he Saline County Commission has approved an on-call professional survey services agreement with Schwab Eaton to address the ongoing vacancy in the county surveyor position.
During Tuesday's meeting, County Engineer Justin Mader informed commissioners that despite continuous advertising since April and direct outreach to qualified individuals, the county has received no viable applicants for the county surveyor position.
"The road and bridge department has experienced a significant staffing gap with the recent resignation of the assistant county engineer and county surveyor," Mader explained.
The position became vacant around late May when the previous surveyor, left to work for Linn County. The role is critical for county operations as Kansas law requires a county surveyor to be a licensed professional land surveyor in the state of Kansas.
Mader noted that statutory and operational responsibilities of the position include conducting boundary, topographic, and section corner surveys, preparing legal descriptions for right-of-way acquisition, reviewing plats for compliance with state law, and maintaining the county's section corner monumentation system.
"Without these functions, Saline County cannot legally or efficiently complete infrastructure projects," Mader said.
After issuing a formal request for proposal in June, the county received two responses. A committee evaluated the proposals and selected Schwab Eaton, which offered lower hourly rates than the competing firm.
Under the agreement, Schwab Eaton will locate, reestablish, and set public land survey system monuments as needed, collaborate with county staff on required background research, prepare legal descriptions for right-of-way acquisition, and review subdivision and survey plats for compliance with Kansas statutes.
Mader indicated that the agreement is structured on an hourly basis and most costs will be charged to active road and bridge project funds. He estimated there is approximately $72,000 in unused salary from the vacant position that can help offset some costs.
When asked about the difficulty in filling the position, Mader explained there is a significant shortage of licensed surveyors.
"There is just a huge shortage of licensed surveyors. It's a huge problem," Mader told commissioners. "They're just not out there. People aren't becoming licensed. It takes eight years to be licensed."
He added that Saline County is not alone in this challenge, noting that McPherson County has had a similar position open for over two years, while Butler County has had a vacancy for more than a year.
The approved agreement is for one year with a clause allowing extension if needed. If the county successfully hires a surveyor during this period, the on-call services can be discontinued.
The commission unanimously approved the agreement.
