SALEM - The Oregon Department of Revenue will host a series of meetings across the state in March to provide information to business taxpayers and tax professionals about the administrative rules for Oregon's new Corporate Activity Tax.

Department representatives used input collected from stakeholders during a 12-stop tour in fall 2019 in prioritizing and writing the rules. March's meetings will include a presentation and discussion of the initial temporary rules - the last of which will be filed with the Secretary of State on March 1. To see the tour schedule, click here.

"Our CAT team will personally engage our taxpaying communities in March to provide important compliance information. We consistently strive to help taxpayers comply with the law. The CAT team will also solicit feedback on the temporary rules completed to date," said Nia Ray, director of the Oregon Department of Revenue.

The 13-city tour kicks off in Bend on March 2 on the campus of Central Oregon Community College. Meetings on the east side of the state are set for March 3 in Ontario at Treasure Valley Community College and March 4 in La Grande at Zabel Hall on the campus of Eastern Oregon University. The La Grande meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Additional meetings are planned in The Dalles, Klamath Falls, Ashland, Eugene, Gresham, Coos Bay, Lincoln City, Seaside, Beaverton and Keizer.

House Bill 3427 created Oregon's Corporate Activity Tax and granted DOR the responsibility of writing rules to implement it.

All of the rules will be filed as temporary rules with the permanent rule process scheduled to begin April 1. The timing will allow business taxpayers and tax professionals to provide comment on the temporary rules during the upcoming meetings in March, as well as during the public comment period.

The Corporate Activity Tax imposes a 0.57% tax on gross receipts greater than $1 million after subtractions plus $250, beginning Jan. 1. It is expected to generate $1 billion a year to boost funding for public schools.

Those who are unable to attend but want to provide input may email questions or comments to cat.help.dor@oregon.gov. The department is planning a series of conference call meetings for out-of-state taxpayers and Oregon stakeholders who are unable to attend the in-state meetings. Those meetings will be scheduled once the in-state tour is complete.

New Survey: Consumers Concerned About Rush to Eliminate Professional Licensing

• Clear Support for Rigorous Professional Licensing to Protect the Public Exists
• Findings Come as State Legislatures Weigh Weakening or Eliminating Licensing

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Alliance for Responsible Professional Licensing (ARPL) today announced the results of a national survey that indicated widespread public support for maintaining rigorous professional licensing standards for professions that have a clear impact on public health, safety and welfare. These findings were announced as many state legislatures are considering broad proposals to overhaul or eliminate state licensing requirements in the current legislative session. Legislation weakening state professional licensing requirements was introduced in the West Virginia legislature earlier this month. Similar legislation is expected to be introduced in other states in the coming weeks and months.

Eliminating licensing has become a top priority of groups such as the conservative American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and the Koch-funded Americans for Prosperity, with model legislative proposals that include the complete elimination of all professional and occupational licensing.

The survey was conducted by Benenson Strategy Group and yielded these key findings:

▪ 75% of voters believe that it is important to ensure qualifications for professionals in certain industries. A majority of voters believe that current professional licensing requirements protect the public and should not be reformed.

▪ More than 70% of voters believe that regulating professionals in accounting, engineering, architecture, landscape architecture, and related fields with high impact on public safety and welfare is important.

▪ 71% of voters believe professional licensing should be required unless it can be proven that eliminating licensing will not have a negative impact on public health and safety. The public is wary of the alternative approach: requiring licensing only when it is proven necessary for health and safety.

▪ 67% of voters believe that consumers are best protected by a system that regulates education, examination and experience standards—all of which are overseen by a professional licensing board. 

“An overwhelming, bipartisan majority of the American people understand that professional licensing is rigorous for good reason and they want to keep it that way,” said Skip Braziel, a member of the ARPL, who also serves as Vice President for State Regulatory and Legislative Affairs at the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA). “Consumers want to know that the professionals they hire are qualified and as this survey makes clear, voters want to see responsible licensing protected.”

“The public recognizes the critical role that licensing and licensing boards play in protecting the public,” said Marta Zaniewski, an ARPL member who also serves as the Assistant Vice President of External Engagement for the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB). “This is why consumers are understandably wary of the anti-licensing proposals being floated in their state capitals. Licensing boards not only establish qualifications for a profession, but act on the public’s behalf to uphold the highest standards for our profession and take action against bad practitioners. This indispensable public protection role will be lost if licensing is eliminated.”

You can read the survey summary here.

2020 Conference at Sheraton Portland Airport Hotel

Save money when you register early for the 2020 PLSO Conference - Your Place for Continuing Education and Professional Networking! Held at the Sheraton Portland Airport Hotel, January 22-24, 2020, you an opportunity to have opportunity to:

• Earn up to 18 PDH's
• Meet with vendors for hands-on demonstrations
• Build valuable connections with peers
• Support the future of surveying

Don't miss out! Register to at plso.org/conference.

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Thank you to the following companies that have come on board to support the 2020 PLSO Conference so far!

