gem state surveyorvolume xxxvii| Issue 3 Fall 2013

in this issue:

Report of the Defi nition of Surveying Committee.........8Proposed Changes to the ISPLS Bylaws...........103D Elevation.Program: Summary for Idaho........20

A Formal Surveying Education..........22

Board Meeting Notes..........26

ISPLS Board members at the 2013 summer meeting in Sandpoint with “The David Thompson Sculpture” by Peter Goetzinger, 2012. Photo by Bill Farnsworth.

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2014 ISPLS Annual Conference 40 Year Anniversary

March 5-7 Red Lion Conference Center, Pocatello

Three Concurrent Sessions including: Featured Speaker: John B. Stahl, PLS NGS Regional Director

Local (low distortion) Coordinate Systems

IDWR / FEMA

BLM Presentations Idaho Code for Surveyors Essentials of Plats Basis of Bearing Corner Perpetuations Student Presentations

Also includes: Survey Olympics, Scholarship Auction, ISPLS Awards Banquet, ISPLS Membership Meeting.

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gem state surveyorEDITOR: Clint Hansen

ART DIRECTOR: Katy Dang

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 affi liation. Statements of opinion which may be expressed may not necessarily represent the offi cial views of ISPLS unless specifi cally noted. Article submission must be in digital form. Photographs must be high resolution .jpeg fi les.

Deadlines for articles & advertisements are as follows:

Winter Issue December 1 Spring Issue March 1 Summer Issue June 1 Fall Issue September 1

advertising policyAdvertisements should be submitted in digital form to fi t an 8 ½ x 11 page. Rates for color are as follows: Full SingleSize Dimensions Year IssueFull 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 convic-tion of the perpetrator..

Idaho Society of Professional Land Surveyors1365 N. Orchard Street, Suite 259

Boise, Idaho 83706 208.658.9970

208.658.8112 FAX info@idahospls.orgwww.idahospls.org

table of contentsEditor’s Note

Clint Hansen.............................................................4

President’s Message

Nathan Dang.........................................................6

Report on the Defi nition of Surveying

DOS Committee....................................................8

IBPEPLS Responds to ISPLS

Keith Similia...........................................................9

ISPLS Proposed Bylaw Changes

Bylaw Committee.................................................10

House Dispute from Twin Falls Times News

Joe Cadotte..........................................................18

3D Elevation Program--Summary for Idaho

USGS..................................................................20

A Formal Surveying Education

Knud Hermansen & Carlton Brown......................22

Imapct of Trig-Star

Education Committee..........................................24

Board Meeting Minutes

Jeremy Fielding...................................................26

Section Reports............................................................28

Visit our webpage for the latest newswww.idahospls.org

calendar of eventsISPLS Board Meetings:

December 7, 2013 BoiseMarch 4, 2014 Pocatello

Idaho Board of PE & Land Surveyors Meetings:November 14-15, 2013 BoiseFebruary 3-4, 2014 Meridian

PS Exams in Boise:October 25, 2013April 11, 2014

FS Exams: 2013 Boise, Moscow & Pocatello:

October 26, 2013

ISPLS Annual Conferences: March 4-7, 2014 Pocatello

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editor’s commentsClint Hansen, PLS

Presenting the fi rst digital edition of the Gem State Surveyor. While we make this transition, feedback is greatly appreciated and needed. This new format will save the society a lot of money each year, and will also provide an easy archive of past issues to be able to view and reference. We have received very few responses stating the desire to have the publication still mailed to them, and we will do our best to make the transition work for everyone.

I have to give credit to Katy Dang for the way the GSS comes together. Katy really is the one that makes this publication take off, and I have to give credit where credit is due. While I scrounge around and fi nd content for the GSS, Katy takes all that is thrown to her, reformats and adds to the content, and arranges it into a readable and educational publication. She deals with the advertisers and placement of those ads, as well as making sure that content for the GSS is received in a timely manner. She does a tremendous job in taking the various documents that are tossed her way and creating each issue from them. Thank you Katy!

Within this issue are some great articles and reports. Knud Hermansen returns, along with Carlton Brown, with an article titled “Return on Investment, a Formal Survey Education”. In it, they discuss the benefi ts that come from pursuing a bachelor’s degree in surveying, among them being higher salary. This is a topic that is still new to Idaho (the requirement recently being changed to a 4 year degree for licensure), and still somewhat controversial, in my opinion. The benefi ts, or lack of benefi ts, can be argued both ways with good points coming from both sides of the argument. Elsewhere in the issue is a summary from the USGS on the 3D Elevation Program for Idaho, and a news report from the Times News about a home that was built in the wrong place. Both of these articles demonstrate different needs that we as a state have to update our defi nition of Land Surveying. And while we are on that subject, I will point out that there is also a great report by the Defi nition of Land Surveying in Idaho Committee within this issue. Great things are happening, and we all need to offer our support!

I have also asked for a report from each section to keep us all informed of the issues going on around the State the we are involved in, and how these issues are being addressed. This is a great way to stay connected as a society and to be knowledgeable about issues that other sections may be facing, and that we in our sections may have to deal with in the future. Thank you to all who submitted reports.

Again, let me reiterate that we need content for the GSS! If you fi nd anything that you think may be interesting to the rest of the society, send it our way! Input is always welcome and desired. Even interesting photos you may have taken that can be used within the issue or for the cover page. Greatly needed and appreciated.

Respectfully Submitted,

Clint Hansen

GSS

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Proudly Supporting

Buildingrelationships, one monument at a time.

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president’s messageNathan J. Dang, PLS

Let’s begin the fall message by paraphrasing where we left off last summer. “The one thing that makes our organization great is the involvement of our members, so please take a look at the opportunities to become involved.”

We have some really dedicated folks participating in our organization right now. Tyson Glahe of the David Thompson Section hosted a very successful Board of Governors meeting in Sandpoint in August where we selected nominees for the upcoming IBPEPLS surveyor position, worked on standing committee defi nitions and pushed forward on the defi nition of land surveying and corner record legislative changes.

In addition to our regular board of governor members at the meeting, we had representatives from sections near and far as well as and Bill Farnsworth, state Geospatial Information Offi cer in attendance. Their contributions to our ongoing discussions were invaluable. Our next board of governors meeting will be in Boise on December 7th, and all members are welcomed and encouraged to attend.

Our Eastern Section has been very active as of late. I am getting reports of very lively discussions from their section meetings and presentations being made on a regular basis. Presentations are a great way to boost attendance at your section meeting and members are earning professional development hours in the process. Another sure-fi re way to raise attendance at a meeting is through provocative conversation.

The Eastern Section folks, headed up by co-chairmen Rodney Burch and Brian Allen, are busy planning the 40th Annual ISPLS Conference on March 5-7, 2014 and have incorporated some key elements that our membership has been asking for. The conference has been shortened from 3 days to 2.5 days; starting on Wednesday afternoon instead of Wednesday morning, and thus eliminating an overnight hotel stay for most folks on Tuesday. Start your training now for the scheduled Survey Olympics!

Not to be outdone, the Southwest Section, legendary heavyweight of all sections, has a new standing committee for promoting National Surveyor’s Week

(March 16-22, 2014). We’ve had some great success with this in the past; it’s a great way to celebrate our profession and put us in the public eye at the same time. Jerry Hastings, Ada County Surveyor, has volunteered as chairman of this committee and I know he is open to your input. Let’s help make National Surveyor’s Week something that all of our members are excited to participate in and clearly represents the benefi ts of our profession to the public.

Well, the kids are back in school and it is time for our annual assault on Mathematics and Science teachers! Yup, Trig-Star recruitment starts now. There are some the very positive results happening in the Clearwater Section under Steve Staab’s direction. I know we have had a strong presence in the Big Wood Section in the past with Randy French’s guidance and the Southwest Section has gathered some momentum over the past couple of years under Colleen Mark’s direction. Has your section got a good Trig-Star program going?

