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Surveyors debate sample-plat guidance and notification rules as board prepares rule updates
Summary
Board members and a TAPS representative debated whether to retain, revise, or retire the website sample plat, how to handle GNSS/GPS reporting and whether surveyors of record should be notified when plats are deferred; staff will compile member edits for an August committee draft.
Board members spent a substantial portion of the May 21 meeting discussing the purpose and future of the example (sample) plat posted on the board website. The conversation balanced the utility of a visual example for inexperienced applicants against the risk that a static sample can lag behind rule changes and mislead applicants about compliance.
One board member asked whether the sample plat "actually do[es] what we mean for it to do" and whether it would be better to require applicants to demonstrate they read and interpret the standard of practice. Jay Kaufman, representing the Tennessee Association of Professional Surveyors, explained the sample plat's origin as a standardization tool to reduce wildly varied and confusing submissions and agreed the existing example should be updated to align with current standards.
Members discussed practical fixes: adding a clear purpose statement or disclaimer in the FAQ; creating multiple sample plats for different surveying scenarios (GNSS/VRS vs. monument-based surveys); and tightening rules so that applicants have fewer repeat submissions. The board also debated whether deferral notices should be addressed to the licensed surveyor in charge and raised concerns that opening formal complaints tied to deferrals could force recusal and erode reviewer expertise.
The board directed staff to collect suggested revisions from members and produce a consolidated draft for discussion at the August land-surveyor committee meeting as part of the broader consolidation rule package.