STOLEN PROPERTY ALERT

A Trimble S7, serial number 37310406, with case was stolen October 8th on Highway 197 just north of Dufur, Oregon. Please contact Ben Beseda with Tenneson Engineering at 541-296-9177 with any information.

2019 BLUE MOUNTAIN CHAPTER WORKSHOP

NOVEMBER 16, 2019, 8:30 AM (Pacific)

Blue Mtn. Community College, 2411 N.W. Carden Ave., Pendleton OR

Cost: $50 7.0 +/- PDH’s, plus meal ($25 guest meal)

Contact Remi Fritz to Attend

Agenda | Speaker Presentations & Bios

9:00 am – 10:00 am

ODOT: Online resources

Speaker: Bret Elithorp, PLS

This session Bret will go over ODOT's online resources. How to access and find ODOT surveys and maps. What types of information is available online and what additional information that may be requested from ODOT's offices.

10:30 am – 12:00 pm

DLCD: Building in the Flood Plain

Celinda Adair, CFM; Katherine Daniel, CFM, AICP

This session will provide updates regarding the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) as relevant to Oregon, including the status of the FEMA Elevation Certificate (EC) update, and how a new way of rating flood insurance policies may impact the demand for ECs. Information will also be provided regarding best practices for completing ECs and Letters of Map Amendments (LOMAs). Finally, this presentation will cover state specialty code requirements for Elevation Certificates when structures are being built or substantially improved.

12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

Catered Lunch Break and discussion time

1:00 pm -2:30 pm

BLM: Case Studies in the Public Land Survey System

Mary J.M. Hartel

This session will provide a Case Study into the Public Land system and the history behind it.

3:00 pm – 4:30 pm

NGS 2022, an Overview - “Grid to Ground” Modifications Explained

Bob Green, PLS

This session will discuss the last NGS adjustment schedule for 2022 and Grid to Ground modifications.

4:30 pm – 5:00 pm

Blue Mountain Chapter meeting to discuss presentations and vote on earned PDH’s

2020 Scholarship Fund Raffle

Help build the future of our professional land surveying community when you purchase a chance to win a one-day trip up the Rogue River for (4) people with Jerry's Rogue Jets out of Gold Beach, plus a $500 Visa Gift Card! All proceeds go to support the PLSO Scholarship Fund, which gives out $18,000 in scholarships each year. Click here to find out more information on scholarships.

Click here to Purchase Tickets

104-Mile Wilderness Whitewater Jet Boat Tour With A $500 Visa Gift Card

Raffle prize winner will enjoy a one day 104-Mile Wilderness Whitewater jet boat tour, travelling into the ‘Wild’ section, an area only accessible by jet boating, rafting and hiking. Jerry's Rogue Jets is the only commercial jet boat trip allowed to operate in this remote twelve mile section. The base of Blossom Bar Rapid marks the end of upstream travel and is not navigable by jet boat.

Skilled pilots will entertain you with tall tales, rich history and help you relax as they navigate the swift currents, still waters, rugged canyons and spectacular whitewater. Keep your camera handy. Black bear, black tail deer, river otter, mink, bald eagle, osprey, and beaver all call the Rogue River canyon home.

The value of this prize is $880.00. Winner will be announced on January 23, 2020 at the Annual Education & Outreach Auction (held during the PLSO Conference). Attendance is not necessary to win. Winner must be 18 or older.

Glenn Eastmann's wife is selling his equipment with the help of her son Dave. She posted the various items on the Bend, Oregon Craig's List. Not knowing the going prices for these items she has them listed as "make an offer". She will have some of us local surveyors vet the offers so nobody tries to take advantage of her. 

The items and links (w/photos) are as follows:

1 Prisms: https://bend.craigslist.org/tls/d/bend-survey-equipment-prisms/6958372235.html

2. Tripods and prism poles: https://bend.craigslist.org/tls/d/bend-survey-equipment-tri-pods/6958369367.html

3. Subsurface Magnetic Locator Model ML-1 : https://bend.craigslist.org/tls/d/bend-survey-equipment-subsurface/6958367640.html 

4. Ashtech GPS unit: https://bend.craigslist.org/tls/d/bend-survey-equipment-gps-survey-system/6958366132.html

5. Schonstedt XT GA-92: https://bend.craigslist.org/tls/d/bend-survey-equipment-schonstedt-xt-ga/6958362496.html

6. Nicon Pulse Laser Station NPL-350: https://bend.craigslist.org/tls/d/bend-survey-equipment-nikon-pulse-laser/6958359922.html

7. Zeiss Elta S20 & Rec Link Robotic Total Station: https://bend.craigslist.org/tls/d/bend-survey-equipment-zeiss-elta-s20/6958357580.html

8. Lufkin 300' survey tape: https://bend.craigslist.org/tls/d/redmond-survey-tape-300/6957380919.html 

If you are in the area I can facilitate meeting with the seller to test out the equipment.

Mike Berry

Bend, Oregon

Oregon Surveyor Wins NSPS Award Again!

Congratulations to Greg Crites for winning Best Editorial from NSPS for the second year in a row! This year's entry was from Volume 41, No. 5. Click here to check it out!