The ISPLS by-laws are in FINAL review stage and will be up for a vote soon. They are re-printed in this issue and are being vetted by the membership right now. Thanks to the committee members – Ron Hodge, Tom Ruby and Brian Allen for getting these together and patiently taking comment and revision.

Another big vote up soon will be for the replacement of John Howe’s PLS position on the IBPEPLS. Nominees Bob Jones, Brian Allen, and Glenn Bennett have been put forth to be vetted by the nomination committee headed by Chairman Steve Frisbie. Comment and recommendations concerning our nominees will be received from ISPE and ACEC. Look for these nominees on our annual ballot in January.

Thanks for your involvement in our society!

Respectfully submitted,

Nathan Dang

GSS

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A report was made to the ISPLS Board of Directors in mid-June in Buhl. The report indicated that the effort had made some progress but the committee was not going to have a package ready for the 2014 legislative session. We are in discussions with the GIS and Engineering communities – they both have some diffi culties with our proposed language. The proposed changes are quite comprehensive and therefore the scope may need to be scaled back and the questions approached incrementally.

Later in the meeting, Licensure Board President John Howe, P.L.S. was making a presentation about changes being proposed to the criterion used to evaluate applicants who want to take the P.L.S. examinations in Idaho. John explained that these changes are due to the recommendations made by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES)

The NCEES publishes a “Model Law” that can be found at:

http://ncees.org/about-ncees/publications/A comparison of the engineer’s model law and Idaho

engineer’s existing law show many commonalities. The same comparison of the surveyor’s model law and Idaho surveyor’s law only has the boundary and platting common. Idaho’s surveying law lacks the mapping, geodesy, non-boundary control and GIS relationship envisioned in the Model Law.

So now we have an initiative by the Licensure board to conform examination criterion to NCEES guidelines, yet the defi nition of surveying has been left in the 1950’s.

Think of all the past year’s reports by the Board of Licensure to the Governor mentioning the positions held

on committees with NCEES. There is always extensive travel to NCEES events, yet the defi nition of surveying has been left in the past and ignored in this context.

When this re-defi nition effort began several years ago, the Licensure board told us they would not become involved in the “turf-war” with the engineers.

The Board of Licensure’s lack of evenhandedness in dealing with the surveyor’s defi nitions, and, frankly with other surveyor questions, points to a fundamental failure of the structure of that body. By refusing to keep current with a modern defi nition of surveying, the board of licensure is not protecting the public interest. There are reasons for the greater scope of surveying envisioned in the model law. The public in other states have come to rely on greater expertise from their surveyors, yet the Idaho surveyor remains woefully in the age of Truman and Eisenhower.

How can four engineers and one surveyor ever expect to address surveying questions? They simply are not able to make the best decisions as they lack the education and experience in the topic of surveying.

Somehow we need to convince them to negotiate with the engineers and make meaningful changes to the defi nition of Land Surveying in Idaho. There is new leadership with the new executive director; maybe that will lead to some meaningful change in the attitude of our licensing board.

Respectfully submitted by the Committee: Bob Jones, Rayce Ruiz, David Short and Jack Clark

GSS

report of the definition of land surveying in idaho committee

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BYLAWS OF THE IDAHO SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL LAND SURVEYORS Adopted May, 1981 (Except as noted)Revised March, 2013

ARTICLE 1MEMBERSHIP

Section I. The members of the Society shall be divided into voting and non-voting members. The voting members shall consist of the following classes of membership: Regular, and Honorary. The non-voting membership shall consist of the following classes: Associate, Student and Affi liate Memberships. Non-voting members can vote and hold offi ces at the section level but cannot vote or hold offi ces at the state level. (3/10/2010)

Section II. The criteria of membership classes are as follows:1. Voting Members: (3/10/2010) * A. Regular: Any person who holds a valid has attained professional qualifi cation by education and/or experience

in the fi eld of surveying and has been licensed as a professional land surveyor and upon approval by the ISPLS Board of Governors, said person may become a regular member of ISPLS.

* B. Honorary: Any person who has attained state, national, or international recognition by contribution to the surveying profession, the criteria for which shall be determined by the ISPLS Board of Governors, may be chosen as an honorary member.

* C. Lifetime: Any member who has served more than 10 years on the Board of Governors or has been a member of ISPLS for more than 20 years and who has retired their license, and upon approval by the ISPLS Board of Governors, said person may become a lifetime member of ISPLS.

2. Non-Voting Members:

(3/10/2010) * A. Associate: Any person with an associative interest in the profession of surveying, or who is employed as an

apprentice or technician in surveying, the criteria for which shall be determined by the Board of Governors of ISPLS, may become an Associate Member of ISPLS.

* B. Student: Any person pursuing a course of study as a graduate or undergraduate student on a full-time basis (at least 9 semester hours) leading to a career in the profession of surveying, the criteria for which shall be determined by the ISPLS Board of Governors, may become a Student Member of ISPLS.

* C. Affi liate Memberships:Individual Affi liate Member: Members of other allied professions or persons with a scientifi c acquirement of

technological experience in their special pursuit to qualify them to cooperate with Members of ISPLS in the advancement of professional knowledge and practice in surveying, who might not otherwise qualify for membership in ISPLS.

Institutional Affi liation: Professional or technological organizations with objective interests kindred to ISPLS in advancing the profession of surveying may affi liate with ISPLS.

*D. Sustaining Membership: Affi liated business entities with interest in the support and advancement of ISPLS and the profession of surveying.

Section III. AdmissionElection of Members: Any qualifi ed person or organization interested in becoming a member of the Society shall

submit a written and signed application in a form approved by the Board of Governors, to the Secretary Executive Director of the Society. Qualifi ed applicants shall become members of the Society, upon payment of the required initiation fee and dues.

Until further action or cancellation of this provision by the membership, the Board of Governors shall serve as the membership committee.

The Society reserves the right to expel any member if, in the opinion of the Board of Governors, it is in the best

ispls by-lawsproposed changes

For a General Membership Vote in 2014

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interests of the Society. Thirty (30) days notice shall be given to the offending member, in order that they may be present at a hearing on such action.

Transfer of Membership: Membership in this Society is not transferable or assignable to any other person; however, any member in good standing may request that his own membership be transferred to another of the Society’s geographical sections by written application to that section.

Section IV. Dues (3/10/2010)

The Board of Governors may request changes in the amount of initiation fees, if any, and annual dues payable to the Society by members of each class. The changes shall be adopted by a majority of the voting members at any meeting, special meeting or by special ballot, and shall be in effect at the beginning of the next fi scal year.

Payment of the dues shall be payable in advance on after the fi rst day of April in each calendar year.When any member of any class is in default in the payment of dues for a period of six (6) months, from the beginning

of the period in which said dues became payable, his the membership may thereupon be terminated by the Board of Governors.

Members shall, in a timely manner, pay all fees and assessments levied by the Society in such amount and such intervals as may be prescribed by the Board of Governors. Non-payment in a timely manner of fees or assessments shall be grounds for immediate termination of membership.

New members joining the Society after November 1 of any year, shall be assessed the normal initiation fee, but only one-half (1/2) of the regular dues for their membership category for the current fi scal year.

Section V. Certifi cate of MembershipThe Board of Governors shall provide for the issuance of certifi cates evidencing membership in the Society, which

certifi cates shall be in such form as may be determined by the Board. It shall be signed by the President and attested by the Secretary and shall be sealed with the seal of the Society. If any certifi cate is lost, mutilated or destroyed, a new certifi cate may be issued therefore on certain terms and conditions as the Board of Governors may determine.

When an individual or institution has paid the initiation fees and dues required, together with such charge for the certifi cate of memberships as the Board of Governors shall determine, a certifi cate shall formally be issued and the same delivered to him them by the Secretary Executive Director.

ARTICLE IIADMINISTRATION

Section I. Board of Governors: The affairs of the Society shall be managed by the Board of Governors. The Board of Governors shall consist of the Society President, Vice President, Immediate Past President, Secretary, Treasurer, one (1) Director from each geographical section, The appointed representative to the Western Federation of Professional Land Surveyors, The appointed Representative to The American Congress on Surveying and Mapping National Society of Professional Surveyors, and any ex-offi cio members as provided for in these bylaws by the Board of Governors.

