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County conceptually approves monument preservation fund and ordinance updates after Caldor fire work
Summary
The Board conceptually approved creating a monument preservation fund funded by up to a $10 per recorded document fee and directed ordinance changes to consolidate monument rules; staff cited Caldor fire costs and projected fee revenue.
The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors conceptually approved a proposed ordinance to establish a Monument Preservation Fund and an associated survey monument fee and directed staff to amend several county ordinance sections to consolidate monument standards.
Deputy Surveyor Justin Cisneros told the board the measure—authorized by state government code—would permit a maximum $10 fee per recorded document, with funds dedicated to preserving survey monuments. Cisneros described work the county did after the 2021 Caldor Fire, noting, "we spent approximately $60,000 and went in as an agency and said, here's all the monuments we can find. We produced a map" that residents may use to avoid costly resurveying.
Cisneros and County Surveyor Brian Frazier explained the fund would be restricted to monument preservation expenditures; the recorder's office provided historical recording volumes and staff estimates that, had the fee been in place, it would have generated about $23,430 in 2023 and $24,520 in 2024. "The funds will go directly into a specific account that can only be used for monument preservation," Cisneros said.
The board also approved conceptual amendments to county ordinance sections dealing with final maps, parcel maps and general survey requirements to relocate monument specifications into a single, clear ordinance section. Cisneros said the current rules "are not harmonious, and so it creates confusion" for surveyors and applicants; the proposed change would centralize monument requirements in one new section.
Board members discussed reimbursement possibilities from state or federal emergency funding streams and asked staff to check whether costs already incurred were claimed through Office of Emergency Services processes; one supervisor urged following up on reimbursement opportunities for work done after the Caldor Fire.
No public commenters spoke on the item. The board approved the conceptual ordinance and amendments by voice vote. Staff said a redline and full ordinance language would be returned to the board for formal adoption.
Key details in the presentation: the state code limits the monument fee to a $10 maximum per recorded document; the county’s Caldor‑fire monument effort cost roughly $60,000; recorder data estimate hypothetical revenue of approximately $23,430 (2023) and $24,520 (2024) if the fee had existed in those years.
Next steps: staff will return with redline ordinance language, the proposed fee schedule and implementation procedures, and will coordinate training with the recorder’s office on the fee’s proper collection and allowable uses.
