Chapter Reports

Chapter 17 has a very good report this quarter. They seem very busy out in far West Texas. Chapter 10 will be hosting their annual joint seminar and golf tournament with the Llano Estacado Chapter of NMPS in Ruidoso, NM on August 12 and 13, 2005. Business continues to be strong all over our area. Looking forward to the upcoming strategic planning session.

Our Chapter has continued to meet on the first Thursday of each month (@ Golden Corral in Lufkin) since the board meeting in June . In June we had a business meeting discussing the actions and reports of the TSPS quarterly board meeting. In July we had a business meeting. Minutes from some of theses meeting are attached.

PERMIAN BASIN CHAPTER 10

I. On June 22^nd we held an executive committee meeting at Charla’s Mexican Restaurant in Midland, Texas. The main topics discussed were ethics and the 2006 Symposium.

II. On August 12 and 13^th we will be hosting our joint annual golf tournament and seminar in Ruidoso, NM with the Llano Estacado Chapter of NMPS. This year the golf tournament will take place on Friday, August 12^th, at Cree Meadows Golf Course. The seminar will be Saturday, August 13^th, at the Ruidoso Convention Center. The course will be “Integrating GPS & Terrestrial Survey Data” given by Mr. Earl F. Burkholder, PS, PE. This event promises to be a great time and chance to get out of the summer heat while enjoying the mountains of New Mexico.

III. We are currently working on the 2006 Spring Symposium. We are getting the classes together that we would like to have as well as working with TSPS and the hotel and convention center in order to help organize all the events.

Respectfully Submitted,

John F. Watson, RPLS

Chapter Representative – Chapter 10

Chapter Business Meeting held at Hungry Horse Restaurant. Speaker was Jimmy Flowers from the General Land Office. He informed the membership on the changes taking place at the land office pertaining there new location and the availability of the online record indexes.

This is our annual joint meeting with Chapter 13 and Chapter 22. The meeting was held at Retama Rack Track. Everyone in attendance was treated to a fajita buffet dinner and their fill of horse racing.

Meeting is scheduled for a date after the submittal of this report. Meeting will be report in next report.

June 2, 2005 - Meeting at Clark-Ramero Office. Discussed Fishing Tournament Committee activity.

July 7, 2005 – Meeting at Clark-Ramero Office. Discussed Chapter Trig-Star results, Discussed Chapter scholarship and August Chapter nominations.

We held our continuing education seminar, An Update on Digital Aspects of Surveying, at TAMU-CC in conjunction with the Surveying and Mapping Educators' Conference. There were 56 attendees from throughout south and central Texas. Their comments showed that they enjoyed the "mini workshop" format of the seminar.

Our July meeting was held at Joe's Crab Shack on the bayfront in Corpus Christi. We began the meeting by honoring our local TrigStar winners and their teacher, presenting them with certificates and checks. During the business portion of the meeting, we set up the processes for establishing a $1000 scholarship to be given to a graduating high school senior within our chapter who elects to attend TAMU-CC and major in Geographic Information Science. It was decided to send a $1000 donation to TSFI in the name of George Pyle, LSLS, a long-standing Chapter 12 member who passed away recently. Nominations were held for upcoming chapter elections. Suggestions for speakers at future meetings were discussed.

Following is a report of our chapter activities during the months of May thru June, 2005.

The May meeting was held Thursday, May 19, 2005, at China Star Restaurant in Austin with six (6) members of the Executive Committee present.

Paul announced that the Math 101 seminar for para-professionals was a great success. There were 31 students and their feedback concerning the class was very positive. The common thread in their feedback was that they would like to have opportunities like this one. Paul thanked all the volunteers that helped with the seminar.

Chris Solomon gave the financial report for the chapter concerning the seminar. The Chapter spent $301.82 for equipment and breakfast items. The Chapter collected $1,900.00 from seminar fees and a donation from Easy Drive.