(3/10/2010)

The President must be an Idaho Licensed Professional Land Surveyor, voting member and shall be elected by the membership-at-large serve for a term of one (1) year two (2) years to commence at the annual meeting and shall be succeeded by the elected Vice President.

The Vice President must be an Idaho Licensed Professional Land Surveyor, voting member and shall be elected by the membership-at-large for a term of two (2) years whose term shall commence at the annual meeting, the fi rst of which as Vice President, the second year, he shall, and without further election, shall, upon completion of their term, become President. The membership-at-large shall elect a Vice President each year whose term shall commence at the annual meeting.

The Immediate Past President shall serve one (1) year following his term as President.The Secretary must be an Idaho Licensed Professional Land Surveyor, voting member and shall be appointed by the

incoming President, subject to the approval of the Board of Governors, for a term of one (1) year to commence at the annual meeting.

The Treasurer must be an Idaho Licensed Professional Land Surveyor, voting member, and shall be elected by the membership-at-large for a term of one (1) year three (3) years to commence at the annual meeting.

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The Director must be an Idaho Licensed Professional Land Surveyor, voting member, and shall be elected by each geographical section as defi ned under Article V, Section IV II of these Bylaws for a term of three (3) years.

The Representative to The American Congress on Surveying and Mapping National Society of Professional Surveyors must be an Idaho Licensed Professional Land Surveyor, voting member, a member of A.C.S.M. and shall be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the Board of Governors elected by the membership-at-large for a maximum of two (2), four (4) year consecutive terms to commence at the annual meeting.

The Representative to The Western Federation of Professional Land Surveyors must be an Idaho Licensed Professional Land Surveyor, voting member, and shall be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the Board of Governors for a single term of fi ve (5) years.

Section II. Election of the President, Vice President, and Treasurer and NSPS Representative

(3/10/2010)At least sixty (60) days As required to fi ll offi ce vacancies, at the winter Board of Governors meeting, prior to before

the annual meeting, the President, with the consent of the shall call for nominations from the Board of Governors, shall appoint a nomination committee consisting of three (3) members, two (2) of whom shall be Directors on the Board of Governors. for the offi ce of Vice-President or Treasurer as needed.

The Nominating Committee Executive Director shall prepare a ballot to be mailed to for the voting members at least sixty (60) thirty (30) days before the annual meeting, listing at least two (2) candidates for Vice President and Treasurer as needed. Each candidate shall be a Licensed Professional Land Surveyor and a voting member. In the event that the Vice President shall be unable to assume the offi ce of President, the Nominating Committee Executive Director shall also list at least two (2) candidate(s) for the offi ce of President.

Nothing in this Article shall preclude the right of any voting member to vote for a write in candidate.All ballots cast shall be mailed to the Secretaryreceived by the Executive Director the Saturday prior to the annual

meeting, at which meeting they shall be counted by a Tellers Committee. The President shall call for a Tellers Committee to count all ballots prior to the Annual Meeting. The Tellers Committee shall consist of three (3) members, two (2) of which shall be members of the Board of Governors. consisting of the Secretary or his assignee and at least two (2) other members. The person receiving the majority of the votes cast shall be declared elected.

In the event that no person shall receive a majority of the votes cast, the voting members present at the annual meeting shall ballot upon the two (2) candidates receiving the highest number of votes, and the person receiving the majority of such votes shall be declared elected.

In the event that the Vice President resigns at any time during their term, a special election shall be held within thirty (30) days of notifi cation to the Board of Governors. The Nomination Committee Executive Director shall list on the ballot at least two (2) the candidate(s) for the offi ce of Vice President.

Section III. Board of Governors Duties and Powers (3/10/2010)

The regular meeting of the Board of Governors shall be held without any other notice than these Bylaws, concurrently and at the same place as the annual meeting of the members. The Board of Governors may provide, by Resolution, the time and place for holding additional regular meetings without other notice or resolution.

Special meetings of the board of Governors may be called by the President or any two (2) Directors, and shall be held at the principal offi ce of the Society or such place as the Directors or President may determine. Notice of any special meeting of the Board of Governors shall be given at least two (2) days prior thereto by written notice to the members of the Board of Governors. Any Director may waive notice of any meeting. The attendance of a Director at any meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except where a director attends a meeting for the express purpose of affecting the transaction of business because the meeting is not lawfully called. The business to be transacted at any meeting need not shall be specifi ed in the notice or waiver of notice.

A majority of the Board of Governors shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the Board. The act of a majority of the Board of Governors present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be an offi cial act of the Board of Governors, unless the act of a greater number is required by law or by these Bylaws.

Any action required by law to be taken by the Society, may be taken without a formal meeting with the consent, in writing, setting forth the actions so taken, signed by a majority of the Board of Governors.

The duties, power and functions of the Board of Governors may be delegated to an Executive Committee, consisting of members of the Board of Governors and elected by said Board of Governors. The minimum numbers of that committee shall be three (3), with total membership to be an odd number.

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The Board of Governors may at its discretion hire an Executive Director to manage a society offi ce, and whose duties and compensation will be determined by the Board of Governors.

Section IV Compensation:The members of the Board of Governors, as such, shall not receive any stated salaries for their services, but by

resolution of the Board of Governors, a fi xed sum for expenses in attendance, if any, shall be allowed for the attendance at any regular or special meeting of the Board.

Section V. Contracts, Checks, Deposits and FundsContracts: The Board of Governors may authorize any offi cer or agent of the Society to enter into any contract,

execute and deliver any instrument, in the name of and on behalf of the Society and such authority may be general or confi ned to specifi c instances.

Checks, Drafts or Orders: On all checks, drafts or orders pertaining to money, notes or other evidences of indebtedness issued in the name of the Society, the Board of Governors shall authorize the Executive Director, the Treasurer of the Society and a third member the Section Director where the State offi ce of ISPLS resides, as signatories on checks. Each check shall be signed by two (2) of the individuals authorized. Any purchase outside of daily operational expenses and any capital expense greater than fi ve hundred dollars ($500) shall be pre-approved by the Board of Governors.

Deposits: All funds of the Society shall be deposited from time to time to the credit of the Society in such bank or trust company as a depository as the Board of Governors may select.

The Board of Governors may accept, on behalf of the Society, any contribution, gift, bequest or device for any purpose of the Society.

ARTICLE IIIGENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS

Section I. The annual meeting of the members shall be held on the call of the Board of Governors during the fi rst quarter of each calendar year for the purpose of installing offi cers and conducting business requiring participation of the general membership or for the transaction of such other business as may come before said meeting.

Section II. Special meetings of the members may be called by the President, the Board of Governors or of not less than ten percent (10%) of the members having voting rights, at such time and place within the State of Idaho as they may designate on the call of said special meeting.

Section III. Written or printed notice, stating the place, day and hour of any meeting of members shall be delivered to each member entitled to vote at such meeting, not less than ten (10) and not more than thirty (30) days before the date of such meeting. In case of a special meeting, the purpose for which said meeting is called shall be stated in the notice.

Section IV. Any action required by law to be taken by any of the members, may be taken without a formal meeting with the consent, in writing, setting forth the actions so taken, signed by forty percent (40%) of all the members entitled to vote with respect to the subject matter thereof.

Section V. Ten percent (10%) of the total voting members shall constitute a quorum of such meetings. If a quorum is not present at any meeting, the majority of the members then present may adjourn the meeting to a new time without further notice.

Section VI. At any meeting, any member or members entitled to vote by proxy may do so, so long as said proxy is executed in writing to the Executive Director or President prior to the start of any meeting.

