Welcome
Welcome to the PLSC Website!PLSC is a non-profit association dedicated to the improvement of land surveying education and practice. We encourage land surveying professionals and individuals interested in our profession to participate in our upcoming events, visit our Chapter websites and get involved! This is a great profession, and PLSC is here to support the profession to continually improve the practice within Colorado.
Need a Land Surveyor?
PLSC cannot recommend one surveyor over another. If you need a land surveyor, please go to the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) and download the list of Colorado licensed surveyors and also check for any disciplinary actions against a particular surveyor under the "Verify License Tab" on the DORA site. Certified Federal Surveyors are listed at www.cfeds.org/roster.asp. Be sure to check references for the surveyor you are considering hiring.
News
Concerns for Amendment 74 regarding development
Posted October 10, 2018
Colorado Development Community Summary of Concerns - Amendment 74The development community has always supported protection of private property rights. On its face, Amendment 74 would seem consistent with that theme. This amendment to the state constitution provides that the government shall pay "just compensation" when any "law or regulation" results in a reduction in fair market value of property.However, if passed, Amendment 74 would likely work against the development community's interests more often than not.Under current takings law, for the most part, property owners adjacent to a new infill or greenfield development to which they are opposed (Not in My Backyard) don't have a legal claim to back up their belief that their property values might be harmed by the proposed project. But if this measure passes, NIMBYs could have a claim against the city or county, the amount of which is unknown, if they can show any reduction in fair market value. For example, when infill multifamily is proposed near existing single family, nearby homeowners frequently argue that it will negatively affect their property values. Because that is not usually one of the criteria for approval, nor the basis for a legal claim under current law, it is possible to nonetheless obtain approval of such projects, assuming they otherwise meet the applicable criteria. If Amendment 74 is passed, however, these property owners could have takings claims against the approving government authority. Such claims may still be difficult to prove, but they will be much easier to bring, and the potential liability will have a chilling effect on governmental approvals.Other examples relevant to the development community include:* Vested Rights. Under the Colorado Vested Rights statute, any granting of vested rights longer than the statutory three years requires approval by legislative means. Thus approval of extended vested rights will be a "law or regulation" which could trigger a claim under Amendment 74. It can be expected that local governments, already skeptical of extended vested rights, will simply not grant vested rights beyond the three year baseline.* Urban Renewal. Under Colorado's Urban Renewal Law, the determination of blight is a legislative determination. Thus the adoption of an urban renewal plan is probably a "law or regulation." Some citizens already believe the mere adoption of such a plan causes reductions in fair market value to their property; under Amendment 74, they would have a legal claim. Urban renewal, already difficult to implement following the last several years of reforms, will be even more difficult, if not impossible, following adoption of Amendment 74.* Economic Development Incentives. Many city codes and charters require that approvals of financial incentives must be by ordinance. Approval of a sales tax sharing program pursuant to a Credit PIF (Public Improvement Fee) regime also must be done by ordinance. Most of these types of programs would also be subject to challenge by competitor projects and developers, or by neighboring property owners, under Amendment 74. The natural reaction of most municipalities would simply be to cancel all such programs and refrain from approval of any new ones.* Bond Financing. Limited offering memoranda for bond issuances in support of new development include a section disclosing risks to investors. If Amendment 74 passes, this section will get longer and more detailed summarizing potential risks that the development might not proceed as a result of either governmental denial or inaction, or third party lawsuits. For some prospective bondholders, the risks may be greater than they are willing to bear, and the pool of bond purchasers will be reduced.* Building and Fire Codes. The measure does not exempt building and fire codes, or other basic health and safety requirements. While one might grumble at the extra costs sometimes imposed by these codes, their enactment and enforcement on surrounding properties also makes each individual property more safe. If Amendment 74 were passed, property owners could have claims against local governments for costs incurred for building code compliance. Local governments, with budgets already constrained by TABOR and other factors, are understandably concerned about the potential for unlimited liability resulting from any law or regulation they might enact. Also understandably, at a minimum, local governments will be more cautious about taking any actions which could trigger such liability, whether a rezoning, plat or site plan approval, issuance of a building permit, amendment to the comprehensive plan, or zoning code, or basic code enactment and enforcement. At its most extreme, some local governments may simply close the planning and building departments for business until the impact of the measure can be determined. They might consider requiring that applicants for approvals submit waivers of their own legal claims, or an indemnification or posting of security against potential third party legal claims.Whether the measure is as harmless as its proponents suggest, or not, there is no doubt that it will affect the behavior of local governments in response, to the