Memorial for Susan E. Newstetter

In the May e-Newsletter, PLSO reported on the passing of Sue Newstetter. She was a past President of Blue Mountain Chapter, Board Chairman, and was currently representing the surveying profession on the OSBEELS Board.

A memorial will be held in June at Clyde Holiday State Park followed by an outdoor style pot luck in honor of Sue’s love of outdoor cooking and socializing. 

Please send notes about Sue's involvement with PLSO to Pat Gaylord, who will share them with her husband, John. Email Pat here.

Date: June 27; 11 a.m.

Location: Clyde Holliday State Park in Mt. Vernon, Oregon

Accommodations:  

• Camping is available on a first come, first served basis. Teepees may be reserved online. Camping (tent or RV) is the recommendation.  There are several camp grounds in the area and we will have a field or someplace for the over flow to camping.  
  
  
• Hotel space at Dreamers Lodge (541-575-0526) is limited. A block of rooms is being held under John La Liberte for the next weeks. Other room accommodations are available in John Day and Prairie City.

Food:  The memorial will include a potluck with outdoor cooking in Dutch ovens or solar ovens encouraged in Sue’s memory.

Memorials:

In lieu of flowers, please consider supporting causes that were near and dear to Sue's heart:

• PLSO Scholarship Fund
• • Make check out to Oregon Community Foundation, noting Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon Scholarship Fund and Sue Newstetter on the Memo line.
  • Mailing Address: 
    

Oregon Community Foundation
Attn: Belle Cantor
1221 SW Yamhill Street, Ste #100
Portland, OR 97205-2108

• John Day Community Garden, Mt. Vernon Community Center, Grant County Library Foundation
  
• • Make check out to Driskill Memorial Chapel, noting Charity and Sue Newstetter on the Memo line.
• • Mailing Address: 

Driskill Memorial
241 South Canyon Blvd.
John Day, OR 97845

“Approximate Corners”

by Scott C. Freshwaters, PLSO Liaison to OACES

This has been a hot topic of discussion at the most recent Central Chapter meeting and at the OACES meeting held in Roseburg last week.   This is a questionable practice at best and an unethical one at least.    In my opinion, and the opinion of many others this practice does not serve the profession nor the public well.  We all know that regardless of how many disclaimers are used, or how emphatically the   fact is stressed that the wooden stake  set is only “approximate” either the client or the adjoiner or both will accept it as being the true corner and act accordingly.   

Does it really serve the profession and protect the public “safety, health, and welfare” if we set an “approximate” corner in lieu of a permanent monument and filing a record of survey?  Furthermore, what are the liability issues associated with this practice?  Has anyone checked with their E&O carrier if they will bless the setting of “approximate corners”?   OACES will discuss this topic at length June 8-10 at their Spring Conference to be held at Eagle Crest Resort near Redmond.  The outcome of their discussion may be a letter requesting OSBEELS author an OAR to eliminate this practice.   It would be good if all of the PLSO chapters can have a discussion about “approximate corners” and  if there is consensus about this perhaps the BOD could and should coordinate with OACES in the communication to OSBEELS. 

IT’S HALFTIME AT THE CAPITOL IN SALEM

By:  Darrell W. Fuller

            (SALEM, OR) -- The 2015 Legislative Session at the Capitol in Salem reached a midpoint, of sorts, at 5:00 PM on Friday, April 10^th.  A deadline, which expired April 10^th, provides an excellent point to stop, pause and reflect on how things are (or are not) progressing in the marbled halls of the Capitol Building.

            A quick review of Junior High School civics may prove helpful:  For a bill to become a law (remember the Schoolhouse Rock song?), it must pass both chambers -- the House and the Senate -- before going to the Governor.

            Since starting in February, State Senate Committees have been hearing Senate Bills while State House Committees have been hearing House Bills.  April 10^th was the deadline for Committee Chairs to post notices for work sessions on “original chamber” bills.  That is, after April 10^th, Senate Committee Chairs can no longer schedule meetings on Senate Bills and House Committee Chairs can no longer schedule hearings on House Bills.  From this point forward, committees can only work on bills already passed by the other chamber.

            It can be a bit confusing.  But the point is this:  Hundreds of bills.  Actually a couple of thousand bills introduced at the beginning of the session, are now officially “dead” for the year.  The list of bills which are still “active” has been narrowed substantially.