Paul Easley introduced Melinda Luna, P.E. with LCRA’s River Management Hydrologic and Hydraulic group. Meeting was adjourned at 8:30 p.m.

The June meeting was a joint meeting with Alamo Chapter 11 and Chaparral Chapter 22, held on Friday, June 17, 2005, at Retama Park Race Track in Selma, Texas, with 41 members and guests present. No business was discussed.

The Executive Committee meeting was held Thursday, July 9, 2005, at Las Palomas with seven (7) members of the Executive Committee.

There was discussion concerning the dollar amount and type of Sponsorship the Chapter would be providing for the 2005 TSPS Annual Convention. The committee voted to sponsor the Friday night event for $3,500.00 and a Silver Cash Sponsor for $500.00.

The committee voted to make a $200.00 donation to TSFI at the August Board Meeting.

There was discussion concerning seminars and programs for the upcoming monthly membership meetings.

Joe Webber and Bill O’Hara suggested having an advanced surveying math class targeted at paraprofessionals sitting for the SIT exam. Mike Ritter has stated he can present this class in September. There was discussion concerning the marketing, location, content, class size limitations, class length, date and cost. A strong marketing campaign will need to be used to target the paraprofessionals in the industry.

A program of Board Rules Violations presented by Garey Gilley was discussed for the August meeting. Bill O’Hara will be contacting TBPLS and Garey Gilley concerning this idea.

The Chapter Picnic is set for July 21, 2005 from 5:00-8:00pm. The committee voted to make the Picnic free and ask for donations or sponsorships from vendors. Assignments were made to contact our local vendors. The committee voted to not provide alcoholic beverages at the picnic. Various Picnic activities were discussed. Meeting was adjourned at 1:00 p.m.

DIVISION: Society Affairs DIV #: 1 DIVISION OFFICER: Mickey Nowell
COMMITTEE: Chapter Activities CHAIRMAN REPORTING: Isaac Camacho

The Chapter held a joint meeting with TSPE on May 26, 2005. The meeting was held at 6:15 PM at the El Convento Restaurant. Mr. Jose Granillo, of El Paso Water Utilities, delivered a presentation on the GIS that is being set up by EPWU, the City of El Paso, and the County of El Paso. Twenty-four TSPS and TSPE members attended.

The Chapter did not have a meeting in June. However, on June 20, 2005 two members from the Chapter met with two members of the Southern Rio Grande Chapter at the offices of Huitt-Zollars. The committee discussed the status of the New Mexico State Line recovery project. The committee decided that the next step in the project was to tie the monuments that had already been occupied with GPS to some good horizontal control monuments. The committee selected two HARN stations and two other NGS horizontal control monuments as the control monuments. Also, data from the CORS station at UTEP will be used for control. On June 25, 2005, eight members from both chapters went to the field and occupied the control monuments and three of the found state line monuments. Professor Burkholder, of NMSU, agreed to process the data.

The Chapter met on Thursday, July 14, 2005 at 11:30 AM at Rancher’s Grill Restaurant for a lunch meeting. We had 8 members in attendance. The members made final preparations for the Chapter’s twenty-fifth birthday party. The location, time and date for the birthday party were finalized. The members agreed to send invitations to special guests and to members of the Southern Rio Grande Chapter to attend the Chapter’s birthday celebration. The members also voted to donate $500.00 to the Texas Society of Professional Surveyors Auxiliary to help sponsor their events at this year’s convention in October. Mr. Ira Hardin informed the Chapter of a notice from Berntsen, the monument manufacturing company. Berntsen is preparing a book on historic monuments. The company is requesting information from surveyors on historic monuments in their area. The members agreed that Gannett’s monument and Clark’s No. 1 monument, both on the Texas-New Mexico State Line, are two of the more historic monuments in our area. Hopefully, Berntsen would include the monuments in the upcoming book. Mr. Hardin agreed to take pictures of the two monuments and prepare a brief history of each monument. That information can then be sent to Berntsen as joint effort of the Paso Del Norte Chapter and the Southern Rio Grande Chapter.

