals, to accept Item 2 of Keith Simila’s said letter regarding continuing professional development, seconded by Rob Stratton.
Jeannie Vahsholtz called for a vote; MOTION CARRIED unanimously
Jeannie Vahsholtz called for a vote; MOTION CARRIED unanimously
• Rules of Responsibility – IDAPA 10-01-02,
• Items 3 & 4 of Keith Simila’s said letter regarding
•
Obligation to Discrepancy
Communicate
Discovery
of
• “The discoverer shall notify the Board in the • • • • •
24 | GSS
event of no response or of a response that does not resolve the discrepancy.” Discussion of wording - The Board ‘may’ required instead of ‘shall’ Discussion of having a policy round table at the conference to discuss the Rules of Responsibility. IBEPLS is waiting for ISPLS discussion and response before acting on a Rule change. Allison Younger will work with Rob Stratton to get a round table discussion regarding this rule change at the 2016 conference. Discussion took place on Keith Simila’s letter dated June 16, 2015, regarding proposed rule change
conflict of interest and communicating material discrepancy respectively, will be brought before ISPLS members for their input.
Break for Lunch at 11:55AM Call to Order 12:34 PM
• Survey Intern Program at ISU • Robert Liimakka stated that the Career Path •
Intern (CPI) Program is being implemented in the Geomatics Program. ISU will send (CPI) information to Katy Dang to post to the webpage
• Webpage – Find a Surveyor – Katy Dang • List of surveyors who are ISPLS members • Search will be by County and then by last name alphabetically
• Discussion on how to limit to searches by; Section County/Counties Who is target audience Proposal for five counties with PLS
• Email correspondence and voting -
listings
• Katy will look at cost of website development for a five county search area
• Review ISPLS Webpage at Section Level and Up • Coy Chapman reported that the SW Section
wants a complete remake of the website. The SW Section thinks too much information is private, they suggested that information be made more available to the public. • Discussion on moving webpage links to Surveying, Photos, and provide content that attracts young people; Ask ISU Survey club to participate and come up with ideas to enhance ISPLS website. • SW Section is invited to establish a committee to look at improvements for the webpage. • CST Proctor List – Robert Liimakka • He has not heard back from any of the Sections regarding voluntary proctors. He emphasized the need in having Section Directors help in getting voluntary proctors to call upon. • Rob Stratton will contact each Section Director when someone wants to take the CST Exam to line up a proctor. New Business • Broken Reference in New Definition of Surveying – Rob Stratton • The phrase ‘Professional Boundary Land Survey’ is not defined in 54-1202 • Discussion of whether the aforementioned phrase can be linked to another section • Keith Simila’s letter did address and explain reasons for definitions. He suggested possible changes to wording, but this could not be implemented until 2017 • Glenn Bennett suggested that individual sections come up with feedback and come up with adequate wording to revise discrepancies. • Teller’s Report – Jeannie Vahsholtz • Already discussed per External Market Report above • Action without Meeting – Thomas Judge • Addressed concerns raised regarding actions taken through email that have routinely been done, but not specifically allowed in the Bylaws. • Addressed scenarios in which voting can and cannot take place • See attached document submitted by Thomas Judge to be included in the minutes. (See below).
• • • •
•
Jeannie Vahsholtz • Approval of minutes okay by email • Can have a vote without meeting as long as all member agree to this in writing • Can have a waiver of a board meeting as long as everyone has access to phone conference call • Thomas Judge suggested the president have the latitude to arrange pressing issues brought to vote by email as long as the BOG consents unanimously. MOU for IBEPLS - Jeannie Vahsholtz • Already discussed per External Market Report above Nominations for Office - Jeannie Vahsholtz • Currently there are no vacancies to be filled Nominations for Awards - Jeannie Vahsholtz • Accepting nominations by the December BOG meeting NCEES - Glenn Bennett • Regarding the Survey Task Force, recommendation that NCEES fund a survey program, $32,000 to start and $125K/year to pay awards to programs, every five years. • Awards would be offered to not only well known programs, but to smaller and more needy surveying programs. • Bennett urged the ISU and LCSC programs to come up with ideas to qualify for awards. Representation at NSPS - Katy Dang • Katy Dang address having representation at all NSPS meetings. • If the ISPLS representative cannot attend, then a proxy needs to be sent as our representative.