detriment of development interests.While several other states have enacted various types of measures to strengthen protection of private property rights (Florida, Arizona, Oregon, to name a few), all of them have done so in their statutes, not their constitution, where the measure can be adjusted when unintended consequences result. And all of them have done so with far greater specificity than this measure: limiting the impacts to only land use regulations or only certain types of property; exempting public health and safety laws; specifying how fair market value is calculated; who can bring a claim; and when claims can be brought. In Oregon, Measure 37 was originally enacted to protect property rights in 2004. In the two years following, more than 7,000 lawsuits alleging $19.8 billion in losses had been filed. In 2007, citizens approved, by an overwhelming majority, Measure 49, which significantly reformed and limited the applicability of the original Measure 37.At a minimum, Amendment 74 is likely to increase litigation over land use decisions, and make local governments less likely to approve applications. Taken to the extreme, Amendment 74 could completely stop development in Colorado for the foreseeable future. If you wish to get involved with the campaign in opposition to Amendment 74, here is a link to their web page: https://no74.co/
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International Surveying Competition Volunteers Needed
Posted October 08, 2018
The National Society of Professional Surveyors is hosting an international surveying competition from Nov 12-17 in the DC area. They are seeking volunteers to either be on the US Team or serve as a judge.NSPS is filling these roles on a first come, first serve basis. and time is running out as we try and finalize the US team.Here is a news release from the Virginia Association of Surveyors asking for volunteers for these roles. This has more information on the competition and the surveying methods involved:.https://www.vasurveyors.org/news/418640/International-Surveying-Competition-November-12-17-2018-in-Northern-Virginia.htm
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Geospatial Data Act language passes
Posted October 08, 2018
More information on the Geospatial Data Act language that was passed through the FAA reauthorization bill can be found here as well:* https://www.nsgic.org/legislative-priorities#gda* https://www.nsgic.org/state-geospatial-policy-organization-lauds--geospatial-data-act--language-included-in-faa-reauthorization-bill
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GPS on Benchmarks Deadline Extension
Posted August 29, 2018
NGS has extended the date to Sept 21 for the GPS on Bm for the geoid model. NGS has added a dashboard with statistics about the GPS on BM information. It provides the number of stations identified, observed and percentage for both the A and B priority as well as the total %. We are making progress, but Colorado still has about 50% to go.https://geodesy.noaa.gov/GPSonBM/progress-update-table.shtml
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Classified Ads
| Title | Employer | Post Date |
|---|---|---|
| Affiliate Faculty (Category III) | Metro State Univ. | 10/08/18 |
| Contingent - Senior Survey Technician | City of Aurora | 09/07/18 |
| Crew Chief | Galloway | 09/07/18 |
| Designer | Tower Engineering Professionals | 09/07/18 |
| Field Land Surveyor | ESE Consultants | 10/10/18 |
| Land Surveyor - Denver International Airport | City and County of Denver | 09/07/18 |
| Party Chief - Survey | Denver Water | 08/29/18 |
| PLS Manager | Ascent Geomatics Solutions | 10/19/18 |
| Survey CAD Tech | Galloway | 09/07/18 |
| Survey CAD Technician, Civil Engineering | Ware Malcomb | 10/04/17 |
| Survey Crew Chief | MartinMartin | 11/01/17 |
| Survey Project Manager | Baseline Engineering | 09/27/18 |
| Survey Supervisor (Party Chief) OR Surveyor | Denver Water | 10/14/18 |
| Survey Technician | Denver Water | 10/01/18 |
| Surveyor | City of Aurora | 09/07/18 |
| The Survey Project Manager | Galloway | 09/07/18 |
PLSC Events
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07
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PLSC Refresher Course
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16
PLSC Refresher Course
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23
PLSC Refresher Course
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30
PLSC Refresher Course
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Other Industry Events
Jan
09
2019 PLSC Refresher Course
The Professional Land Surveyors of Colorado are offering a comprehensive Land Surveying Refresher Course...
May
06
Geospatial Summit
NGS is Modernizing the National Spatial Reference System (NSRS) In case you missed it: NGS...
Quick Links
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Certified Federal Surveyor
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When You Need a Land Survey
Member Spotlight
PLSC would like to introduce you to our members. If you would like to submit your photo and information for a future Spotlight, email the information to plsc@plsc.net.
Thomas Breitnauer is a Professional Land Surveyor for the Denver International Airport Survey Section. He has been involved in land surveying since 1985 and is experienced in all types of land surveying. Thomas is licensed in the States of Colorado (1994) and Arizona (2004). Since the introduction of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) to land surveying in the mid-1990’s, Thomas has learned how to set up control networks, process fast static sessions and establish strict quality-control procedures for verification of data content and position. This experience is now benefiting Denver International Airport with the establishment of their own Virtual Reference System (VRS) and seasonal monitoring of Primary Airport Control.
Thomas is trained in the following programs; National Geodetic Survey (NGS) OPUS Projects, Trimble Business Center and Autodesk Civil 3D. Thomas attended Colorado State University from 1978 to 1981 and the University of Idaho from 1981 to 1982.
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