Waseca County weighs GIS coordinator, PLSS pilot and whether to hire a county surveyor
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Summary
Staff described a state‑funded pilot to monument section corners (PLSS) funded at $300,000 and discussed whether to hire a county surveyor or continue contracting; commissioners endorsed using the pilot as a litmus test before committing to a full hire.
County staff updated the board on plans to bring a GIS coordinator into county service (department location under discussion) and on a state‑funded pilot project to test monumenting section corners in Milton Township. Staff said the state provided roughly $300,000 for the pilot; the work will be performed by a local surveying company and will inform cost estimates for broader county efforts.
Commissioners discussed options: continue contracting for individual surveys (public works currently spends $10–15k annually on surveying services), establish a county surveyor position (noting many counties employ full‑time surveyors or contract for the work), or invest in data‑gathering, GIS coordination and a rebate program that would help private owners record certificates and make the data public.
Staff recommended pausing a full county surveyor hire in 2025 until pilot outcomes are clear and suggested setting aside seed funds (~$66,218 currently available) to support monetization/data‑gathering and future efforts. Commissioners asked for watershed/aerial mapping and a plan to ensure discovered corners are recorded in the county recorder’s system and integrated into GIS.
Ending: Board consensus was to proceed with the PLSS pilot and defer hiring a county surveyor until the pilot yields clearer cost and workflow data.