ARTICLE IVCOMMITTEES AND DUTIES

Section I. The Board of Governors, by resolution adopted by a majority of the Governors, may designate standing and special committees. A committee, when formed, shall organize itself and shall elect from its members a Chairman and a Secretary, and shall perform the functions and discharge the duties as indicated by the resolution of the Board of Governors. (3/10/2010)

shall assign necessary tasks as they arise to one of the following committees:

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Section II. Standing Committees shall consist of the following: * Membership * Convention * Publications * Education * Ethical Practice * Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation * Legislation * Interprofessional Liaison

ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITEE:Duties include maintaining the Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation, fi nancial administration, and ethical practice.

EXTERNAL MARKETING COMMITTEE:Duties include lobbying and legislation on behalf of members, interaction with national professional surveying

organizations, other professional organizations, and the community.

INTERNAL MARKETING COMMITTEE:Duties include membership benefi ts and recognition, professional development, election of board members, Gem

State Surveyor publication, and section support.

EDUCATION COMMITTEE:Duties include promoting education in schools and universities and creating scholarships to promote surveying

education,

INNOVATION COMMITTEE:Duties include researching developing technologies and next generation surveying technologies, exploring state and

federal grants, and establishing criteria for the funding of survey related projects.

ARTICLE VGEOGRAPHICAL SECTIONS

Section I. The recognized geographical Sections of the Idaho Society of Professional Land Surveyors shall be defi ned as follows:

(3/10/2010) * NORTHERN - Kootenai, Shoshone and Benewah Counties. * CLEARWATER - Latah, Clearwater, Nez Perce, Lewis Counties and that part of Idaho County lying north of 45

30’ of latitude. * HIGH COUNTRY - Idaho south of 45°30’ latitude, Washington, Adams & Valley. * SOUTHWEST - Payette, Gem, Boise, Canyon, Ada, Elmore and Owyhee Counties. * MAGIC VALLEY - Gooding, Jerome, Lincoln, Twin Falls, Cassia and Minidoka Counties. * EASTERN - Oneida, Franklin, Bear Lake, Power, Bannock, Caribou, Bingham, Bonneville, Teton, Madison,

Jefferson, Butte, Clark and Fremont Counties. * SAWTOOTH - Lemhi and Custer Counties. * DAVID THOMPSON – Boundary and Bonner Counties * BIG WOOD – Camas and Blaine Counties.

The Board of Governors may organize local sections of the Society covering geographical areas such as cities, metropolitan areas, counties or regions, upon receipt of a petition signed by at least seven (7) members residing in that geographic area.

Section II. Each geographical section of the Society shall elect one (1) Director, who shall serve on the board of Governors of the Society, as provided in the Articles of Incorporation and Article II of these By-Laws. The President shall have authority to appoint a Section Director with approval of the Board of Governors in the event that the membership

FALL 2013| 15

of an existing Section falls below four (4) members.

Section III. Each geographical section shall elect a Director, a Chairman, a Vice Chairman, a Secretary and a Treasurer, or a Secretary-Treasurer. The election shall take place prior to the end of the calendar year. Notifi cation of the results shall be given to the Board of Governors prior to the annual meeting. All section offi cers shall be elected by the section members in the following manner:

(3/10/2010)The Director must be an Idaho Licensed Professional Land Surveyor voting member and shall be elected by the

section members for a term of three (3) years. The fi rst Director of the section may be elected for a shorter or longer time period, in order to rotate the election of said Directors so that not more than three (3) Directors within the Society are elected per year.

The Chairman must be a Licensed Professional Land Surveyor member and shall be elected by the section members for a term of one (1) year, and shall be succeeded by the elected Vice Chairman.

The Vice Chairman must be a Licensed Professional Land Surveyor member and shall be elected by the section members for a term of two (2) years, the fi rst year of which will be served as Vice Chairman; the second year, he shall, without further election, become Chairman. The section members shall elect a Vice Chairman each year as per section Bylaws.

The Secretary must be a Licensed Professional Land Surveyor member or Associate member, and shall be elected by the section members for a term of one (1) year as per section Bylaws.

The Treasurer must be a Licensed Professional Land Surveyor member or Associate member, and shall be elected by the section members for a term of one (1) year as per section Bylaws.

A quorum for section meetings shall consist of any two (2) of the offi cers and ten percent (10%) of all members.Within the framework of a chartered section, the State Board of Governors may, if the situation warrants, authorize

the formation of a Sub-section, to be known offi cially as a Branch. Two or more Licensed Professional Land Surveyors shall be required to form said Branch. Each member shall hold a full membership in the parent Section.

ARTICLE VIRULES OF ORDER

All membership meetings of the Society and the Board of Governors shall be conducted in accordance with Roberts’ Rules of Order of Parliamentary Procedure.

ARTICLE VIIFISCAL YEARThe fi scal year of the Society shall be April 1 to March 31.

ARTICLE VIIISEALThe Board of Governors shall provide a Society seal which shall be affi xed to any offi cial document of the Society.

(3/10/2010)

ARTICLE IXWAIVER OF NOTICEWhenever any notice is required to be given under the provisions of the statutes of the State of Idaho, the Articles of

Incorporation or the Bylaws of the Society and waiver thereof in writing, signed by the person or persons entitled to such notice, whether before or after the time stated therein, shall be deemed equivalent to the giving of such notice.

ARTICLE XAMENDMENT OF BYLAWS

These Bylaws may be amended, altered or repealed and new Bylaws adopted by a majority of the voting members at any meeting, special meeting or by special ballot, and shall be in effect if at least ten (10) days notice is given in writing with the intention to alter, amend or repeal, or adopt new Bylaws at such meeting.

16 | GSS

ARTICLE XIBOOKS AND RECORDSThe Society shall keep books and records of account and shall also keep minutes of proceedings for its members

and Board of Governors. Such records and minutes shall be kept at the principal offi ce of the Society. All books and records of the Society may be inspected by any member or his their agent or any attorney, representing such member for any proper purpose at any reasonable time.

ARTICLE XII (3/10/2010)GEM STATE SURVEYORThe editor of the Gem State Surveyor will be an ex-offi cio member of the Board. (as amended at the February 1,

1986 ISPLS Annual Meeting in Boise.)

ARTICLE XIII NOMINATIONS FOR MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS AND PROFESSIONAL

LAND SURVEYORS (BPEPLS)

Section I. When a vacancy for the Board of Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors is anticipated, The Board of Governors will request the BPEPLS Executive Director to furnish a list of persons qualifi ed in accordance with Section 54-1204 of the Idaho Code.

Section II. The Board of Governors, acting as a nominating committee will prepare a list of at least three nominees. Those selected will provide a biographical sketch and photo.

Section III. The candidates will be presented to the general membership on a written ballot. The nominee receiving the most votes shall be the fi rst nominee and shall be presented to the Governor for appointment. If the Governor requests more than one nominee, alternate nominees shall be presented for appointment in order of preference according to the number of votes received.

Section I. One year prior to the completion of a Land Surveyors term on the BPEPLS, the President shall appoint a (3) three member panel consisting of, the Chairman of the External Marketing Committee and (2) two Regular Members of ISPLS to form the Professional Board Nomination Sub-Committee.

Section II. Qualifi cations for the Professional Land Surveyors position on BPEPLS are as stated in Section 54-1204

Idaho Code, and the nominee shall be a member in good standing of ISPLS.

Section III. Professional Board Nomination Sub-Committee will determine qualifi ed persons and contact them.

Section IV. Persons interested shall respond within 30 days or the time limit set by the Chairman of the Professional Board Nomination Sub-Committee whichever is longer, and shall submit requested information which may include:

* 1. Short biographical sketch * 2. Recent photo * 3. Presentation at an ISPLS Board of Governors meeting, determined by the Chairman of the Professional

Board Nomination Sub-Committee. * 4. Other items deemed appropriate by the President of ISPLS. * 5. The Professional Board Nomination Sub-Committee shall follow the Memorandum of Understanding with

the other joint members in vetting the selectection candidates.

Section V. The candidates will be presented to the ISPLS general membership by ballot. The nominee receiving the most votes shall be the fi rst nominee and shall be presented to the Governor for appointment. If the Governor requests more than one nominee, alternate nominees shall be presented for appointment in of preference according to the number of votes received.

