[MISSOURI STATE LAND SURVEY AUTHORITY]
QUARTERLY REPORT
QUARTERLY REPORT
July 1 - September 30, 1971
[by Robert E. Myers, State Land Surveyor]
The following report is submitted showing the activities, financial conditions, personnel employment, and operation of the Land Survey Authority for the first quarter of the 1971-72 fiscal year.
The Survey Authority begun its operation in July 1, 1971 with the total yearly appropriation of $70,000 for Personal Services, $20,000 for Additions, $300 for Repair and Replacement, and $50,000 for Operations. The total of all money budgeted to the Authority was $140,300 and all came from General Revenue. The Land Survey Authority was asked to submit a quarterly request for each of the items in the budget excluding a 3% reserve fund from each item. Appropriation for the first quarter 1971 was requested at $16,975 for Personal Services, $6,414 for Additions, $78 for Repair and Replacement, and $12,125 for Operations. This made a total requested of $35,592.
The 1971-72 budget was reworked to reflect programs and positions for planned operation this year. This budget was resubmitted to the Budget Office and received their approval. Total expenditures for the first quarter are as follows: Salaries or Personal Services, $10,974.07. This left a balance in the Personal Services account of $6,000.93. From the Additions account, the total expenditure was $3,728.33, leaving a balance carried forward of $2,685.67. No funds were actually expended in the Repair and Replacement item so the $78 amount was carried forward into the next quarter. In the Operations account we have expended $3,033.00, leaving $9,122.00 to be carried forward into the second quarter for operations. The sum of all these items will show income of $35,592 and expenditures of $17,705.40.
Personnel employed by the Land Survey Authority at the beginning of the fiscal year included, Administrative Secretary, Chief Administrative Services, and the State Land Surveyor. Shortly after the first of the fiscal year a Draftsman II and a Clerk Typist II were employed. Both of these people are full time employees. No other personnel was hired during the quarter.
The operations of the Authority were numerous during the first quarter and dealt mainly with planning and organization for the coming year. The Land Survey Authority members met six times during this quarter to consider various proposals submitted by the State Land Surveyor for action and review. Five of these meetings were held in the Land Survey Authority Building in Rolla, Missouri; the sixth meeting, an executive session, was held in Jefferson City.
During this time Mr. Richard Barr was reappointed for a four year term as a member of the Survey Authority and Dr. William Hayes resigned from the position occupied by the State Geologist and this position was filled by Dr. Wallace Howe, the incoming State Geologist.
In addition to review of budget and operations, the State Survey Authority completed negotiations with the University of Missouri - Rolla for a contract setting out the conditions of occupancy of a portion of the Land Survey Authority Building.
The preliminary budget for 1972-73 fiscal year was prepared and approved by the Survey Authority and submitted to the Budget Office prior to October 1. This budget asks for a total appropriation of $258,792. Along with the budget request for Operations, Personal Services and Addition, a Capital Improvement request was also submitted to the Office of Planning and Construction. This request totaled $112,988. All together the budget preparation consumed 405 man-hours of work. This work included revision of the 1971-72 budget and preparation of the 1972-73 budget, along with program planning schedules for subsequent years.
Survey Authority personnel engaged in many general administrative pursuits including discussion with local county surveyors, local recorders, and other persons interested in the operation of the Survey Authority. Administrative services also included operation and maintenance of the Land Survey Authority building. Total number of hours expended in building and grounds administration were 189 man-hours. Included in this is supervision and renovation of the boiler, securing of building plans, and preparation of detailed drawings indicating necessary capital improvements and problem areas. These studies and drawings were prepared to illustrate specific needs at present and in the future.
Survey Authority personnel expended approximately 128 man-hours in preparation of reports and documents for Land Survey Authority meetings and in attendance of these meetings.
General program planning and studies for budget preparation and also to ascertain future direction of the Survey Authority accounted for approximately 205 man-hours during this quarter. The result of the planning studies is a chart, which is included, showing the general program structure of the Land Survey Authority and details five major programs -- administration and general support; Land Survey records repository program; land corner restoration program; State Coordinate System program; and State Land Survey manual of instruction program. In addition to the five major programs, there were also eight detailed sub-programs under these main programs. Each of these programs and sub-programs are broken down into detailed job elements and are given accounting job numbers for cost accounting procedure. These job classifications are also included as a part of this report.
