Just published in today's edition of NSPS "News and Views":
NSPS Technical Mapping Advisory Council representative Wendy Lathrop reports that, after multiple requests, she has received an email message from the division handling the Elevation Certificate (EC). As has been reported, the version that was put out on January 6 had many problematic issues, and Wendy had forwarded a long list of problems, typos, and formatting issues that needed to be addressed. The response to her inquiries was that FEMA was "currently finalizing the fixes to the new EC, including the fillable form," and incorporating many of her comments, but would not be returning the certification section to the front due to font size requirements. Expected release date is "before the end of this month."
She asked how long the old form may still be used, due to problems with the one that came out in January, and if the usual six-month grace period began in January, or will begin with the revision. The last one expired July 31, 2015, and was extended only to November 30, 2015 with a gap until anything further came out in January.
The response was:
FEMA can't endorse using an expired form. "However, the elevation information submitted by the surveyor will be accepted, in whatever format he chooses to submit the elevation and other information, provided all the information is provided and certified." (That is a direct quote from an email Wendy received.)
FEMA will be announcing via various channels when the new EC is available. Although each surveyor cannot be notified individually, it is expected that news of the EC's availability will become widely known rather quickly.
So much drama over a form. Government agencies seem to have an awful lot of trouble with forms.
Why does the form expire in the first place? They should change the expiration date to a creation date, and just replace the form from time to time as they see fit, sort of like, ya' know, how the rest of the world does it.
(This message expires and is no longer valid after March 32, 2016. Do not read after this date.)
Thanks for the update.
Yeah, an issue date vs. an expiration date would be better.
Gromaticus, post: 362728, member: 597 wrote: So much drama over a form. Government agencies seem to have an awful lot of trouble with forms.
Why does the form expire in the first place? They should change the expiration date to a creation date, and just replace the form from time to time as they see fit, sort of like, ya' know, how the rest of the world does it.
(This message expires and is no longer valid after March 32, 2016. Do not read after this date.)
Holly crap does that make sense. Guess we can't do that.
Fortunately, I haven't had any requests for an elevation certificate since last year, but if someone called today, this is how I imagine the conversation would go:
Client: I need an elevation certificate.
Me: Can you wait a while?
Client: Why? Are you busy?
Me: Not really, it's just that the form has expired.
Client: Can't you use the new one?
Me: The new one was withdrawn by FEMA.
Client: Well, use the old one then.
Me: The extension after the expiration date has expired.
Client: Will FEMA accept it anyway?
Me: They won't say.
Client: So how do I get an elevation certificate?
Me: Uhhh...I don't know.
Client: Are you some kind of idiot?
Me: I'm beginning to think that is the case, yes.
Client: AARRRGH!
Me: Are you an architect?
Gromaticus, post: 362728, member: 597 wrote: So much drama over a form. Government agencies seem to have an awful lot of trouble with forms.
Why does the form expire in the first place? They should change the expiration date to a creation date, and just replace the form from time to time as they see fit, sort of like, ya' know, how the rest of the world does it.
(This message expires and is no longer valid after March 32, 2016. Do not read after this date.)
"Why does the form expire in the first place?"
I'm betting it has a great deal to do with the Office of Management and Budget... Everything that is "Government" must be "managed" in some fashion or another.
I haven't used the 'new' one yet. I do a couple a week. When the new one is ready and fillable I will switch. Haven't had any issues yet tho using the old one.
Gromaticus, post: 362728, member: 597 wrote:
Why does the form expire in the first place?
So govt workers can get paid to make a new one
I am glad that surveying land keeps me busy enough to not worry about doing elevation certificates.
