California Surveyors Forums

Just wanted to bring this post on POB Forum to everyone's attention:

http://www.i-boards.com/bnp/pob/message ... se#1423662

May be a very good opportunity for positive PR in that area for Land Surveyors. Maybe the San Diego Chapter can attend the upcoming meeting and help to mediate the negative view of the "survey crews".

Ric

Is it possible that the landower got the information wrong, or were mislead, and these were not land surveyors?

That whole Southwest Powerlink project has been very contentious from the start. One option was to run this big electrical transmission line thru Anza-Borrego state park and the public was not too happy about that. I have seen articles on this even in the Northern California papers. It is increasingly difficult to sell the public on huge electrical transmission projects, even if they link to environmentally green solar generation plants in the desert areas.

This is not the first time Surveys for this project have made the news. My recollection on a previous story was that a Survey crew, including a Party Chief I know, was threatened at gunpoint and had to have the Sheriff accompany them to complete the survey. Knowing the Surveyor, I do not believe that he would be abusive or threatening in any way. But some of these backcountry landowners are very aggressive about defending their property.

San Diego Gas & Electric laid off all but about three surveyors a decade ago and contract with two firms, Nolte and Project Design Consultants for their surveys now. The Three Surveyors are contract managers and many of the former SDG&E surveyors work for the two firms now.

From the video, it sounds like a special real estate agent was the one handling the contact with the property owner and not the surveyor directly.

Now it makes sense. That didn't seem like the kind of conduct that a land surveyor would engage in.

"these "survey crews" are sometimes archaeologists, geologists, biologists, etc. "

That's a problem. If SDGE is using the ROE laws for these other workers, regardless of whether they have a legitimate purpose for being on the property, they are abusing the laws written specifically for Land Surveyors.

I suspect that there is much more to the story that we haven't gotten yet, partially because it wouldn't have added to the flames of sensationalism for a compelling newsertainment story.

Anyway, CLSA Ex Comm and the state-level PPC are looking at this to decide if and how CLSA should address this.

I encourage all to give CLSA an opportunity to address this issue before contacting Mr. Turko directly. If he were to receive a bunch of emails from surveyors, a few of them indignant at his portrayal of the situation, it could be portrayed in a follow up story in a rather unflattering manner for the profession. He already alludes to a follow up (future report) in which he may include someone from "the trade" (ouch!).

Not saying that's what you did Greg. I'm sure that you addressed the issue professionally.

Let's let CLSA get out ahead of this for us, and if there is a follow up, hopefully the surveyor or surveyors included in the report will be CLSA officers.


Edit: Mr. Turko is correct on these points: The ROE protects Professional Land Surveyors and not the other professionals he lists. It is not appropriate for anyone, properly covered by the ROE or not, to threaten a property owner or resident with arrest, fine (where did that $500 figure come from?), or any other consequence for refusing access. Let law enforcement explain potential consequences if necessary.
and
The ROE only provides for immunity from trespass. It does not give license to damage property.

I checked out that link and had a hard time accepting the style of reporting as serious news. Seemed like sensationalism, kind of in the National Inquirer style. I say let it die, otherwise you just give it life.

Just for a moment, we stop bashing our fellow professional land surveyors, (yes, I started that way also) and ask the question: "What did it say on the business card shown in the story?"

"Special Agent" from the "Security Services Division"

What if they were not Land Surveyors at all, but some other group using their knowledge of Right of Entry law to bully their way onto property? If they were identifying themselves as land surveyors, I think a BPELS complaint is in order...

Think about it... What other group would conduct a preliminary "survey" for a power line???

The CA CHP uses "SURVEY PARTY" signs to conduct random inspections of vehicles on the road. Its very deceiving and the cops are in coveralls not uniforms - very hard to tell who they are until very close.


On a similar note SCE is damned no matter what they try. Ladera Ranch, which did not exist 20 years ago fought off a "high demand power facility" in their community. It would only operate when power demand was high. One resident told them they should build it in the desert. I wonder how he would feel about overhead power lines nearby. I guess he thinks the power can be magically sent from Amboy to Orange County.

This one seemed to die off after the initial flurry of harumphs... And I didn't get a harumph out of a few of you!

I bet if this was run through the SAN CLSA PPC the results would be that the "survey" party was a geotech "survey party", and the special agent was SEMPRA's heavy handed security agent... Any takers on this bet? Say $100?