Revised fee for R/S

The Record of Survey fee is revised.  The submittal fee amount is still $600.  Instead of an additional fee for each sheet, there will be a billable fee for staff time that exceeds the fee amount.  The $600 is a non-refundable fee that will be charged at the time of submittal.

The recording fee for maps remain the same.
$8.00 for the first sheet, $2.00 for each sheet thereafter.
There is now an additional fee of $5.00 for each conformed copy.

Credit & Debit Cards now accepted

Yes, we are now accepting credit cards and debit cards for fees.  Like many other County departments, there will be a fee for using this.

Transaction fees are as follows:

     Minimum transaction fee of $3.95 for charges up to $175

     2.25% transaction fee for charges over $175

For questions contact:

  Surveyor/LDE

  Phone: (408) 299-5730



Research for maps?

Yes, we are still in the "low" tech era when it comes to maps and records researching.
What keeps us from getting into the "high" tech era is of course money and cooperation.

Here's a couple of questions that will help us target your needs.

We have a database for recorded maps and Corner Records.
What file format or what program would be more beneficial to you?  i.e. MS Access, FileMaker Pro

How do you typically search by? street? APN? County Grid number?

Thanks in advance for your feedback.

G

Homebuyers shouldn't ignore importance of getting survey | CharlotteObserver.com & The Charlotte Observer Newspaper

Thought I'd share with you as as I was browsing through my emails, this one caught my eye....




Homebuyers shouldn't ignore importance of getting survey CharlotteObserver.com & The Charlotte Observer Newspaper

One more thing about GPS

One thing I want to mention is the looming threat to lose our GPS that we rely on so dearly. Please check out the link below. Short story is that a company LightSquared is on the verge of putting all our our survey grade GPS outta whack....how? INTERFERENCE. Simply put. We rely on having a good signal for good results (yes, along with a few other good things) Now imagine our GPS couldn't pick up a signal for initialization or  get connected to a base station. That would be a bummer. We expect that every now and then which then usually follows up with a call to tech. support. But imagine if all that expensive equipment just won't pick up a signal anymore....that would be a big time bummer. Don't think we want to go back to the way we "used to do" it in this day and economy.


I invite you to check out the following website. Read it for yourself, make your own decision.

Save Our GPS at  http://www.saveourgps.org/

We didn't get on the GIS train when it came, I hate to see us get passed up again.

ACSM - Survey Summit - ESRI UC Conference

Hi all,

San Diego was definitely where is was all at.
Well at least for surveying and mapping with some good weather too.

While our shrinking survey profession continues to survive, the GIS community grew a bit.  The ESRI User Conference had 15,000 attendees this year.  This is the first I've attended both.  The Survey Summit registration gets you into the first two days of the ESRI User Conference.  There couldn't have been more of a sharper contrast that these two conferences, yet our work interlaces in many ways.  Perhaps we could someday ride the GIS wave like a surfer does on a surf board.  I'll leave that for another discussion or post.

For the conference information:


Survey Summit   http://www.surveysummit.com/index.html

ESRI User Conference  http://www.esri.com/events/user-conference/index.html

Maybe see you at the next gathering....
Gwen

June is here!

And June is half over.  Time flies.
It's budget time and the long story short, we are still here.  Same staff, same place.
We're survived another budget and starting July 1 is the new fiscal year.
Be aware that there may be changes in other departments, maybe some revised fees.
We are going to stay the same.

But what comes around the corner is July and the Survey Summit in San Diego.
It is in conjunction with ACSM conference.  So if things are slow, plan a trip to sunny San Diego, learn new things, see what's out there.  If things are going too fast for you, take a moment and treat yourself to a sunny San Diego day.  And with registration for the Survey Summit you get a couple of days at the ESRI User Conference.  So that is a good deal.

National Surveyor's Week display

Display during National Surveyor's Week

at the County of Santa Clara, Office by the Office of the County Surveyor

Thank you to the Mt Diablo Surveyors Historical Society

for their participation.

2009 Manual of Instructions - SALE PRICE !

Yes, the price has been reduced to $55.00 for CLSA members.
Check out the their website.

It's a great improvement, color diagrams, easier to read and has included updated information from BLM memorandums and circulars.

http://www.californiasurveyors.org/index.asp

Impressive, great reference and makes great gifts and donations.

TTFN
Gwen

NATIONAL SURVEYOR'S WEEK - DISPLAY

Yes, there is a display in our County building in the hallway to celebrate National Surveyor's Week.
Mt Diablo Surveyors Historical Society has graciously provided some items to display such as a solar transit, chain, bearing tree markings, USPLSS posts along with a few items from our County Surveyor's Office.
There are several pictures of interest and you'll just have to come and see if you know any of them.

Thank you to MDSHS for their cooperation and for lending some instruments and items.


Drop by to see the display.
There is still one hour parking just outside the West Wing.
The display is in the hallway between the East and West Wing, closer to the West Wing building.

Enjoy!

Email is back!

No need to say more.....yippie!

NO EMAIL TODAY at gwen.gee@pln.sccgov.org

ATTENTION:

DUE TO UNKNOWN AND UNFORESEEN AND UNCONTROLLED REASONS - WE ARE NOT RECEIVING OR ABLE TO SEND ANY EMAILS AS OF TODAY IN THE COUNTY SURVEYOR'S OFFICE. (March 16, 2011)

ALSO, IT APPEARS THE ENTIRE 7TH FLOOR IS UNABLE TO EMAILS ALSO.

In the meantime, let's say for today 3/16/11 you can use this email:

sclcountysurveyor@gmail.com

Thank you in advance for your patience as we struggle along.

I will keep you posted as to the status of our email situation.

Gwen  8(

New Fees and Check Lists

New fees are posted on our website.

http://www.sccbuilding.org/portal/site/dso/agencychp?path=%2Fv7%2FDevelopment%20Services%2C%20Office%20of%20%28DIV%29%2FCounty%20Surveyor

We have also been updating our check lists as well.
There should now be a spot to put your email address so we can correspond via email.

Thanks.

2011 SMA and PLS

Just a reminder that the 2011 Subdivision Map Act and Professional Land Surveyor's Act are now effective.
You can get the booklets from CLSA (California Land Surveyors Association).  The PLS Act also had additional related codes included.
The SMA booklet also has an index which is very handy.  Remember these printed booklets might cost a few bucks BUT it doesn't require any batteries or a computer to view and are easy to carry around.  And if you're like me, I just move my handy Post-It's from my old one to the nice new one.

And yes you can obtain this information online but I find the booklets easier to use especially when I need to bring them to a meeting and use as a reference.

G

RECINDED 2 Hour Parking

The County has recinded the free two hour parking and made it back to ONE hour free parking.
I cannot explain or know what the reasoning is.  The only tidbit I heard was that it takes an action of a higher authority here to change the time limits.

Sorry for the inconvience on behalf ot the "higher" authority.

G

TWO hours of free parking!

Well this is good news.  The free County Parking area is now for TWO FREE HOURS.
Enjoy the extra time.

Welcome 2011

Well we made it to the next year, it would have came whether we were ready or not.
The good news is that we are still here.  With all the news about government, we are happy to say that we will continue our work here.  The office is still open for public research.  There is still free one hour parking for the public.  You can reach us via email at county.surveyor@sccgov.org with questions or comments.
Our phone numbers are listed in an earlier post if you'd like to call us as we sit in our subterranean cubicles.