Got a call from a landscape architect. We may be out of the bill 5005. Keep tuned.
That would be awesome news. Maybe someone with common sense looked at that list and could tell who needed to be regulated (Surveyors, Home Inspectors, Geologist, Travel Agents, etc.) and who did not (manicurists, hair braiders, etc.)
Email just came through from FSMS... Looks like we are off of the Bill!!!! Sweet!
Just got it. Wow what a load off my mind. Now I plan to spend Thur. afternoon having a few cold beverages and watching bball not contemplating what I'm going to do for a living.
Could someone post the email from FSMS? I am not currently a member, but this "little" episode could have most certainly converted me to a dues paying member. I have been pooping bricks, whole CBS blocks.
PCS HB5005
By now, most of you have seen the Email Bulletin sent out at 4:40 this afternoon. It was sent when we received notice that a Proposed Committee Substitute (PCS) Bill was placed on the agenda for this Thursday's meeting of the Economic Affairs Committee. At the time the bulletin was sent, the PCS was not available for review. Since then FSMS lobbyist, David Daniel obtained a copy of the replacement bill language. What is clearly NOT included in the new language is Professional Surveying and Mapping. THAT IS CORRECT, THE SURVEYING AND MAPPING PROFESSION HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE PROPOSED COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR HB 5005! NO MENTION OF CH 472, CH 177 OR ANY OTHER RELATED STATUTES THAT WERE LISTED FOR REVISION IN THE ORIGINAL BILL. At this point, there is no real need to have all surveyors from around the state make the trip to Tallahassee. Since we are not listed in the bill, we have nothing to speak about, either in favor or opposition. However, if you wish to attend the meeting, see the Legislature in action and view the confirmation of this bill, you are certainly welcome. Thursday, the Committee will meet at 8:30 AM in Reed Hall in the House Building, Plaza Level.
We are on the verge of a tremendous victory. We are cautiously optimistic that the substitute bill will be passed in Committee as submitted on Thursday morning. As FSMS Legislative Chair, I will be attending the meeting on behalf of the Florida Surveying and Mapping Society and will follow up with an Email Bulletin afterward.
These last two weeks have seen a flurry of grass roots efforts by our members, sending emails and making phone calls to legislators and various committee members. I want to thank each of you for your efforts and confidence in the FSMS Legislative Team. Also, I want all to know that our efforts were coordinated from the Capitol by our Lobbyist, David Daniel of Smith, Bryan and Myers. He worked tirelessly on this issue each and every day, meeting with legislators on our behalf, providing President Ferrans, Marilyn and me with updated information as it became available. Our successes in the legislature are greatly due to his insight, advice and clear objectives for plans of action.
We should now focus our attention for the next couple of days, emailing or calling the legislators who supported our efforts. We need to thank them for their recognition of our profession, and its continued protection of the Public's health, safety and welfare. In the event you do not have yesterday's Email Bulletin we will be resending the listing to you again tomorrow. The PCS will be posted on fsms.org tomorrow.
Great job everyone!
> That would be awesome news. Maybe someone with common sense looked at that list and could tell who needed to be regulated (Surveyors, Home Inspectors, Geologist, Travel Agents, etc.) and who did not (manicurists, hair braiders, etc.)
Travel Agents???? I take that back, I could see how a rogue travel agent could wreak havoc.;o)
Ralph
Damn ... I just spent and hour and half writing a letter to the county Administrator (when I should have been drafting) ... what a bittersweet victory ... I thought it was pretty good so I'm posting it anyway ...
Dear Mr. Gallagher,
I’m seeking your help with an issue that this is facing Professional Surveyors and Mappers. The state legislature is moving forward on a bill that will completely deregulate the profession of Surveying and Mapping (HB 5005). We are seeking the assistance of those that rely on the high quality of the work that licensed Surveyors provide. The new regulation would eliminate licensing, standards of practice, and accountability to a State Board of Surveying, and anyone would be allowed to prepare surveys to any standards they wish. As County Administrator, you oversee several departments that rely on quality work being prepared by Surveyors.
For example:
1) The County Clerk records our plats and legal descriptions; they become the legal basis of land boundaries in our county. The county GIS department maps these legal descriptions and plats, and they become the parcel layers of the GIS.
