Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Surveying topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County designates Salina city surveyor as interim reviewer for subdivision plats within city limits
Summary
Saline County commissioners approved a temporary designation allowing Salina City surveyor John Harvey to review subdivision plats within Salina for up to three months while the county continues to recruit a permanent county surveyor.
The Saline County Board of Commissioners voted May 27 to designate John Harvey, Salina city surveyor, as an interim survey reviewer for subdivision plats within the city limits for a period not to exceed three months while the county continues its search for a permanent county surveyor.
County Engineer Justin Mader told the commission that Kansas statute KSA 58-2005 requires plat and survey review by the county surveyor or a designated reviewer and that the county has been advertising the county surveyor position without finding a qualified applicant. Wayne Scritchfield, the prior county surveyor, recently began work elsewhere, Mader said.
Mader said the city is willing to allow Harvey to serve as interim reviewer for subdivision plats within Salina; Harvey already reviews those plats as part of his city duties, and the only change would be the signature on the plat. Mader recommended appointing Harvey for three months; non-subdivision plats outside the city are rare and would be handled by an independent reviewer hired by the surveyor who prepared the survey.
Commissioners discussed whether contracting out review work or sharing services with neighboring jurisdictions could be alternatives, and commissioners asked about potential time and cost impacts. Mader said there would be no county cost for the interim city review; any costs for review of non-subdivision plats would be negotiated between the surveyor and reviewer and filed with the register of deeds.
The commission moved and seconded a motion to approve RFA 2025-74 (designation of interim survey reviewer) as presented; the motion carried.
Mader said staff will continue recruiting for a permanent county surveyor and recommended the county keep the position in-house because county survey work includes locating section corners and design duties that support road and right-of-way management.
The commission asked staff to return if the county still has not hired a surveyor after the three-month window.