The next chapter meeting was scheduled for August 18, 2005. The Chapter will extend an invitation to Mr. George Rivera of the El Paso County Road and Bridge Department to discuss the county’s subdivision regulations with the chapter members.

DIVISION: Society Affairs DIV #: 1 DIVISION OFFICER: Mickey Nowell
COMMITTEE: Chapter Activities CHAIRMAN REPORTING: Toby Coomer

Guest speaker: Representative Scott Campbell’s Chief of Staff Denise Bloomquist

Notes: Two items that apply to surveying discussed were the passing of a law that the survey regulating body can not change the license fee amount for 65 and older. The license fee will not be as much as a new licensee’s. H.B. 207

Additionally a law passed that protected engineers but left surveyors out. If someone wants to sue you for a job, they have to find someone in the same field in Texas that is willing to come into court on behalf of the plaintiff to state that the surveyor did the job incorrectly. The plaintiff’s surveyor must be licensened in Texas. Effective September 1, 2005 surveyors are included in this law. H.B. no 854 Madden

Possibility still exists of being regulated under the G.L.O. Consolidation is effectively dead for now concerning engineers and surveyors being merged together due to Sunset. This issue could arise again in two years.

Possibility of individual letters (NOT A FORM LETTER) to local representative’s being a big help in influencing the way they vote on issues. Maybe one letter signed and approved by all surveyors in a region. This could provide extra support to help make what Mark Hanna does easier when he is convincing representatives of a specific issue. This note based on discussions with Guest Speaker.

There was a Bill passed to get a map of all Texas water lines for homeland security.

Discussed website for Chapter 18, free or low-cost methods and other chapters that have offered their template free of charge.

DIVISION: Society Affairs DIV #: 1 DIVISION OFFICER: Mickey Nowell
COMMITTEE: Chapter Activities CHAIRMAN REPORTING: Curtis Strong

We had a meeting May 17^th at C & J’s BBQ. We had several first time surveyors join us at the meeting. Our main speaker was Jocko Reddick of Cornerstone Measurement Solutions out of Houston. He discussed their merger with BOWTEX and also talked a little about their Long Range RTK Network that is established in the Houston area. I was the speaker at the Texas Society of Professional Engineers monthly meeting on May 19th. My topic was on the different types of coordinate systems and how they are used. Several surveyors were in the audience and the engineers seemed to welcome the topic. A lot of comments were made by engineers that the topic was very informative.

All the surveyors in our area appear to be very busy, but hopefully we can get a meeting within the next month.

I welcome any of our members to attend the TSPS Statewide Strategic Planning in August.

DIVISION: Society Affairs DIV #: 1 DIVISION OFFICER: Mickey Nowell
COMMITTEE: Chapter Activities CHAIRMAN REPORTING: Elbert Nance

Chapter 23 met July 11, 2005 for dinner and a program submitted by Patti Williams. Patti, a surveyor and Tyler Junior College instructor presented the program on the Texas State Subdivision Law. She included particular detail as to how the Cherokee County Attorney is trying to enforce the law. The presentation was very interesting and informative.

Member Dan Hampton reported on the Ray Wisdom Auction held June 4^th in Austin. He reported that the Chapter 23 total contributions amounted to $4,800.

John McNutt reported the results of the Seminar held June 11^th directed by Ben Thomson, Chief Surveyor of the General Land Office. The Seminar was a success.

The Chapter voted to present a gift of $2,500 to TSFI and $2,500 to SEFT. On the evening of June 8^th, members of Chapter 23 prepared fish for about 30 persons at Tyler Junior College Campus. This number included 17 recent high school graduates or students attending the Surveying camp sponsored by Tyler Junior College and SEFT. The evening ended with Johnny Ingram being recognized and presented a plaque for service to the Tyler Junior College Surveying & Mapping program. Johnny serves as Chapter 23 representative to the Advisory Committees of TJC,UTT. Ingram also is a founding member and officer of SEFT.