Survey Authority personnel has instituted a study of the User Fee collected by the county recorders and returned to the State Treasurer's office. This study was undertaken to show distribution and quantity of money received from the User Fee, and was used in an attempt to project future User Fee returns.
Survey Authority personnel has also undertaken a study of the standard classification areas. This study uses three factors -- use of the User Fee as a measure of real estate activity; assessed valuation per square mile as a measure of value of land; and population per square mile as a measure of the size of real estate parcels. Three classifications of counties were established: the Urban County; the Resource Development County; and the Rural County.
During this quarter a survey was initiated to determine the volume and quality of records in various recorders offices. This survey was conducted by personal survey and interview with each of the recorders. It has been carried out by Authority personnel along with one person under contract. Forty five counties were completed in this survey. In addition, records from St. Louis and Kansas City were also evaluated, although not completely tabulated in the survey evaluation form. The tentative results of this survey indicate very clearly a pattern of non-uniformity in records, in recording methods, and in quality of material available to the surveyor.
The State Land Survey Authority repository was begun during this quarter and the first information received was the records of the late county surveyor of Johnson County, Missouri at Warrensburg. His records were donated to the repository by his daughter, Miss Sandra Johnson of Camdenton, Missouri. These records include survey notes and plats accumulated by Mr. Chris L. Johnson, Warrensburg, Missouri, during a long professional career.
Dr. C. V. Mann, Rolla, also contributed greatly to the Survey Authority repository. All of his notes, documents, and plats, along with various library items have been donated. This information is primarily in the Phelps County area of Missouri and very adequately represents the work of Dr. Mann and others that preceded him as county surveyor.
The Land Survey Authority received from the Secretary of State 424 rolls of microfilm which are the microfilm copies of all the original documents stored in the land vault in Jefferson City.
During this period the Survey Authority also acquired a complete set of quadrangle maps for the State of Missouri. In addition to the quadrangle maps, the Missouri Land Survey Authority repository has secured copies of the county highway road maps from every county in the State through cooperation of the Missouri Highway Department. These maps are indexed and on file in the repository for distribution and use by Authority personnel.
The Land Survey Repository has also secured copies of all control information from the National Geodetic Survey. This information includes both the control diagrams and descriptions of all the first and second order horizontal and vertical control in the National net within Missouri. The repository, at the end of the quarter consists of in excess of 250,000 documents. Included in this total are the township maps which we received from the Missouri Geological Survey, topographic quadrangle sheets, records of Mr. Chris L. Johnson, records of Dr. C. V. Mann, microfilm from the Secretary of State, traverse and level books for Missouri from the Missouri Geological Survey, and other various miscellaneous items.
The Land Survey Authority has discussed and reviewed a corner restoration problem in St. Louis County, Missouri, at the request of parties involved, namely Mrs. Robert Short and the deputy county surveyor, Mr. Glen Orr. A report of the State Surveyor's findings and recommendations were submitted to all parties involved.
In addition to the work completed during the quarter, many other tasks were started and are still in operation. These projects include preparation of Land Survey standards and control standards for adoption in the near future. The Survey Authority is also making a study of monumentation to ascertain the proper monumentation to be used by the Survey Authority and in its recommendation to private surveyors as well.
The Survey Authority has been active with the various agencies of the State Government that are considering a geocoding system for the State.
The State Land Surveyor has also participated with the Missouri Association of Registered Land Surveyors and the Missouri Clerks and Recorder's Association in establishing a legislative program for revision of Chapter 445, the Plat Act, and the revision of the Recording Act establishing the fees and size of plats to be recorded.
During the quarter Survey Authority personnel has attended various meetings and have given reports at these meetings. The following meetings were attended: Rolla Rotary Club, Rolla Optimist Club, the Recorder's Association meeting in Springfield, Missouri, the Missouri Association of Registered Land Surveyors meetings, and meetings of the Missouri Society of Professional Engineers.
In summary, the Land Survey Authority during the first quarter of 1971-72 has accomplished three main goals. First, preparation of a comprehensive operational diagram structure, along with the 1972-73 budget to implement this structure in its entirety; second, the continued research and establishment of a planned Survey Repository in Rolla with adequate storage facilities. Third, the development of a comprehensive set of standards and technical procedures for all surveys in the State of Missouri. All programs are continuing, and none have beeen taken to their ultimate conclusion.
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Transcribed by Steven E. Weible
