I don’t know about you, but I spend an awful lot of time trying to find information for our clients. Just in the last few weeks I’ve had to track down…

• The land development code for a city three hours away from my office.
• The wetlands and soils for a large acreage property.
• The public meeting dates for a city zoning board.
• The permit application for county we had not worked in before.

These four simple requests burned up SIX HOURS of my time. The truth is I hate doing this kind of research. It’s both BORING and TIME CONSUMING.

I’ve got two young daughters who think I’m the King and they’re my princesses…I’d rather be ruling my kingdom than doing the jester’s task…research.

And I know I’m not the only one in this business that feels that way. So last month we decided to do something about it.

We put all of the information that we go looking for (and you probably do too) into one easy to access place. In fact, we decided to do it for all of Florida. AND, we decided to put it on the web for you to use.

The Land Development Resource Center is Born!

On our website you can now find…

Links to city and county land development agencies.

Land development regulations.

Permit and development applications.

Local council and board meeting schedules.

Articles on land development topics.

Free reports to help you understand more complex issues.

Maps showing aerials, wetlands, soils, flood zones and contours for every property in Florida.

Audio interviews with leaders in the industry.

Monthly webinars on important land development topics

And much more to come…

We began the Land Development Resource Center as a resource for ourselves; We hope that by sharing it with you, that you’ll save time and frustration…

…AND spend more time in your kingdom!

To use the Land Development Resource Center go to:

1globalmind.com/resource-center/

In the July 2008 issue of Sustainable Land Development Today is an article by Dan Beardslee titled How to Hire a Competent Surveyor. Dan makes a number of outstanding points that parallel our own white paper The Land Developer’s Guide to Working with Surveyors. Dan makes two great observations that those of us in the profession know well:

1. It’s not easy to tell the difference between a good and bad surveyor.
2. Good surveys and bad surveys often look the same.

Why is it so hard to judge the good from the bad? Simple, good quality is not about appearances it’s about the experience, knowledge and behavior of the surveyor you choose.

Dan’s article lays out five key points to consider in hiring a surveyor.

1. Is the Surveyor Licensed by the State?

All 50 states and several US Territories require individuals and companies that provide surveying services to be licensed by the state. State licensure typically requires three components

1. Education
2. Experience
3. Examination

Florida is on the leading edge of the current industry trend of requiring surveyors to hold at least a bachelor’s degree in surveying. However, only about 10 percent of the licensed surveyors in Florida have a degree or any formal surveying education (the other 80 percent have been “grandfathered” or allowed to continue their existing practice). College educated surveyors have a distinct advantage in today’s technology driven survey industry.

Dan’s article focuses on the qualifications of the licensed surveyor. While these are very important, surveyors have largely become managers of the survey team—field and office technicians who actually perform the work. For that reason it is vital that you look at the qualifications of the entire team. The National Society of Professional Surveyors certifies the competence of survey technicians through the “Certified Survey Technician” program. Find a firm that requires their staff to be certified.

2. Is the Surveyor a Member of the State Surveyor’s Association?

As a past-president of the Florida Surveying and Mapping Society, I’m a big believer in professional involvement. During the 12 years I served as a volunteer in the association it was clear that the men and women I served with were among the best in the industry. Look not just for membership, but active involvement as an indicator of professional expertise.

3. Does the Surveyor Appear Competent?

I know I said that it’s not about the appearances. It is impossible to differentiate based on appearance alone, but they can be an indicator of the professional’s own values and business expertise. Use appearance as one factor of many.

4. It’s Important that the Surveyor Operate a Strong Business

I couldn’t agree more. Many surveying firms are “one-man-shows.” While I have no objection to a professional who chooses to practice alone, I worry about the clients who are relying on him. I’ve seen real money lost by clients when sickness or even death prevent the surveyor from completing the work. I detail one such real-life story in my white paper.

