Role of the County Surveyor,
Land Records and Interface with
Zoning Department
Bryan Meyer – La Crosse
County Surveyor
WCCA Presentation March 30, 2012
Wisconsin County Surveyor’s Association
Name that National Monument
National Surveyor’s Monument
The Origin of the County Surveyor in
Wisconsin
One of the original elected County
officials.
Today each County may:
•Elect
•Appoint
•Leave Vacant
CURRENT
STATUS
• 32 FULL TIME
• 29 PART TIME
• 11 NONE
FIRST AND FOREMOST
THE primary focus
of the County
Surveyor is the
Re-establishment of
the Public Lands
Survey System
(PLSS)
The PLSS was championed by Thomas Jefferson
Corners established by the PLSS
Did you know?
PLSS HUMOR
Captured a specimen in Section 37 in a Township near Rhinelander
The original corners of the PLSS
Wood posts (most cases)
Bearing trees
The current status of Section and Quarter
corner remonumentation in La Crosse County
98% Complete
Nearly 30 years
Maintenance
The condition of the
corner monument
Check the condition
of the ties
La Crosse County Maintenance Goal
5%
The Second primary focus:
Survey
Records
Survey records in La Crosse County:
•Most were lost prior to 1973
•Building a nice collection
•Making them available via
the internet.
The third focus for a County Surveyor:
Certified Survey Map and Subdivision Plat Review
For Compliance With State Statute
and Administrative Code
• Chapter 236 governs the
division of land in Wisconsin
• Chapter 236.34 of the
Wisconsin Statutes governs
Certified Survey Maps
• Chapter AE 7 of the
Wisconsin Administrative
Code applies to all surveys
performed in the State of
Wisconsin (Minimum
Standards).
Review of Certified Survey
Maps and Subdivision Plats
• County Ordinance
• Township Ordinance
• Village Ordinance
• Extra-territorial
Work for other County
Departments
•Highway Department
•Land Conservation
Department
•Parks and Property
•Solid Waste
•District Attorney
•Corporation Counsel
•Land Information
•Real Property Lister
•Planning Department
•Zoning Department
County Surveyors answer
a LOT of questions!
•Attorneys
•Realtors
•Title Companies
•Local Units of Government
•Other County Agencies
•Land owners
•Assessors/Appraisers
•Foresters
•Zoning
Those questions relate to land surveying
and land ownership issues:
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Where is my property line?
What is adverse possession?
Isn’t the fence the property line?
Can I get coordinates for my property
corners?
Has my property been surveyed?
Do you need to go to school for this?
Can I get a copy of a map of my
property?
Can you take my picture?
Isn’t the power pole/utility box at the
corner?
What’s the difference between a CSM
and a Plat of survey?
The County Surveyor and Land Records
The County Surveyor and Land Records
Another vital aspect of the County Surveyor is to acquire accurate
coordinate values on the Section and Quarter corners for more
accurate GIS parcel mapping.
Interface with the Zoning Department
in·ter·face
/n. ˈɪntərˌfeɪs; v. ˈɪntərˌfeɪs, ˌɪntərˈfeɪs/ Show Spelled [n. in-ter-feys; v. in-ter-feys, inter-feys] Show IPA noun, verb, -faced, -fac·ing. Noun
1. a surface regarded as the common boundary of two bodies, spaces, or phases.
2. the facts, problems, considerations, theories, practices, etc., shared by two or more
disciplines, procedures, or fields of study: the interface between chemistry and
physics.
3. a common boundary or interconnection between systems, equipment, concepts, or
human beings.
4. communication or interaction: Interface between county departments has never
been better. In other words, teamwork.
5. a thing or circumstance that enables separate and sometimes incompatible
elements to coordinate effectively: The organization serves as an interface between
the state government and the public.
County Government requires
Teamwork:
Teamwork
Teamwork requires strong, consistent, reliable,
communication among related County Departments.
Teamwork means no turf wars
That means each
department does
their job, not the
job of another
department. We
all work together
to serve the
needs of the
taxpayer.
Attitude toward:
•Customers
•Co-workers
•Other units
of government
Teamwork means owning up to mistakes
When a Certified Survey Map (CSM) or Subdivision
comes in for review, it gets communicated to the
following:
The Zoning Department
The County Highway Department
(if it lies along a County Highway)
The Wisconsin Department of
Transportation
(if along a State or Federal Highway)
The Township, Village, or City in
which the CSM falls
Appropriate Cities
(if extra-territorial)
So two Amish gentlemen go to
the zoning office…
•Health Department
•Medical Examiner
•DNR
•Sherriff’s Department
•County Surveyor
•Corporation Counsel
•State DHS
Chapter 157
of the
Wisconsin
Statutes
EXAMPLE #2
The road got moved; but the title to the old road didn’t
Zoning Department
Land Information Department
Corporation Counsel
Highway Commissioner
County Surveyor
www.sco.wisc.edu/wcsa
Questions?
If you have survey or land ownership questions, please contact:
Bryan Meyer
400 4th Street North
La Crosse, Wisconsin 54601
608-785-9626
meyer.bryan@co.la-crosse.wi.us