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Dave, I recommend you come to the next monthly Pioneer Chapter meeting and make your pitch there, too.
@dave-reynolds the CLSA forums is pretty active.
You don’t have to be a CLSA member to join the forum and post. http://clsaforum.californiasurveyors.org/phpbb3/index.php
There are always some folks that want to migrate. I believe an experienced Ca. PLS can still get Oregon registration without great difficulty.- Posted by: @dave-reynolds
I work for several of the municipalities in the area and 2 local PUD’s. Also, Oregon’s only producing natural gas field is in Columbia County and I survey gas wells and the associated gas line easements for the energy company that has the leases tied up. I work for many of the local builders. I do lots or rural partitions (1 to 5 acre parcels, depending on zoning) where I help the land owner through the land us process and then survey the partition boundaries and prepare the plats. That’s my favorite type of work. The projects I do vary a lot, an aspect I really enjoy.
It rains a lot in the winter but the temperatures are moderate. Summers are pretty great. There are no poisonous snakes.
I’m actually having a hard time with the retirement thing, but I can’t go on forever (something I’m just now beginning to realize;-) and I would like to find a graceful way to transition out of it.
The reality is that there’s probably about 3 people in Oregon who: have the ambition, SOME money and the willingness to relocate… I just have to find one of them.
I’m still looking for one of those three people…
Good Luck Dave. As you’re finding out, selling is a tough thing unless you’re promoting from within for an easy transition/buyout type situation. I know of 4 small survey operations in my area that tried to sell but finally just gave up and closed shop. Unfortunately it’s easier to start your own operation these days and substantially cheaper. I believe Oregon is a recording state so you’re records aren’t of much value and there’s plenty of work to go around for everyone so they don’t necessarily need your client base(assuming your clients are going to stay with the new regime). Its a tough sell for sure.
- Posted by: @dave-reynolds
I’m still looking for one of those three people…
IMHO, the ghost of the former and long time County Surveyor still haunts the Columbia County survey scene. Development planning is notoriously protracted there, running off potential projects. By effectively discouraging any competition for generations he drastically reduced your pool of potential buyers. The effects of his antics will linger for decades.
For the record Clackamas County also continues to suffer the lingering effects of long term CS under-performance, although the offending person has been out of office for 20 years. There are still not a great many survey firms headquartered there either.
I’ll be in Portland before too long…Once I get a house sold in KY. We are gonna head to PDX as our reward and spend some time out there. How hard is it to get a comity license out there???
I don’t believe I needed the references, but did have to take the State Specific Exam. It wasn’t a cake walk, and I thought it was a really good competency exam. It has Section, homestead, construction and regulation questions.
This was in 2009 or 2010. They may have went the way of all multiple choice, like California.
I moved from StL a bit over 20 years ago and took Oregon in 2017. The state test is ‘robust and comprehensive’.
It is 4 hours and mostly essay. Other than the usual references, grab the binders for the OSU boundary classes. Make a binder of Oregon laws and rules. Making it yourself will get you in touch with the quirks.
Get used to using the methods in the manual. Oregon is ‘newer’ than Mo and doesnt have the oddities.
There are other plans that work. I cracked a very good score and have shared the recipe with several successful applicants. You should be fine.
Good luck, Tom
- Posted by: @stlsurveyor
How hard is it to get a comity license out there???
If you don’t have an ABET accredited degree you will need 12 years of verifiable experience for Oregon. Of the 3 state tests I’ve written Oregon’s was the toughest – but it was also the first so that may have had something to do with it.
@norman-oklahoma
I??ve got 15+ so that shouldn??t be an issue.
@jim-frame
“If I had known I’d live this long, I’d have taken better care of myself” (unknown author)
- Posted by: @tyler-parsons
If I had known I’d live this long, I’d have taken better care of myself
I hope everyone has a great day; I know I will! - Posted by: @tyler-parsons
“If I had known I’d live this long, I’d have taken better care of myself” (unknown author)
I think Mickey Mantle said that, although he may not have been the first.
@norman-oklahoma
Mickey Mantle did say that. His father died young because he worked in those toxic zinc mines in Oklahoma. I think the town he grew up in is a ghost town because of the toxic water and waste. I saw him once in a discussion panel with Aaron and Mays and he was very complimentary of them for staying in condition through their careers. But Mantle played with pain through his whole career. Blew out his knee completely early in his playing days. Always hobbled.
- Posted by: @alan-roberts
I think the town he grew up in is a ghost town because of the toxic water and waste.
The Mantle family lived in Commerce, OK, which is sort of the north end of Miami, OK. Miami is a going concern. The town of Picher, on the Kansas border just a few miles to the north is where the mines were. Picher is an all but abandoned toxic waste dump.
@norman-oklahoma
I visited Miami, Oklahoma a few years back for a BBQ contest that was held at one of the casinos. It was a nice little town. After the contest we were looking for something to do so we went bowling. The alley only had 4 lanes and one worker that night – a 17 year old boy. It was a Sunday evening so the crowds were not of concern. In fact, we were the only ones there. We ordered up a bucket of beer and he joined in on the game with us. Turns out he was on the high school bowling team and whupped us all in all 4 games. I was the biggest looser though and I had to eat one of the hot pickled sausages that was in a 5 gallon jar on the counter. It was the worst thing ever. I asked the boy how long they’ve been there. He simply responded, “I’ve never seen anyone eat one.” It was a good time. As we were walking out he gave me an old bowling pin to commemorate my Miami experience. I still have it.
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