5. Are the Services Expensive?

Dan’s final point is to look at the cost of the service. While you certainly want to get the best value for your dollar, Dan (and I) believe that the old rule “you get what you pay for” applies to surveying as it does to every thing else. You don’t need to hire the most expensive firm, but the cheapest one may not be right either. A secondary point here, is to ALWAYS use a written contract. Many surveyors do business on a handshake.

While I think a handshake is a great sign of trust, I also know that communication between people is hard. A contract is a simple way to lay out in plain language what the surveyor will do, what he won’t do, what you’ll do and how much it will cost. Getting written proposals from surveyors also gives you a chance to see exactly what each firm will do for you. It will help you compare real costs.

I’ve got a number of other recommendations in my white paper The Land Developer’s Guide to Working with Surveyors it’s available for free by clicking here.

I’d love to hear your successes and challenges in hiring and working with surveyors. Please leave a comment below.

GlobalMind was featured in the February edition of the Wakulla County Chamber of Commerce newsletter. Read it here.

I was an invited speaker at the Palm Beach County Legislative Forum hosted jointly by the American Planning Association-Florida, Florida Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, the Florida Engineering Society and the Florida Surveying and Mapping Society.

As the current chairman of the Legislative Committee for the Florida Surveying and Mapping Society, I had the opportunity to update the 300 attendees on FSMS’s legislative activities including:

• The privatization of the Florida Board of Professional Surveyors and Mappers.
• The expansion of the UF Geomatics program.
• The strengthening of the Consultants Competitive Negotiation Act (Ch. 287.055 F.S.).
• The danger of the Hometown Democracy ballot initiative.

It was fun and I got to connect with a lot of old friends.

The GlobalMind team donated surveying expertise to Habitat for Humanity.  We assisted with the site plans and construction staking of 5 homes in Kennedy Estates in Jupiter, Florida.

We had a great time and can’t wait to do it again!

Habitat for Humanity is a not for profit organization that has built over 225,000 houses around the world.  For more information please visit their website www.habitatforhumanity.com. 

Hurricane Noel battered beaches up and down the South East Florida Coast. We’ve mapped the long-term effects of erosion on Hutchinson Island (Martin County), Riviera Beach (Palm Beach County) and South Palm Beach (Palm Beach County). In each area buildings are threatened. In fact, the foundations are being undermined on Hutchinson Island and Riviera Beach.The images below show the devastation to the beach–wiping away recent beach re nourishment work.

Tropical Storm Noel passed along the South Florida Coast today, wreaking havoc on the already battered beaches. GlobalMind On-Site crews were on the scene surveying the damage with a precision 3-D laser scanner. At the same time our digital mapping group compiled historical aerial photographs dating back to 1957 to document the changes to the beach. The images shown here are the product of today’s work.

The first image shows the beach eroded under the Ocean’s Edge at Singer Island condominium in Riviera Beach. There is a shear 20 foot drop from the level of the building and the beach below. The ocean has begun taking sand from underneath the building.

The second image shows the beach as it was in 1957, 1979, 1995, 1999, 2005, June 2007 and today. The beach has lost 215 feet since 1957 and 65 feet since June. Much of those loses are a result of Tropical Storm Noel moving north, parallel to the Florida Coast.

Thanks to the South Florida Water Management District and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for providing historical aerial photographs.

Tim Whitaker has been invited to speak at the Leica HDS Worldwide User Conference. Mr. Whitaker will speak about the benefits of using the Leica Scan Station in Land Development Surveying. 

The Leica HDS Conference will be held in San Ramon, California on October 22-24, 2007.  For more information, please visit http://www.leica-geosystems.com/hds/en/lgs_6441.htm?id=4018. 

Introducing Tycoon, the free site that allows users to search for land based on criteria such as parcel size, wetlands, current or future land use and zoning.

In my previous post, So you want to develop land?, I introduced how GIS can help search for land. Since we are so crazy about GIS and the wonderful things it can do, we decided to create a website that helps developers and investors find land.

Tycoon is still in development, but will be available in October. To stay updated on the latest developments, sign-up at www.BeaTycoon.com.