            So, how are the bills of interest to PLSO members faring?  Let’s take a look:

House Bill 2161  Authorized county to charge fee not to exceed actual cost to county of recording certain instruments.  This bill relates to the fund for corner restoration and maintenance.  As written, the bill is confusing at it sets the fee based on cost recovery for the service provided, yet the fee is not used by the county for recording the instruments.  The PLSO Legislative Committee voted to oppose this bill.

            This bill received no hearing and died in Committee.

House Bill 2164  Makes permanent a pilot project that requires certain licensees (including Land Surveyors) to demonstrate and maintain tax compliance as a condition of issuance or renewal of license.  The PLSO Legislative Committee voted to oppose this bill.

            This bill had a Public Hearing on February 23 and died in Committee.

House Bill 2831  Modifies authority to use property line adjustment in resource zones.  The PLSO Legislative Committee is uncertain how, if at all, this bill will impact surveying.  They directed the PLSO lobbyist to contact resource-based associations (Farm Bureau, Forest Industry, etc.) to learn more about the bill.

            This bill passed out of Committee with a unanimous vote and is awaiting action by the    full House of Representatives.

House Bill 3489  Requires OSBEELs to waive fundamentals of engineering examination and practical engineer’s examination requirements for a professional engineer registration applicant who has held a professional engineer registration or license in another jurisdiction for a specified period.  The PLSO Legislative Committee voted to support the position of Engineers who oppose this bill as currently written.

            This bill received no hearing and died in Committee.

Senate Bill 166  Establishes International System of Units as state’s official system of measurement.  The PLSO Legislative Committee voted to oppose this bill.

            This bill received no hearing and died in Committee.

Senate Bill 297  Revises qualifications for registration to practice professional engineering, land surveying or photogrammetric mapping.  PLSO participated (via Carl Sweeden) in a work group which drafted amendments to the bill.  With the amendments, the PLSO Legislative Committee supports the bill with a recommendation to change one word from “program” to “curriculum”.  The Legislative Committee also voted to support an additional amendment to the bill which will clarify that hydrography/bathymetric surveying must be done by a licensed land surveyor.  The current statutes do not clearly address under water surveying.

            This bill passed the Senate (30-0) and will be heard in the House.  If amended in the       House, it will have to return to the Senate for re-passage with the new amendments.

Senate Bill 383  Modifies pleading  requirements for claims against design professionals (including land surveyors).  The bill will make it more difficult to file suit against a design professional by requiring a person with the same or similar credentials to provide a written summary of the defective work by the design professional as part of the legal complaint. The PLSO Legislative Committee voted to support this bill.

            This bill passed the Senate (30-0) and will be heard in the House.

Senate Bill 508  Modifies  provisions authorizing expedited land divisions.  The PLSO Legislative Committee did not take a position on this bill.

            This bill received no hearing and died in Committee.

If you have any questions about the bills listed above, or anything else related to the Legislature, please contact me at fuller_darrell@yahoo.com or 971-388-1786.

NSPS Election Results:

President-elect: Tony Cavell

Vice President: Jan Fokens

Secretary/Treasurer: Bob Miller

Secretary: Tim Burch

Note: The Secretary position was a contingency vote, with the expectation of passage of the Bylaws amendment to separate the Secretary and Treasurer positions. If that vote fails, Bob Miller will serve as Secretary/Treasurer.

***UPDATE***

On March 13, 2015, the Bureau received a request to revise the occupational definition for the classification of “Power Equipment Operators,” asking BOLI to add “Party Chief” as a sub-classification to Group 2. Commissioner Avakian has issued a decision to leave the existing definition as it is, without making any revision.

***

A Message to all Oregon Surveyors from PLSO Chair John Thatcher:

It came to PLSO's attention late last week that a proposed revision request to Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) has been submitted by the International Union of Operating Engineers/Local 701 . It requests that the Party Chief (construction surveyor) classification be moved to a Group 2 for all public works.   

In short, the proposal requests to “…add the Party Chief subclassification to Power Equipment Operator Group 2 as a covered prevailing wage classification under ORS 279C.” The proposal is available on the BOLI-PWR web site - click here to read the entirety.

