NSPS Meets with Chairman of House Small Business Committee

Last week, NSPS lobbyist John "JB" Byrd met with Representative Steve Chabot (R-OH). Representing Ohio's 1st Congressional District, Rep. Chabot serves as the Chairman of the House Committee on Small Business, and previously as Ranking Member from 2007-2008. Rep. Chabot will focus on addressing the ongoing reality of burdensome regulations impacting small business. 

ALTA/ACSM Question

Under No. 7 Certification (2011 standards) is a blue wet ink signature required? Is digital being accepted with recorded "Digital Certificate".  Also a seal appears to be required.  However, Minnesota, from what little I can find, appears vague on the seal requirement. Are any of these questions decided per state?  Thank you.

Answer:

Some states require a 'wet' signature; ALTA/ACSM does not. There is at least one state (NY) where the law says a survey is not valid unless there is an original signature (in some color of ink, as I recall). ALTA/ACSM do not require an original signature.

I was unaware that any state was vague on use of a seal, but ALTA/ACSM expects one. How it is applied is, again, a function of state law and/or surveyor preference.

The manner and nature of digital delivery is also controlled by state law and/or the individual surveyor's preference. All ALTA/ACSM is saying is that digital delivery of a Land Title Survey is fine with ALTA and NSPS. The same would go with a digital signature - whatever state law proscribes, and the surveyor is comfortable with. 

An International Federation of Surveyors (FIG) Kick-Off Event was held on January 24th in Athens, Greece

An International Federation of Surveyors (FIG) Kick-Off Event was held on January 24th in Athens, Greece hosted by the Technical Chamber of Greece, to mark and celebrate the beginning of the 2015-2018 FIG governance period.

The new FIG Council was introduced (President Chryssy Potsiou- Greece; Vice President Pengfei Cheng- China; Vice President Rudolf Staiger- Germany; Vice President Bruno Razza- Italy; Vice President Diane Dumashie- United Kingdom) along with the ten new FIG Commission Chairs.

Over 65 attended from 32 countries including three NSPS members: Robert Foster (past ACSM and FIG President), John Hohol (NSPS Head of Delegation to FIG and FIG Foundation President), Kenneth Swindaman (past LSAW President).

The program included presentations by speakers from the Greek hosts (Technical Chamber of Greece, National Technical University of Athens), FIG, United Nations Committee of Experts of Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM), United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UN-FAO), World Bank, Harvard Business School, Kadaster International and European Group of Surveyors (EGoS).  

NSPS meets with Congressman Steve Knight of California

NSPS lobbyist John "JB" Byrd recently met with freshmen Representative Steve Knight (R-CA). Representing California's 25th Congressional District, Rep. Knight serves on the House Armed Services Committee. Prior to winning his Congressional seat, he served in the California State Assembly from 2008-2012, and was most recently a State Senator. 

Changing urban and suburban demographics will change subdivision, housing demand

Families with school age children are leaving city cores and first ring suburbs in greater numbers, heading farther out to “exurbs” and rural areas, a new study finds. The trend could affect the projects of home builders and developers as housing demands and subdivision patters 

NSPS PAC thanks departing Congressman for Davis-Bacon oversight

NSPS PAC thanks departing Congressman for Davis-Bacon oversight

NSPS lobbyist John "JB" Byrd recently met with retiring Rep. Jack Kingston (R-GA) who served as Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, which has funding authority over the Department of Labor, including expenditure of funds for Davis-Bacon Act implementation. In an April 2014 hearing, Chairman Kingston questioned Labor Secretary Thomas Perez on the Act and survey crews.