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County surveyor outlines corner-preservation work and proposes doubling recording fee to sustain program
Summary
Columbia County’s surveyor briefed commissioners on Public Land Survey System corner preservation, presented declining fund balances tied to fewer recorded documents, and proposed raising the per‑document fee from $10 to $20 following recent state changes that place fee-setting authority with county governing bodies.
Nathan Ward, Columbia County surveyor, told the board that preserving Public Land Survey System (PLSS) monuments—section and quarter corners used for legal land descriptions—is an ongoing statutory duty and that the county’s corner-preservation fund has seen declining revenue as recorded‑document counts have fallen.
“My name’s Nathan Ward, I’m the County surveyor,” Ward said as he opened a slideshow on the history and purpose of the preservation fund. He traced the statutory authorization for a dedicated fund to mid‑1980s state legislation and explained that county surveyors must establish, reestablish, and maintain public land corners and keep a separate record of corners and restoration work.
Ward showed a five‑year fund history that, he said, reflected a drop in recorded documents from about 14,000 to roughly 6,000 per year and a corresponding decline in revenue. The preservation fund has operated on a $10 per‑document fee since 1986; Ward said recent state action removed the “not to exceed $10” cap and placed fee-setting with county governing bodies (he referenced House Bill language in the packet).
To sustain restoration work and staffing, Ward proposed raising the per‑document fee to $20. He said the increase would primarily cover personnel costs (he estimated annual program costs near $103,000, with a large share for salaries) and allow hiring or retaining key technical staff who perform fieldwork and recordkeeping. Ward cited examples from other counties that raised fees and noted the county would need to repeal its 2006 ordinance and adopt new ordinance language before establishing a new fee by order.
Commissioners asked technical questions about whether the fee applied per document or per page; staff clarified the fee is per recorded document (not per page) and discussed ordinance language and the steps to schedule a hearing and adopt the change. Ward said he would prepare ordinance language and recommended scheduling a hearing for formal consideration.
Ward’s presentation emphasized the practical consequences of failing to maintain corners—boundary uncertainty, increased litigation and survey costs, and delays for developers and landowners—and asked the board to consider the fee change to stabilize the program.