2) The County Building Department relies on our work in many ways. We provide the Boundary, Topographic, and Tree Surveys which are reviewed as part of permitting new construction. We provide the benchmarks that ensure the building is built to meet FEMA regulations. We provide the foundation and as-built surveys that help to ensure new construction is meeting county building codes. We also provide wetland surveys and mean high water line surveys that define the buildable areas of waterfront property and lots with jurisdictional areas.
3) Current FEMA code requires that elevation certificates be signed by a licensed surveyor. It’s not clear at this point as to whether or not FEMA will change their Federal regulation to allow any unlicensed individual to sign an elevation certificate, but I doubt FEMA would make such a rule change. As you may be aware, FEMA can pull the National Flood Insurance Program from any county or city that does not follow its rules. This legislation would put the county in a lose-lose position in these regards. Either you’ll have to accept an elevation certificate signed by “just anyone”, or surveyors will be barred from issuing elevation certificates, leaving a void of qualified professionals to issue these documents, which are important in both new constructions and real estate sales.
There are many other ways in which this legislation could have a negative impact on Pasco County government. I have not touched on right of way mapping and acquisition, liquor license surveys, utility location surveys for conflict mitigation, rezoning surveys, densifications of benchmarks and GPS control points, and many other duties that surveyors perform that assist the county in their activities and decision making.
If you agree that deregulation of Surveying and Mapping is bad for Pasco County, I ask that you contact the Pasco County state representatives, Corcoran, Richard, Glorioso, Richard "Rich", Harrison, Shawn, Legg, John, Nehr, Peter, Schenck, Robert C. "Rob", Weatherford, Will W., with your concerns. We surveyors are small in numbers, but we are trying to get our voices heard by the legislature. We feel that comments from those who rely on our work in important government roles would be a great asset in this debate.
Thanks for your time,
Actually, Disney, the states largest employer, took at stand against this bill because travel agents and time shares were on the bill.
I had just finished plans for attending. It's a nine hour drive. Are PSM's off the list or maybe off the list?
I've learned the hard way in this profession and life never to count my chicks until the eggs actually hatch.
Other than the FSMS email, has anyone found something that specifically removes us from HB 5005?
I appreciated the email response I received from my local legislator who advised me to contact the bill's sponsor to express my concerns. I called and responded via email requesting to find out who the bill's sponsor actually was. To that, I received no response.
I also loved the automated response I received from another legislator whose canned response said "I also understood the importance of condiminium and mobile home regulations and you can count on me for a common-sense vote." I responded to his automated email and received yet another automated message with the same content. I never heard a real response back... My original email said nothing about Condo's or Mobile Homes.
Yes, someone posted the new bill in another thread and we are off. Of course, that could change again, but for now, we are off the bill being considered.
See the post above entitled "Links to PCB" posted by lloyd. There is a link in the message that will bring up a .PDF of the amended bill. It now only contains 63 pages so there was obviously quite a bit taken out of it.
As for the can message replied, I got several from the representatives that I sent emails to. Would have been nice to actually think that someone read you messsage, was aware of your concers and made an honest reply. Instead comes back some autoresponse.
I think all of you ought to make a list of the politicians who proposed or were in favor of the idiotic idea and remember it come next election.
> I think all of you ought to make a list of the politicians who proposed or were in favor of the idiotic idea and remember it come next election.
:good:
Possible good news...Maybe
To start off let me say "never trust a politician". With that said I'll get into why I posted.
I clicked on the link that was posted by Lloyd for the PCS. I did not read it all, but what I did do was a search for the string surv and this is what popped up.
1st Find
2nd Find
What bothers me about the second find is the strike out of the words licensed in this state as.
FWIW I would go to the upcoming meeting and find out exactly what is going to be said and how it will be presented. It would be disastrous if those who could have had a voice missed the opportunity just because of an email.
My two cents.
this is the detailed link to the pdf.. you can save it and search... survey only comes up once in the whole 68 pages left out of 381 it started with..
now to make sure it passes...
> this is the detailed link to the pdf.. you can save it and search... survey only comes up once in the whole 68 pages left out of 381 it started with..
It comes up twice Andy. Surveyor and Surveying. I posted the areas that I found those words right out of the same document you linked.
Thank you Paul, and yes, it is bothersome that the second instance is still there. I'll have to re-read the whole section, but it looks like it should also have been redacted.
it's been a LOOOONG few days, people..