As a reminder, Greg would like to find an Assistant Editor for the magazine so that when he is ready to step down in the next year or two, the transition is seamless.

Below is the current job description for the EDITOR position.

Editor Job Description

• Review/revise submissions for publication including checking of spelling, grammar and punctuation
• Review Executive Secretary and Chair’s letter, similar to above
• Submit Editor's letter
• Correspondence with Executive Secretary/Chair regarding content
• Determine article suitability in consultation with editorial committee (when necessary)
• Consult with authors regarding clarifications/edits 
• Fact/reference checking for content accuracy, as needed
• Submission of articles to publisher
• Review/edit proofs produced by publisher for layout, content and style
• Correspond w/editor-publisher regarding revisions
• Approve final proof prior to publication in consult w/Executive Secretary/Chair
• Suggest article topic ideas to appropriate writers if needed

Greg has noted that his involvement as Editor requires no more than four hours per issue.  It would also be helpful if the person who expresses interest in shadowing his position has Adobe Acrobat Professional or Bluebeam review software (or suitable equivalent).  As he's now retired, he no longer has access to this, or any other .pdf file editor. 

Please email Aimee McAuliffe at execdirector@plso.org for more information.

In Loving Memory of PLSO Founding Lifetime Member

Clair Ernest Pense

December 21, 1927 - May 7, 2019

Clair Ernest Pense was born at home on Dec. 21, 1927 in Bonesteele,S.D. to parents, Charles Abraham Pense and Grace Elizabeth Pinkham Pense, and passed away at his home in Gresham, Ore. on May 7, 2019.

His wife of over 50 years, Violet Naomi Pense; and daughter, Virginia Rae Pearce preceded him in death. He is survived by children, Cynthia June Reynolds (Bob) and Dr. Stanley Clair Pense (Sharon); 17 grandchildren; 25 great-grandchildren.

Pense graduated from Gresham High School in 1945 and proudly served as a Submariner in World War II and the Korean War. He later attended Multnomah College (later merged with University of Portland) and attended Portland State. He served as Multnomah County Surveyor in the 1960's and later became a Land Surveyor in private practice until retirement.

He was actively involved in his community on many levels. Pense was a founder, past president and Lifetime Charter Member of the Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon, a director of the Convention of the American Congress of Surveying and Mapping, a past president of the Engineering Architect Council of Oregon, a school board member for the Centennial School District and a board member for Mt. Hood Community College and adviser for their Civil Engineering Technology Committee. He was part of the American Legion and a designer of Heroes Memorial Park at Main St. Park in Gresham, Ore.

Pense was also keenly interested in politics as a proponent of things that promoted ethical and moral practices according to the U.S. Constitution. He would continually submit letters to public officials including our Presidents advocating that the laws were for the people and of the people, sealing the back of his letters with "In God We Trust." He served mankind well, being interested in others and loving his family and friends. He was forever teaching his great-grandchildren and very patiently learning from them as well. In fact, he was a friend wherever he went….he just loved people.

In his retirement he enjoyed working with the Submariner Veterans Group and Willamette National Cemetery. His love of country was very passionate. His sense of humor was a treasure to all and is carried on through his family through the many stories and jokes he told.

His family has said how proud they are of their father and grandfather, who lived knowing that his life was in his Heavenly Father's hands and are at peace knowing he is with their mother and grandmother, and most of all with His Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

There will be a Celebration of Life service at 1 p.m., June 1, 2019, at Pleasant Home Community Church, 32120 Dodge Park Blvd., Gresham. A burial service will be held at 11 a.m., May 31, 2019, Willamette National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, any contributions may be made to: Eagle Fern Camp, Estacada, OR 97023. Please sign the online guest book at www.oregonlive.com/obits

2019 OSU Student Appreciation Dinner

Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon - Willamette Chapter

Annual Dinner Meeting

 

When: Thursday, May 30; 5:30 p.m. Check-in; 6 p.m. Dinner 

Where: The LaSells Stewart Center, Guistina Gallery

Cost: $55 (free for current students) 

Please join us for this special evening in honor of surveying and geomatics education.

We will also celebrate the career of Professor Robert J. Schultz and his legendary service to education and the surveying profession over the last 56 years at Oregon State University. Dr. Ramesh Strestha from the University of Houston and National Center on Airborne Lidar Mapping (and OSU graduate) will be giving the keynote talk, "Life and Legacy of Bob Schultz". 

Click Here to Register

(https://cce.oregonstate.edu/2019-plso-student-appreciation-dinner-registration)

 

And from the Dean:

"I’d like to take a moment to recognize an outstanding educator, Robert “Bob” Schultz, professor emeritus of geomatics, for his extraordinary service to our college, the university, and the people of Oregon. He recently retired after 56 years teaching. The Oregon Beach Bill, which secures public access to our state’s wonderful coastline, wouldn’t have been passed without his work and will remain his defining legacy to the public. Bob is also deeply appreciated on a personal level by those he taught, with many sharing fond memories of his high standards tempered by his willingness to give freely of his time to those who needed it."