County Surveyor

About the role

The County Surveyor is responsible for preserving and maintaining the Public Land Survey System corners and survey records in Brown County. The position involves planning and administering the annual budget for the Survey division, overseeing field personnel, and ensuring the accuracy and integrity of land records.

Responsibilities

• Aids in planning and administering the annual budget for the Survey division.
• Hires, supervises, plans, coordinates, and assigns the work of others, relative to the Survey division.
• Directs and supervises all field personnel; provides guidance, leadership, and assistance to the Survey Crew Chief in performing field and office operations.
• Prepares a Certified Land Corner Report, signs and seals completed reports, removes, preserves, and replaces survey monuments.
• Coordinates with transportation departments and local road construction companies for the removal and replacement of corners and witness monuments.
• Evaluates field survey and office procedures to improve efficiency and researches new technology applications for survey field equipment and computer software.
• Creates computerized maps of land in Brown County and drafts, coordinates, and administers contracts between Brown County and area land surveyors.
• Serves as a member of the Land Information Council and reviews preliminary certified survey maps and subdivision plats for compliance with state statutes and Ch. 21 of the Brown County Code of Ordinances.
• Works with submitting surveyors to address deficiencies, converts CAD data to be imported into the county GIS, conducts field survey work, and assists the public and professional customers in locating and copying survey and land information records.
• Performs mathematical computations concerning survey measurements and land records, including statistical data on the accuracy of survey information.
• Works to recover the original positions of corners of the Public Land Survey System using personal computers and relevant software.
• Confers with and counsels subordinate staff to exchange information and/or explain work policies, procedures, and guidelines; and identifies work-related problems, problem characteristics, impact, and formulates possible solutions.
• Reviews and compares work performance and/or products of subordinate staff with established standards to determine employee production levels, training needs, and recommends and approves employee selection, promotions, discipline, salary increases, separations, and grievance dispositions.
• Provides land survey information and provides quality control for county land information database.
• Advises and provides information/recommendations to state agencies, counties, municipalities, Indian Tribes, other surveyors, attorneys, real estate brokers, abstractors, and others interested in land boundaries regarding land boundaries, boundary disputes, survey documents, and monuments.
• Serves as a liaison with County management, County officials, and department heads regarding surveying matters.
• Performs land surveys for Brown County and other government agencies.
• Makes and records field observations, analyzes measurements, computes location of monuments, records field observations.
• Maps Public Land Survey System information into the digital countywide base map and enters deed, map, plans, and other records/information into digital tax parcel map.
• Analyzes legal descriptions and evaluates records for completeness and appropriateness to determine defensible opinions regarding size, shape, and location of tax parcels.
• Makes presentations to the Planning, Development, and Transportation Committee regarding Survey division matters.
• Oversees department records operations and ensures public access, reproduction, and compliance with open records laws.
• Reviews survey maps submitted for filing for compliance with state statutes and county ordinance.
• Advises local land surveyors regarding concerns for new land developments or retracement surveys where physical evidence of boundaries and deeded locations do not correspond.
• Reviews department field and office operations to ensure personal safety.
• Designs, implements, practices, maintains, and monitors county surveying, mapping, and land information standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Land Surveying or related field.
• Knowledge of land surveying, land records, boundary laws, state statutes, and administrative codes that apply to surveying.
• Knowledge of surveying instructions by the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Department of the Interior.
• Knowledge of Land Information and Geographic Information Systems.
• Knowledge of mathematics including algebra, geometry, trigonometry, statistics, and the ability to apply that knowledge.
• Ability to communicate effectively with the public, employees, and professionals inquiring about land surveys and government corners.
• Ability to prepare, interpret, describe maps, plans, specifications, and legal descriptions.
• Ability to communicate orally in a clear manner.
• Ability to distinguish sounds at various frequencies and volumes.
• Ability to distinguish people or objects at varied distances under a variety of light conditions.