Section VI. The ISPLS member appointed by the Governor of the State of Idaho to the BPEPLS shall be an Ex-offi cio member of the Board of Governors. This member shall receive standard Board member per diem. GSS

FALL 2013| 17

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misplaced home: lebaron homes in twin falls faces $500,000 lawsuit after house dispute

Joe Cadotte, Times News, July 26, 2013

TWIN FALLS • Lance LeBaron built a house 11 inches from the site of a future road, then sold the home for $500,000.

When the buyers, Lee Ann and Rocky Hagan, learned about the problem, they wrote to LeBaron asking for their money back.

The Hagans told the Times-News they didn’t get a response, so they fi led suit last November. LeBaron said in an interview that he didn’t realize his mistake until after he sold the house, and then the Hagans refused his offer to solve the problem.

Depositions, city documents, emails and interviews clarify some facts in the case but also pit one side’s word against the other.

What’s certain: LeBaron violated Twin Falls County and city codes requiring that the house be built at least 30 feet from a roadway. And a bridge builder told LeBaron that the house was too close to the road before the house sold. In a deposition, LeBaron said he didn’t believe him.

In 2009, LeBaron had contractors build the 3,240-square-foot, four-bedroom, 2½-bath in the Wildrose subdivision, near Shoshone Falls. The house was showcased in Parade of Homes, a tour of some of the Magic Valley’s best builds.

Twin Falls offi cials approved the house plans on all levels, said Mitch Humble, who oversees building permits as the city’s community development director.

The plan, with all requirements checked off by city offi cials, was given to LeBaron. It illustrated the required 30-foot setbacks, Humble said.

LeBaron hired Cowboy Concrete of Twin Falls to pour the foundation. One of the fi nal steps in the city’s approval process is to send an inspector to ensure that the foundation is legitimate. When the inspector deemed the foundation fi t, no one realized it was about 30 feet from its approved site, Humble said.

“It slipped past the inspector, it slipped past Lance, it slipped past everyone involved,” he told the Times-News. “The city issued the permit with the correct information, and he put the home in the wrong place.”

Humble said that in his seven years with the city, he has never seen a house built so far from what was planned.

“We don’t have this exact situation very often when there’s a right-of-way given but the road’s not built,” he said. “We could have caught it and fi xed it very early on, but it slipped through the cracks. There’s no question we should have caught it, but it’s the builder that put it in the wrong place.”

LeBaron said he had built the house for himself and lived in it until he decided it was too big, and he wanted a better volleyball court.

He listed it for sale in the summer of 2012. Then, LeBaron said, neighbor Robert Dickerson, a retired bridge builder, told him the house was 11 inches from the site for a new road.

“I didn’t believe it fi rst of all because the city signed it off, the landscaper found the same pin, my excavator found the same pin, everybody found the same pin, why would I believe anything other than that? That’s who we paid the big bucks to do, we had professionals doing it,” LeBaron said in a court deposition March 26.

Life SavingsThe Hagans said they worked most of their lives —

Rocky as a crop farmer, Lee Ann as a political science teacher at the College of Southern Idaho — and lived modestly, saving money so they could retire early and move into their dream home.

“We have seven grandkids, and we’d like to have them all there for Christmas,” Rocky said. “We don’t have the room in our house right now to be comfortable doing this. In this (LeBaron) house, we would have had room to do it.”

They said they had looked at about 40 homes for sale before making an offer on LeBaron’s house on Aug. 24, 2012.

The Hagans said they closed the house deal Oct. 1, paying LeBaron $300,000 cash, the bulk of their life savings.

Lee Ann said they had spent about $20,000 on furniture and landscaping when the neighbor, Dickerson, told her she was planting a tree out front where a road was going to be built.

EHM Engineers surveyed the property and confi rmed his statement, she said.

LeBaron said he got a call from Lee Ann, who had learned about the roadway and wanted an explanation.

Looking for a SolutionLeBaron said he was still living in the house and

offered to pay the Hagans’ rent until the problem was solved.

“Before I moved out, I said, ‘You want me to just stay here until we have the problem resolved? Because it’s easy. I haven’t moved out yet; I can take the house back, I don’t need to sell the house, I can afford the house.’”

He said the Hagans insisted on moving in and said they would be OK as long as LeBaron could arrange for the road not to be built.

FALL 2013| 19

Lee Ann said LeBaron told her he could have the road vacated in two weeks, but she checked with the city and learned it would take at least four months.

“That’s when we mailed Lance the letter asking for our money back,” she said. “We didn’t hear anything from him. …We found out that he actually didn’t fi le the paperwork (to vacate the road) until Jan. 4. And here we are, 10 months later, without a solution.”

Jan. 4 was the day the paperwork was submitted, confi rmed Renee Carraway, the city’s planning and zoning manager.

LeBaron’s attorney, Jeff Stoker, confi rmed that the Hagans sent a letter asking LeBaron to rescind the deal. The couple said they never received a response.

LeBaron, meanwhile, said that because the Hagans had indicated they would be OK, he used the money from the sale to buy another house.

“I had everything taken out of the (Wildrose) house,” he said in an interview. “I moved out of the house, repainted the house, got the fl oors clean, replaced the carpeting, all the stuff she asked me to do. I’m out of the house and we’re still in the process of getting the road vacated, which I told her, ‘It’s a process. I don’t know much about it. I’ll do everything I can to get it done.’

“I take off to Cambodia. I’m gone for like three or four days, I make a call to check into my offi ce. They’re sending me papers from their attorney to sue me to take the house back. C’mon, are you freaking kidding me?”

Dream House Turned NightmareLee Ann said they chose not to move into the house

for fear they couldn’t sell it if the road isn’t vacated.“We were told if the road’s not vacated, the house has

to come down,” she said. “… We don’t want (LeBaron) to say that we did any damage on the inside. We don’t even go in unless there’s somebody with us to see it so he can’t say we did any damage. We want to give the house back in the same condition that he sold it. We just want our money back. He can fi x the problem and sell the house.”

The Hagans say they have spent many sleepless nights worrying.

“This is just a nightmare,” Rocky said. “What do you think I feel like? This has been eight, nine months now, and this is the last thing I think about every night and the fi rst thing I think about every morning. We’ve got this damn mess over here, and there’s no end in sight. As far as I’m concerned, we didn’t do anything wrong. We had the Realtor, the builder, the appraiser, the title company and the city, none of them, as far as I’m concerned, did their job and then left us holding the bag. It’s terrible.”

On July 3, the city and highway district approved the request to vacate the road. LeBaron would have to give the district land to build a different roadway, highway

offi cials said in the public hearing.What’s Next?Twin Falls County commissioners now must give the

fi nal approval.“Generally speaking, in lots of these cases, you don’t

have any public comment on a plat. Nobody cares,” Commissioner Terry Kramer said.

But at least one neighbor in Wildrose told the Times-News he might take legal action if LeBaron vacates the road.

Others fear a new road could encroach near their homes and reduce their property values.

Kramer said it’s “extremely rare” to have public outcry at a hearing on vacating a road, but it could happen in this case. He’s waiting for a highway district recommendation before the hearing date can be set.

The Hagans quoted Realtors as telling them a roadway near a property devalues it by 25 percent. That’s only an assumption, said County Assessor Gary Bowden. Roads usually don’t devalue property unless they are busy, which isn’t the case for the Wildrose subdivision, he said.

Whether the county vacates the road will be a huge factor in the judge’s ruling on the lawsuit, said Stoker, the builder’s attorney. Only a judge can decide whether LeBaron knew about the mistake before he sold the house, he said.

Stoker said he will ask that the Aug. 27 court date be delayed until after the county decides on the road.

Even if the road is vacated, Rocky said, the Hagans will fi ght until they get their money back.

“The real problem we have now,” he said, “here’s Lance LeBaron that did something knowingly wrong by selling us this house and not identifying the property, not disclosing to us that there was a problem with the property. Now to make it right he’s going to vacate that road, move it on and affect someone else and Lance is not affected. That’s not right. Why should (the neighbors) and us have to lose value on our properties because of Lance’s mistake?”