PLSO Executive Secretary Aimee McAuliffe, PLSO Lobbyist Darrell Fuller and I have been researching the topic, including getting feedback from Surveyors dealing with similar issues in other states and from Curt Sumner of NSPS [read a recent letter from NSPS regarding a similar issue]. PLSO has also been working with other like minded groups and formulating a plan of action. After considering the feedback and conference call Tuesday with Kim Robinson of IPSLA, we have concluded that this request is not in the best interest for our profession. It was explained that the fallout in Illinois has included many onerous additional requirements such as project labor agreements, responsibility for union benefit plans, requirements to carry permanent liability insurance (which don't go away even if the company is sold), DOL union training program requirements and more. In summary - surveyors lose control of their own profession. While Illinois is not Oregon, we are choosing to learn from their experience.

PLSO exists to look after the interests of Oregon Surveyors, and our plan is to submit a letter of opposition.

But time is short. The deadline for comments is April 15. A request for an extension was made and subsequently denied. Mr. Fuller advises that, while it is important for PLSO to respond to this proposal, it is also important for individual surveyors to weigh in. This is where you come in. If you are in agreement with PLSO, please stand behind your professional community and let BOLI know your opinion. PLSO is working with other groups to form a list of appropriate talking points. You may choose to wait for this list or move ahead with your own opinion on the matter.

Requests made by email must be sent to the following address: pwremail@boli.state.or.us. (It is preferred that requests and responses be submitted by email.) 

Requests sent by regular mail must be sent to: PWR Coordinator Bureau of Labor and Industries 800 NE Oregon Street, Suite 1045 Portland, OR 97232

Reference The request to revise the BOLI Power Equipment Operator definition by adding the Party Chief subclassification to Group 2.

We appreciate the time you have taken to read about and consider this issue.

Regards,

John Thatcher

PLSO Board Chairman

March 13, 2015, Tigard, Ore. – The Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon (PLSO), a non-profit trade association, is partnering with the National Council of Examiners for Engineering (NCEES) as well as 12 other western state land surveying associations to sponsor teachers for the Teaching with Spatial Technology (TwiST) program.

Held at Clark College in Vancouver, June 22-26, TwiST is designed to teach K-12 educators how to use Geographic Information Systems (GIS)and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) in the classroom to create meaningful and challenging lesson plans for students. It is a week-long workshop designed to make teachers proficient in the many aspects of spatial technology. The course is a mixture of classroom study and field exercises while learning to use GIS software, a GPS receiver and other related materials.

Teachers will learn about applications that classroom activities can accomplish around their school and community. Ranging from resource management to environmental assessment, cartography and more, the activities may be taught at various levels of grade appropriate complexity.

“Land Surveyors often use cutting edge technology in our profession and we want to encourage kids to be exposed to the profession early,” explains John Thatcher, PLSO Chair and state representative for the Western Federation of Professional Surveyors. “The surveying profession has a lot of future growth. Many workers will be retiring soon and we will need to fill our workforce. This is a way for us to plant the seed for future generations and that starts with our teachers.”

Oregon teachers are encouraged to log on to http://www.plso.org/twist for an application to attend. PLSO will reimburse travel costs and pay the $600 tuition cost up front, which includes all course teaching materials, ESRI GIS Software, Garmin GPS receiver, PC cable for downloading data, a 2GB thumb drive, hand compass, and other training materials.

# # #

The Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon represents more than 500 land surveyors and associated suppliers. It serves the land surveying industry in Oregon through professional education and outreach, holding paramount the interests of the public. To learn more visit www.plso.org.

From: Robin Dalke
Sent: Thursday, March 05, 2015 3:07 PM
To: Robin Dalke
Subject: City of Salem Survey Summit

The City of Salem is inviting local surveyors to attend an outreach event that will unveil recent improvements to its plat review program.  The new plat review process is anticipated to more efficiently move final plats to completion by ensuring that all regulatory issues are addressed earlier in the plat review process.  A new application form has been created to assist surveyors in making a complete application that can be approved within the time frames established by Oregon Revised Statutes.

 

In order to maximize participation of local surveyors in the outreach event, please respond to the Doodle poll by March 11, 2015.  Once the outreach event is scheduled, you will be receiving a flier inviting you to the event.  Feel free to forward to local surveyors or other professionals who might be interested in learning about recent improvements to the City's plat review process.

 

Doodle Poll Link:

https://doodle.com/t3bctb8gm9hv275u

Dates/Times being considered include:

Wednesday, March 18th- 10am-12pm

Wednesday, March 18th- 2pm-4pm

Thursday, March 19th- 10am-12pm

Thursday, March 19th- 2pm-4pm

 

Thank you,  

 

Robin Dalke, CFM

Administrative Analyst III

City of Salem

Development Services

Public Works

COOS BAY — The local chapters of the Professional Engineers of Oregon and Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon have coordinated a major program for National Engineers Week, Feb. 22–28, that involves high school students from Coos, Curry and Douglas County, as well as students from Southwestern Oregon Community College.

