The Wisconsin Trig-Star for 2011 is Kyle Satterstorm of Sun Prairie High School sponsored by Dan Birrenkott. Kyle was the only student to achieve a perfect score this year. Kyle will now participate in the National Trig-Star competition with all of the State winners from across the Country for a chance at first place and a cash prize of $2,000. Our State winner will receive his State award and prize money at our 2013 Institute banquet in January. Second place went to Jet Vellinga of Dodgeville High School sponsored by Fred Bowden. Third place was awarded to Max Dahl of Superior High School sponsored by WSLS. For more details please see the report attached.

As your President, this spring, I travelled over 4400 miles to attend WSLS meetings, the annual conferences of two adjacent States, and meetings for eight out of our nine Chapters. What an experience it has been. I met many of our members for the first time and learned so much about what’s important to the Chapters. I wish to thank all the Chapters for making me feel so welcome.

I am pleased that At-Large Director, Kevin Slottke, has taken on the lead as Chairman of the Outreach Committee. The committee has prepared a draft plan which outlines our priorities for educating the public, marketing our profession, and collaborating with other professional organizations. I participated in a few public relation events recently, including the Milwaukee Chapter display in Menomonee Falls for National Surveyor Week, as well as, “A Day in the Life” program at the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay. I am asking all of the Chapters to be active in the outreach effort and to coordinate through the Outreach committee to share ideas and resources.

Many of the states affiliated with the National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS) are discussing and strongly considering a push to 100% membership in NSPS. NSPS has decided to reduce dues to any state that comes in at 100% of the voting membership to only $40 per year per member. The WSLS Board is interested in hearing from our members. Please take a look at their website at nspsmo.org to see all of that the national organization does for the surveying profession.

Especially if you have never attended the WSLS summer meeting in the past, please consider joining your fellow surveyor’s in La Crosse on August 10^th and 11^th. The Western Chapter has organized a great two day event with a number of social events planned for Friday including golf, a motorcycle ride and a boat ride, along with a banquet that evening. Saturday’s agenda includes two continuing education seminars and WSLS meetings.  

I suggest you routinely visit WSLS.org for the latest information on the on-going activities of our organization.

With the adjournment of the Senate on March 15, the 2011 Legislative session ended.  With the end of the session, SB 444 and AB 586 die and new drafts need to be created for the 2013 - 2014 legislative session.  What happened this session?   We got a late start with the introduction of the bills.   As all surveyors know, there is not a lot of understanding of what land surveyors do.  The Legislative Reference Bureau (LRB) had a number of questions which showed the lack of understanding about how surveyors work.  In this session the difficulties had more to do with the changes to the platting statutes instead of the redefinition areas.  While we would love to be able to write the language and just hand it over to the LRB, it doesn't work that way.  We need to provide a clear request for how we want to have the statutes changed and the LRB drafts the proper language to accomplish our request.  The bill was introduced into the Assembly by Representative Roger Rivard and in the Senate by Senator Dale Schultz.  There was a public hearing scheduled in the Senate but our bill was pulled from the agenda.  The Assembly version did receive a public hearing in the Committee on Housing on March 13, 2012.   Neither version of the bill was scheduled for floor action.  There were a couple of amendments proposed to deal with utilities and language concerning the OHWM.  Opposition came from the national photogrammetrists who want photogrammetrists licensed as land surveyors.  I would be happy to share the information with anyone who would like a copy.

I would like to thank Representative Roger Rivard and Senator Dale Schultz for introducing the legislation and supporting our efforts.  I would also like to thank the co-sponsors in both chambers. 

The Legislative Committee has not met since the end of the session but will meet to decide on a recommended course of action. 

At the Land Surveyors Section meeting on March 27, the committee chair brought up the subject of changes to A-E 10 to either extend the biennium or allow for carry over of PDHs.  No action was taken at the meeting.