County surveyor asks council to delay decision on $30,000 placeholder while soliciting contractor estimates

LaPorte County’s surveyor asked the council on July 14 for a budget placeholder to pay outside registered surveyors who must review and stamp accumulated survey records.

Staff told the council a statutory requirement requires certain records to be reviewed and signed by a registered surveyor and that the office does not currently have a full‑time registered surveyor willing to act in that capacity. The surveyor requested a $30,000 budget line as a contingency to hire outside experts on a job‑by‑job basis while the office clarifies workload and solicits contractor rates.

Council members pressed for historical data on how many record reviews have been sent in prior years and asked the surveyor to provide firm cost estimates and a list of potential contractors. Several members noted the county can solicit multiple bidders and need not rely on a single contractor; others recommended the surveyor provide a multi‑year projection of likely review costs.

After the exchange the council voted to table the placeholder request until staff return with the requested workload numbers and contractor quotes. Councilors emphasized they preferred precise estimates before earmarking sizable funds.