LeBaron said he didn’t believe Dickerson, so he really didn’t know about the road problem before he sold the house. He said the Hagans want to renege because of “buyer’s remorse.”

“I’m a very honest person,” LeBaron said. “I have a business here; I would never hurt anybody. I would have paid the rent. I would have even bought it (the house) back and gotten it (the road) vacated. I had no issue with that. Until they told me to move out.

“I’ve been doing this forever. They just made it horrible. ... Mistakes were made by people. I’m doing the best I can to get the problem corrected, and they’re suing for I have no idea what besides they have buyer’s remorse.”

GSS

20 | GSS

3DEP in Idaho by the Numbers $6.12 million

$27.89 millionPaybackQuality level 1 buy-up $17.75 million

U.S. Department of the InteriorU.S. Geological Survey

Fact Sheet 2013–3053 August 20 3

The 3D Elevation Program—Summary for Idaho

Introduction

-

-

-

-

-

-

3D Elevation Program Benefits for Idaho

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

3D Elevation Program -

-

by January 2015 and to have complete

-

Benefits of a Funded National Program

•

-

-

through readily available con-

Figure 1. Map of Idaho showing the areal extent and quality level of planned and existing publicly available light detection and ranging (lidar) data in November 2012. See table 2 for quality levels.

EXPLANATION

3DEP data (qualitylevel 2 or better)

Quality level 3data

Quality level 4or lower data

No publicly availablelidar data

0 80 Kilometers

0 60 Miles

FALL 2013| 21

Next Steps for Implementing 3DEP

• Support from government and other

For Further Information:

By William J Carswell Jr

percent. (2) When lidar data are readily -

-

References Cited

-

.

-

.

3D Elevation Program—Continued

-

-

-

Figure 2. Lidar data reduces the time and cost associated with highway and other infrastructure projects, especially for preliminary construction plans and design grades. Photograph of Rainbow bridge on Idaho 55 courtesy of Idaho Department of Transportation.

Table 1. Conservative benefits for the top 10 business uses of the proposed 3DEP data identified in the National Enhanced Elevation Assessment for Idaho (Dewberry, 2011).

Rank Business useAnnual benefits

(millions)

1 $1.71

2 1.63

3 1.03

4 0.62

5 0.46

6 0.41

7 0.08

8 0.06

9 0.05

10 0.04

Other 0.03

6.12

Table 2. Data quality levels used in the National Enhanced Elevation Assessment (Dewberry, 2011).

Quality level

Nominal pulse spacing (meters)

Vertical accuracy

(centimeters)1 0.35 9.25

2 0.7 9.25

3 1–2

4 5 46–139

5 5 93–185

22 | GSS

As faculty members in the Surveying Engineering Technology program at the University of Maine, we are often asked if it is worth pursuing a bachelor of science degree in surveying. In other words, will a graduate receive a good return on their investment by pursuing academic studies in surveying. Our answer is an unqualifi ed “YES.”

THE RETURN FROM THE INVESTMENT

The return from investing in a four-year surveying education has many facets aside from the knowledge itself and the need for the degree in some states for obtaining a professional license. From our observation, graduates from a four-year surveying program are in the top 30% of the starting salaries received by college undergraduates. This surprises many surveyors who often feel they are on the bottom end of earners.1 The fact is that a large number of college graduates cannot fi nd employment after graduation.2 What employment is available for many college graduates is not too far above the minimum wage.3 Some graduates such as those with a degree in social work must often obtain a graduate degree or work as an unpaid intern for one or two years before securing paid employment in their fi eld. On the other hand, over thirty employment announcements were posted for University of Maine surveying students between January and May 20134 - almost three times more than the number of surveying students graduating.

A four-year surveying degree has considerable value aside from surveyor licensing. Graduates with a bachelor of science degree in surveying are in an excellent position to multiply their earnings through additional studies. Graduates can go on to earn a graduate degree in the surveying fi eld or a related fi eld such as GIS. Graduates

1. The average salary of a surveyor in 2012 was $59,180 a year or approximately $28.50 an hour while an elementary teacher was $56,000 per year, a social worker was $47,000 per year, forester was $57,000 per year, and electrical engineering technician was $58,000 per year. “May 2012 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates United States” Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved May 2013 from http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm#17-00002. See Willis, Gerri. (2013 Feb.) “Drowning in Debt: Liberal Arts Graduates” Fox Business, Gerri Willis Daily. Retrieved May 2013 from http://www.foxbusiness.com/on-air/willis-report/blog/2013/02/19/drowning-debt-liberal-arts-graduates and Gerber, Scott. (2012 Sep.) “How Liberal Arts Colleges Are Failing America.” The Atlantic. Retrieved May 2013 from http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2012/09/how-liberal-arts-colleges-are-failing-america/262711/3. Notte, Jason. (2013 April) “284,000 College Grads Making Minimum Wage” MSN Money, Retrieved May 2013 from http://money.msn.com/now/post.aspx?post=60c2d77c-2d2b-4920-8156-4fb05e443d934. The employment outlook for surveyors is 25% higher than average. (August 2012) “Surveyors”, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved May 2013 from http://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/surveyors.htm

can also pursue graduates studies and earn an MBA,5 graduate degree in civil engineering,6 or a law degree.7

Most four-year surveying programs are ABET accredited. Graduates with a bachelor of science degree in surveying from an ABET accredited program can seek dual registration as both a surveyor and engineer in most states.8 Dual licensing as both an engineer and surveyor will add at least 50% to an individual’s average salary.9 Many surveyors also hold other licenses or certifi cations allowing practice and expanded services in such areas as designing on-site septic systems, forestry, wetlands delineation, fl ood plain manager, photogrammetry, and city planning, to name a few.

Surveying graduates also have considerable potential to increase their earnings by hard work and entrepreneurial endeavors. Unlike some professions such as grade-school teaching or social work where individuals most often work within a structured bureaucracy, surveyors usually obtain employment where they can advance based on merit and hard work. Licensed surveyors can start their own fi rms with minimal investment in equipment and software compared to other startup businesses.

The bottom line is that a graduate with a four-year degree can expect to earn around $600,000 more during their professional career.10

THE COST

The second part of analyzing the return on an investment in formal education as a surveyor is to look at the cost of a formal education. Without question, education is expensive. A four-year degree at a public university will cost around $90,000.11 There are numerous ways to reduce or even eliminate this cost.

5. It is a misconception to believe an individual must have an undergraduate business degree before earning a masters in business administration (MBA).6. Most civil engineer programs will allow an individual with a B.S. in surveying to enroll directly into the civil engineering graduate program.7. Generally the only two requirements to be accepted into a law school is an acceptable undergraduate grade point average (GPA) and an acceptable law school aptitude test (LSAT) score. All things being equal, nurses and technical majors are often given preference.8. NCEES administers both components of the surveying and engineering exams. Individuals seeking licensure as a professional engineer will have to work under a licensed engineer performing engineering services before the individual can sit for the principles and practice portion of the engineering exam.9. According to the NSPE 2012 Engineering Income and Salary Survey, a dual licensed individual mean salary is $104,000 a year.10. ”2013 College Education ROI Rankings: Does a Degree Always Pay Off?” PayScale. Retrieved May 2013 from http://www.payscale.com/college-education-value-201311. ”2013 College Education ROI Rankings: Does a Degree Always Pay Off?” PayScale. Retrieved May 2013 from http://www.payscale.com/college-education-value-2013

return on investmenta formal surveying education

Knud E. Hermansen†P.L.S., P.E., Ph.D., Esq.

Carlton A. Brown†P.L.S., P.E., Ph.D.

FALL 2013| 23

One way to drastically reduce costs, available to every student, is to earn a surveying degree at a two-year college.12 At the University of Maine, a 2+2 option is available for almost all two-year (associate in science) surveying degrees. Even where a two-year surveying degree is not available in a state, a frugal student can earn approximately two years of credit toward a four-year surveying degree at most community colleges. General education courses required for a surveying degree such as mathematics, physics, writing, speech, accounting, economics, business law, ethics, and humanities courses are usually found and can be taken at community colleges found near most communities.