The program will be a dinner event at the Hales Center for the Performing Arts on the Southwestern Oregon Community College campus in Coos Bay on Feb. 18. It will consist of a welcome and introduction from master of ceremonies Dave Holman, P.E., retired executive director of the California Nevada Cement Association and current Southwest Chapter PEO President, followed by presentations from Oregon State University, Oregon Institute of Technology, Portland State University and Southwestern Oregon Community College.

Engineers and land surveyors will occupy tables along the room perimeter and offer informal show-and-tell and question-and-answer sessions with individuals or small groups of students. The buffet dinner will cost $14.95 each, but students will eat for free.

Engineers Week is dedicated to ensuring a diverse and well-educated future engineering workforce by increasing understanding and interest in engineering and technology careers among young students, and by promoting precollege literacy in math and science. National Engineers Week also raises public understanding and appreciation of engineers’ contributions to society.

For more information, email ron_hoffine@cbnbh2o.com.

Original Story here: http://theworldlink.com/reedsport/news/education/engineers-will-host-students/article_bd7c0b5c-e947-536b-8beb-e16581f5c17e.html

Greetings from your executive committee. This is a request for you to place an item on the agenda for your next chapter meeting. The issue here is clarification on how auction proceeds are used for both scholarships and outreach, and how the scholarship program works.

Over the last two years, the PLSO Board has decided to split the conference auction proceeds between the scholarship fund and the outreach effort, which is administered by the Education Goals and Action Committee, or EGAC. Tim Kent said it best: We won't need a scholarship program if there are no Geomatics students to apply (that's a paraphrase).

At the 2014 conference we started two new fund raisers: the bag-of-cash 50-50 auction and the bag-of-cash raffle. This year, we included an option to donate on the registration form as well as Paddle Raise at the Auction. Here is how things work:

Dollars funneled into scholarships do NOT go straight to scholarships. Rather, they go into the scholarship fund that is administered by the Oregon Student Assistance Commission (OSAC). That money becomes a permanent part of the fund, and the principal cannot be used. Only the investment dividends can be used and are distributed annually in the form of scholarships. As the fund grows, so do the dividends. Presently the fund holds approximately $260,000 (that's over a quarter million dollars), and in 2014 the fund made enough for PLSO to award $14,500 in scholarships. That is actually more than was contributed to the fund.  

Over the last two years the Board looked at the fund and the demand for scholarships and decided that the scholarship fund is healthy and that the need for outreach has become critical enough to start splitting the auction dollars between said fund and EGAC. The actual split is decided each year at the board meeting following the conference.

The company or individual donating items to the auction were able to designate which fund their item proceeds would be directed. The proceeds of the newly added donation activities mentioned above are explained below:

The 50-50 Raffle and Registration Donations are directed to the Outreach Fund. The Bag O’ Cash Raffle and Paddle Raise are directed to the Scholarship Fund.

This year PLSO raised $7,200 – thank you to everyone that participated. In April, your Board of Directors, with guidance from Scholarship Committee Chair Ben Stacy and EGAC Chair Lee Spurgeon, will look at amounts not specifically designated to particular funds from this year’s efforts and vote on where the money will be directed. It is important for PLSO members to understand how their donations are being used and to appreciate the critical need for outreach to attract young people to the profession. Members have a voice in how auction funds are distributed. That voice is their chapter's leaders, board members who represent their chapters and who decide how the auction dollars are used.

Thank you for sharing this information with your chapter.

NSPS Executive Director Curt Sumner has recently been approached by the Skill Assessment Team of Occupational Information Network (O*NET) to again assist in a U.S. Department of Labor effort to identify occupation experts who can help to insure that occupation descriptions listed in the O*NET database are current and accurate. The two categories for which descriptions are being updated are Surveyor and Surveying Technician. Volunteer participants identified by NSPS should have five (5) or more years of experience, or supervisory/training experience, in the respective categories for which they will provide input. Participants will be asked to complete O*NET questionnaires. The O*NET team has specifically asked that NSPS seek out current Surveying Technicians as part of the group that reviews the technician category. Anyone interested in participating, or has staff they believe can contribute, should contact Curt Sumner. Please include your name, address, phone and email. There is likely to be a time lag between the time a person volunteers and when they are contacted by O*NET.