Adjourned 2:07 PM Respectfully Submitted, Robert Liimakka, PLS ISPLS Secretary
Note: The referred to “attached” document in the minutes has been withdrawn by request of Thomas Judge, until further research can be conducted.
GSS
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2015/16 Officers President Jeannie Vahsholtz (208) 239-3316
jeannie.vahsholtz@itd.idaho.gov
Vice President/President Elect Thomas Judge (208) 703-8872 jplsidaho@gmail.com Secretary Robert Liimakka (208) 282-5637 Treasurer Steve Frisbie (208) 323-2288
liimrobe@isu.edu
sfrisbie@to-engineers.com
Immediate Past President Nathan Dang (208) 863-4198 nathan@accuratesurveyors.com National Society of Professional Land Surveyors Governor John Russell (208) 634-7607 jr_rsi@frontiernet.net Westfed Governor Nathan Dang (208) 863-4198
nathan@accuratesurveyors.com
Committees & Chairs External Marketing: Jeannie Vahsholtz Internal Marketing: Clint Hansen & Aaron Rush Administration: Thomas Judge
Section Officers Big Wood
Director Vice Chairman Secretary
Bruce Smith Steve Schwarz Todd Reynolds
Clearwater
Director Chairman Sec./Treasurer
Stephen Staab Terry Golding Stephen Staab
Section meets the second Wednesday of each month at Rowdy’s Texas Steakhouse & Saloon in Lewiston. David Thompson Director Chairman Vice Chairman Sec./Treasurer Eastern
Director Chairman Vice Chairman Secretary Treasurer
High Country Contact John Russell (208) 634-7607. Magic Valley
Director Chairperson Vice Chair Secretary Treasurer
Northern Director Chairman Vice Chairman Sec./Treasurer
Innovation: Tyson Glahe
Southwest
26 | GSS
George Yerion Keith Brooks Roger Kruger Trevor Reno Tom Ruby Rob Stratton Gale Dahlman Chris Renaldo Gale Dahlman
Northern Section meets the last Friday of the month at the Iron Horse Café in Coeur d’ Alene. Sawtooth Contact Tom Taylor (208) 756-8321.
Conference Chairs 2016: Northern, Clearwater & David Thompson Sections Rob Stratton, Allison Younger, Tyson Glahe
Rodney Burch W. Olorenshaw Stewart Ward Chris Adams Dennis Jones
Eastern Section meets by video conference each month with groups at ITD offices in Pocatello and Rigby.
Education: Steve Staab
IBPEPLS Members: John Elle, Glenn Bennett, Dusty Obermayer
Tyson L.A. Glahe Glen D. Cash Jeff Wiley Tyson L.A. Glahe
Director Chairman Secretary Treasurer
Coy Chapman Jeremy Fielding Aaron Rush Steve Frisbie
Southwest Section meets at Casa Mexico at 5 Mile and Fairview in Boise on the second Tuesday of each month.
TPS101 TPS103 TPS102
TPS104
TPS105 TPS106 TPS110
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Upcoming ISPLS dates to note: • Next Board of Governors Meeting: Boise, December 1, 2015. • 2016 Conference will be at the Coeur d’Alene Resort March 1-5, 2016. • Scholarship applications due October 30, 2015 for Spring 2016 semester. • Do you know a teacher who would like to be sponsored by ISPLS to attend the “Teaching with Spatial Technology (TWiST)” conference in June? Applications for a full scholarship will be available soon! • “Find A Surveyor” Page requires member action: watch your email for updates. • Nominations for Surveyor of the Year, Distinguished Service and Friend of the Society are due prior to the December Board Meeting. Applications are available on our webpage: http://www.idahospls.org/about/honors
Gem State Surveyor Fall 2015
Idaho Society of Professional Land Surveyors PO Box 7886 Boise, ID 83707
(208) 658-9970 (208) 658-8112 fax info@idahospls.org www.idahospls.org
28 | GSS
Thanks for your continued support of YOUR professional society! www.idahospls.org