Full tuition payment through scholarships or other avenues are often available to students. The most common source for payment of all tuition costs in the surveying program at the University of Maine is veterans’ tuition assistance like the G.I. Bill. Almost 7% of the current students in the surveying program at the University of Maine are veterans receiving veterans’ educational benefi ts.13

A major source of scholarship grants come from state surveying societies. Many state surveying societies award student scholarships in excess of several thousand dollars a year. Almost all surveying students at the University of Maine receive one or more surveying scholarships.

Another major source of education fi nancial support is summer employment in the surveying fi eld. Summer often brings an increase in surveying fi eld work with a corresponding increase in part-time surveying employment. Some employers even provide scholarships to summer employees going to college.14

THE RESULTS

After examining both the investment cost and return 12. In Maine, community colleges tuition rates are approximately a third of the tuition rates at four-year Universities.13. As an aside, without an explanation, almost all at this time are U.S. Marine veterans.14. The Bureau of Land Management fell into this category along with many private employers such as Judith Nitsch Engineering, Inc.

on the investment, the result shows a four-year degree in surveying is a good investment. The college graduate can expect to earn 65% more than a high-school graduate.15 Based on a 30-year professional career, a graduate can expect a 7% return on their investment.16 Of course the return on the investment is considerably higher with community college courses, tuition aid grants, and scholarships.

For almost all individuals, pursuing a four-year surveying degree is worth the effort.17

15. Korane, Kenneth J. (2012, Sep.) “Which Engineering Schools Offer the Best Value?” Machine Design. Retrieved May 2013 from http://machinedesign.com/news/which-engineering-schools-offer-best-value16. ”2013 College Education ROI Rankings: Does a Degree Always Pay Off?”. PayScale. Retrieved May 2013 from http://www.payscale.com/college-education-value-201317 Ibid.

† Knud Hermansen and Carlton Brown are professors in the Surveying Engineering Technology program at the University of Maine. The Surveying Engineering Technology program is a four-year program leading to a B.S. degree in Surveying Engineering Technology. It is an ABET/TAC accredited program. A fi ve year B.S./M.B.A. option is available. The focus of the program is to educate students for professional surveying practice

GSS.

For the latest news visitwww.idahospls.org

24 | GSS

Does Trig Star really make a difference in a student’s career choice? Does giving a student an internship with your company make a difference?

I would like to give you an example of how much this can mean to a future surveyor. I recently asked Jennifer Rowe to do an age study of surveyor’s in Idaho. Do you know that there are 391 surveyors in Idaho (146 retired); 66% are over 55 and 76% are over 50? Do you even begin to realize that there are only 13 surveyors under 39 years old? That means 92% are over 40.

Now for the good news. When we give a Trig Star test at our local schools we give the student’s a chance to see how algebra and trig apply in real life. With our surveying demonstrations we give the students a look into a career opportunity probably the fi rst look they have been given a chance to see. Ask those who are giving the tests how the students apply themselves to the test once they see a reward at the end. I have seen grades improve slowly over the last 5 years where most of the students are getting at least a 70% on the test. Being able to present the State Award to a student in front of all his/her classmates is a real boost for the student and parents.

In addition we give a scholarship award to the State winner. I got to do this last Spring and the reception the student got was overwhelming.

I learned this year about the NSPS Trig Star Scholarship that is also available to High School seniors involved in the Trig Star test. I will be sending out information on the 2013-2014 test soon along with instructions how to start a program in a school near you. At our September meeting I was surprised to learn that Elizabeth Younger was awarded the NSPS award for $5000. Her mother, Allison Younger, was very proud of her daughter and brought her to our meeting. Elizabeth will be attending the survey program at Oregon Institute of Technology in Klamath Falls, Oregon. I want to extend a special congratulations to her and I think everyone wishes her well.

Respectfully submitted,Stephen StaabEducation Committee Chairman

GSS

trig-starSteve Staab, P.L.S.

FALL 2013| 25

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26 | GSS

minutes - board of directors meetingSandpoint

August 24, 2013

Call to Order: Nate Dang, PresidentCall to Order 8:00

Members Present - Brian Allen, Eastern Section replacement Representative; Jack Clark, Southwest Section replacement Representative; Katy Dang, Executive Director; Nate Dang, President; Jeannie Vahsholtz, Vice President; Jeremy Fielding, Secretary; Steve Frisbie, Treasurer; Tyson Glahe, David Thompson Section Director; Steve Staab, Clearwater Section Director; Clint Hansen, WestFed replacement Representative; Rob Stratton, Northern Section Director; Bill Farnsworth, State Geospatial Information Offi cer; Bob Jones, QBS and NSPS replacement Representative; Doug Cash; Vince Blommer; Larry Glahe.

Reports:2014 Conference: Brian Allen- Location will be the

Red Lion Pocatello, March 4-7 2014, working on details. This will be the 40th year of ISPLS existence. Looking for emails from the Sections for conference title ideas. So far it’s either “40 years of a strong foundation” or “40 years: chains to GPS.” Classes will start Wednesday at 1:00PM with committees meeting that morning. Speaker so far is John Stahl from Utah. They are looking at possibly having someone from the Title Companies or a Real Estate Lawyer as a speaker.

2015 Conference? Where are we going to have it? Katy suggested that we have it in Boise and then in Northern Idaho in 2016.

Treasurer’s report- Board reviewed the budget and no questions were had.

Committee reports:Defi nition of Surveying- Bob Jones; Reported that

ACEC comments got back to them and that they had a few suggested changes to be made. September 9th there is meeting scheduled to review their comments. Bob said that they were thinking of changing direction and just adopting the NSPS defi nition taken from the NCEES model law since the IBPEPLS tests us and determines our educational requirement based upon the NCEES. Jack Clark read a draft letter that would be sent to the IBPEPLS Board. The current law is in confl ict with itself. Rob Stratton stated that by adopting the model law our State Law would remain current throughout future industry changes or future needs. Nate Dang suggested that we fi nd out what history there is of issues that have hurt the public.

Motion by Rob Stratton to develop an argument for model law to be sent to Sections for comment. Second by Steve Staab. Motion passed.

C.P.&F.-Rob Stratton; Reported that Nate Dang had written a letter to the IBPEPLS Board and John Elle has suggested that we push this issue back on the Board. Rob read the C.P.&F. law changes that the committee had come up with. We need to have all suggested changes to the law by September 15, 2013. We need to fi nd a common direction and to not be vague. Brain Allen stated that the IBPEPLS Board is looking for something that is enforceable.

Motion by Jeremy Fielding to move forward with Rob Stratton’s letter to be sent to the IBPEPLS by September 15, 2013. Second by Clint Hansen. Discussion on the motion was had. Motion passed with only one “no” vote against.

By-laws Committee-No report.

SWOT Process, Nate Dang; Committee Re-organization; The board reviewed the mission statement and tasks associated with the fi ve re-organized committees. The fi ve committees are Administration, External Marketing, Internal Marketing, Education, and Innovation.

12:01 Adjourn for lunch.1:00 Resume

New Business

IBPEPLS Member Selection: The Board went into executive session to review and discuss the names submitted to replace John Howe on the IBPEPLS.

Motion by Rob Stratton to put Brian Allen, Glenn Bennett, and Bob Jones on the general membership ballot this fall. Second by Steve Staab. Motion passed.

State GIS –Bill Farnsworth; Reported on the MCPD, RTN, and GIS updates. Bill stated that Idaho is in the top 10 of States for LiDar imaging. He stated that county parcel information will be released to the federal government and that the counties use the information to be purchased or downloaded for free by the public. So far eleven counties in Idaho have signed up.

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Scholarship fund-Katy Dang; Reported that John Elle was asking if we needed to adjust the amount of funding each scholarship receives or the number of scholarships given each year. Currently we give out $9,500.00 in scholarships each year. Jeannie Vahsholtz stated that the scholarships aren’t matching the current school fees. Steve Staab suggested that we keep it the same.

GSS-Clint Hansen; Reported that they are considering raising the advertising rates to match other States. He stated that they will start posting the GSS to the website and/or add a link inside an email that people can use to open the document.

Book Project-Jack Clark; Reported that he is taking over a book project called “Shaping Idaho” written by Jerry Willett. He stated that he will be looking for donations totaling in the amount of 10K for this project. This book will cover pre-GLO survey history.

Motion by Steve Staab to support the book project through the innovation committee by way of a grant process. Second by Clint Hansen. Motion passed.

Bill Farnsworth stated that there is a cell phone project in the State of Idaho that can be downloaded on your mobile device to see if you are receiving a broadband signal. Linkidaho.org.

OSHA-Bob Jones; Reported that OHSA is looking out for any safety violations that Surveyors maybe doing. He asked if ISPLS needs to have a safety standard that surveyors could use, and what committee would that reside under? He stated that URS is hosting a safety course this fall in Boise that will be available to all surveyors to attend.

Good of the order.2:25 Adjourn

GSS

www.nsps.us.com click on CERTIFIED SURVEY TECHNICIAN tab

NSPS CERTIFIED SURVEY TECHNICIAN PROGRAM

ARE YOU A CST?

Phone: 240.439-4615 ext. 112; E-mail: <cstinformation@nsps.us.com>NSPS, 5119 Pegasus Court, Suite Q, Frederick, MD 21704

28 | GSS

section reports

ISPLS CLEARWATER CHAPTERStephen Staab, PLS

We had our fi rst meeting the second Tuesday of September with 5 surveyors attending. We discussed the last Board meeting minutes and I explained may of the things we talked about. I showed everyone

our current roster of ISPLS members and discussed getting other surveyors to join. LCSC survey program has 4 students in the AA degree and two pursuing the BAT degree. Question was raised as to when the program name might be changed from Engineering Tech – Civil to Geomatics. That is in the works but it will still be under Engineering Tech – Geomatics. I mentioned that we voted on 3 Surveyors to replace John Howe on the Board as he is retiring. We discussed some of the crazy requirements being put on the plats by the counties and tried to see what we can do about it.

Andrew Sanchez, BLM, an LCSC student gave a presentation on a State Line Retracement he did thru the school. Starting at the original point and running North for 3 miles. Have you ever seen an original stone with WT and IT scribed on it?? I can now say that for the fi rst time I have. Andrew’s presentation was exceptional and everyone had lots of questions to ask him and also really enjoyed the pictures and information that the students found in the area.

ISPLS-David Thompson ChapterTyson Glahe, PLS

Bonner County-Boundary CountyThe David Thompson Chapter of the ISPLS meets on the fi rst Friday of each month. Topics of discussion vary greatly

but a recurring subject is the matter of records being made available to the public, on-line, by our county clerk’s offi ce.Up until recent months, the Bonner County Clerk had no intention in making Record of Survey’s, CP&F’s or any other

public records available on-line. Although no direct question was asked as to why this was not being pursued, it was generally thought that it had to do with loss of revenue from the paper copies being sold directly out of the clerk’s offi ce.

There is now a new county Clerk and our hope is to meet with their offi ce and try to start discussions on how Bonner County can make the move into the digital age. Everyone agreed that there would be considerable implementation costs in equipment and infrastructure but it would certainly be benefi cial to the public, and us Professional Land Surveyors, in the future.

Early 2014 plans are to open this line of discussion and work with the county to try and make the on-line records a reality.

ISPLS EASTERN SECTION REPORTRodney Burch, PLS

Eastern Section meetings were held on July 11, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. and August 15, 2013 at 7:00 p.m at Goody’s restaurant in Pocatello, Idaho.

Reports:Denny Jones PLS gave treasurer report for Eastern Section. Expenditure have included conference auction items, recognition plaques for past service positions

Discussion/Presentation:We have had continue discussion and input on the following topics:

By-Laws; Right of Entry legislation; Defi ni on of Surveying legisla on; 2014 conference.PDH presentations:

Following topics were presented and discussed at our section meetings:Brian Allen led the discussion of “Boundary by Agreement”. This presentation focused on different methods to deal with boundary by agreement.

Members approved both discussions for 1.0 hour of PDH for attendees and 2 hour for each presenter.GSS

FALL 2013| 29

nsps foundation trig-star scholarship fund winners announced

NSPS

Applicants must be high school seniors who have participated in the Trig-Star Contest at some point in their high school career, and plan to enroll in a college degree program that leads to either a two year Associates degree or a four year program leading to a Bachelor degree in surveying and mapping (the

Land Surveying profession). The applicant does not have to have won any level of the Trig-Star Contest but must have participated in the contest when offered at their high school.

The 2013 recipients are:

Elizabeth Younger, Idaho - Attending Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT) $5000.00Michael Flowers, Indiana - Attending Ferris State University (MI) $2500.00

Cade LaLonde - Attending Ferris State University (MI) $2500.00

Elizabeth Younger, 2013 NSPS scholarship winner.

30 | GSS

2013 officers

President Nathan Dang(208) 863-4198 nathan@accuratesurveyors.com

Vice President/President ElectJeannie Vahsholtz(208) 282-2305 vahsjean@isu.edu

SecretaryJeremy Fielding(208) 861-7513 pls12220@yahoo.com

TreasurerSteve Frisbie(208) 323-2288 sfrisbie@to-engineers.com

Immediate Past PresidentTom Ruby(208) 308-4771 trr@jub.com

National Society of Professional Land Surveyors GovernorDavid Short(208) 250-2359 dshort@dshortandcompany.com

Westfed GovernorGlenn Bennett(208) 888-4312 gbennett@civilsurvey.net

CommitteesBylaws: Past President, Tom Ruby Legislation: Southwest Section Director, Mitch ChristianMembership: President Elect, Jeannie VahsholtzEducation: Steve Staab; CST: Jeannie Vahsholtz; Scholarships: John Russell, John ElleArbitration: Current President, Nathan DangPublications: Editor Clint HansenInterprofessional Liaisons: ACEC, Steve Frisbie; QBS, Bob JonesIBPEPLS Member: John HoweTrig Star: Steve Staab

Conference Chairs2014: Eastern SectionRodney Burch, Wade Olorenshaw, Brian Allen

section officers

Big Wood Director Brian Yeager Chairman Bruce Smith Vice Chairman Steve Schwarz Secretary Todd Reynolds

Clearwater Director Stephen Staab Chairman Terry Golding Sec./Treasurer Stephen Staab

Section meets the second Wednesday of each month at Rowdy’s Texas Steakhouse & Saloon in Lewiston.

David Thompson Director Tyson L.A. Glahe Chairman Glen D. Cash Vice Chairman Jeff Wiley Sec./Treasurer Tyson L.A. Glahe

Eastern Director Rodney Burch Chairman Brian Allen Vice Chairman W. Olorenshaw Secretary Shane Remer Treasurer Dennis Jones

Eastern Section meets by video conference each month with groups at ITD offi ces in Pocatello and Rigby.

High Country Contact John Russell (208) 634-7607.

Magic Valley Director Bert Nowak Chairperson Freddie Garcia Vice Chair Keith Brooks Secretary Trevor Reno Treasurer Tom Ruby

Northern Director Rob Stratton Chairman Gale Dahlman Vice Chairman Chris Renaldo Sec./Treasurer 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.

Southwest Director Mitch Christian Chairman Mike Ryan Vice-Chair Jeremy Fielding Secretary Aaron Rush Treasurer Steve Frisbie

Southwest Section meets at Casa Mexico at 5 Mile and Fairview in Boise on the second Tuesday of each month.

FALL 2013| 31

32 | GSS

Gem State SurveyorFall 2013

Idaho Society of Professional Land SurveyorsPO Box 7886

Boise, ID 83707

(208) 658-9970(208) 658-8112 fax

info@idahospls.orgwww.idahospls.org

Thanks for your continued support of your professional society!

www.idahospls.org