The WSLS Ad-Hoc Committee decided to extend the deadline for submitting your proposal until Friday, March 4, 2022

If you have not heard, FRT, LLC submitted notice of termination of contract at the January Board Meeting.  The contact between FRT, LLC and WSLS provides for a six month notice of termination.  The WSLS formed an Ad-Hoc Committee to seek a replacement.  The Committee discussed issues around the position and prepared the request for proposal from anyone interested.  All interested parties will be evaluated by the Committee. 

Association Management Proposal

Section 1. Background

The Wisconsin Society of Land Surveyors is a professional association of over 1000 members, of which approximately 800 are Regular Members who are licensed to practice land surveying in Wisconsin. The other categories of membership are Fellow, Life, Associate, Affiliate, Student and Sustaining. Organized in 1952, its purposes are to promote and maintain the highest standards of professional ethics and practices, to promote professional uniformity, and to promote public faith and dependence in licensed surveyors and their work.

The Society is governed by a 17-person board of directors, consisting of one representative from each of nine chapters, Young Surveyors Network President, NSPS Director, two at-large directors, an immediate past-president, a president, a president-elect, and a treasurer. Its executive director attends all board meetings and keeps the minutes but is not a voting member of the board. The chapters represent nine loosely defined geographical areas of the state, with some overlap in the more heavily populated areas. There is no formal, legal connection between the Society and its chapters. They each have their own separate by-laws, and financial responsibilities, but all have an affiliation agreement with WSLS.

Section 2. Purpose for this Request

Frank Thousand, having served as the Society’s Executive Director for the past 12+ years, Frank has advised the board that it is time to retire. Frank is willing and able to continue in this capacity until June of 2022. While the Society board would be pleased to have a licensed surveyor handle this position, it recognizes that such an arrangement may be difficult to accomplish. The board is therefore also seeking indications of interest from professional association management firms.

Section 3. General Interests and Activities  

Our Society’s main activities relate to legislative issues, continuing education, public relations and ethics and standards. We have a Government Affairs committee which works closely with our lobbyist who is on a retainer. The main event of each year is the annual three-day Institute, administered jointly by our Annual Institute Planning Committee and the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. In addition to the Institute, we arrange and sponsor three or four seminars each year, possibly two during March-June, one in conjunction with our July-August summer meeting and one in October.

Section 4. Typical Duties of the Executive Director

1. Work with the President and the Board of Directors to coordinate, prepare, and attend all board meetings (Saturdays) (6 per year), takes minutes and distributes within one week following such meetings.
2. Attends all membership meetings (two per year), takes minutes and distributes the same to board members within one week following such meetings.
3. Coordinate, prepare, and attend NSPS meetings (2 per year), Presidents Council Meeting (1 per year) or any other meeting as directed by the board.
4. In December each year, prepares and sends out the official notice of the Annual Meeting for the coming year.
5. Maintains a complete and up-to-date roster of Society members, keeping an accurate account of dues received, and follow up with members who have not paid their dues via the website.  The Executive Director will update the membership status on the website as Members pay their annual dues.

• 6.       Utilizing a Check Writing Request Form and working closely under the supervision of the elected treasurer, ensures that all bills are paid in a timely manner.

1. Annually, and prior to the required deadlines, prepares and distributes IRS 1096, 1099, and 1099 NEC reports.
2. Pay State sales tax.
3. Annually, and prior to the required May 15 deadline, prepares the necessary data and documentation needed by the Society’s accounting firm for preparing the required IRS and State of Wisconsin reports.
4. Annually, between January 1 and the Annual Institute delivers to the Society’s Auditing Committee all financial records from the prior year for its review and approval.

• 11.  Annually, present a preliminary budget at the October Board meeting for review by the Board and Committee Chairs about their budget requests for the next year.
• 12.  Prepares for distribution at all board meetings, a listing of all checks written since the prior board meeting, including the amount, date, recipient, and purpose for each.
• 13.  Prepares and posts an Annual Directory of members via the website.
• 14.  Provides the necessary office space and furniture/equipment needed to run an efficient office operation.
• 15.  Maintain all Society business records required by Federal and State Law in accordance with the WSLS document retention and destruction policy. Provides storage space for all the Society’s archives, records, and merchandise.
• 16.  Maintains and provides backup storage of all Society electronic files.
• 17.  Maintains the Society’s web site and updates content regularly.
• 18.  Assists the committees and chapters when requested.  For example, mailing and distributing info, and attending their meetings if requested.
• 19.  Receives and responds to telephone and email requests from members and the public.
• 20.  As an Affiliate of the National Society of Professional Surveyors, cooperates fully in responding to and supporting their requests and activities.
• 21.  Assists the Maps and Plats Contest Committee in processing the entries for judging and displaying during the Annual Institute.
• 22.  Hosts the Society’s information booth at the Annual Institute, and at the conventions of the Wisconsin Land Information Association, the Wisconsin Counties Association, and any other conventions as recommended by the Board.
• 23.  Editing and publishing of the quarterly issues of Wisconsin Professional Surveyor.
• 24.  Arranges for the placement of ads in Wisconsin Professional Surveyor and the timely billing and collection of ad charges.
• 25.  Maintains records of Professional Development Hours (PDHs) earned during the Annual Institute for each member if requested.
• 26.  Performs any additional duties as may be requested by the board of directors.

Section 5. Reference materials

As an aid in learning more about the Society’s operations, the following reference materials will be made digitally available upon request:

1. A copy of the Society’s financial status as of the most recent fiscal year.
2. A copy of a recent issue of Wisconsin Professional Surveyor.

Section 6. Statement of Qualifications

In your statement, we would like to know what you have to offer regarding the following:

1. Organizational qualifications: knowledge and background, if any, of the surveying profession; size, experience, and special expertise of staff; location and size of base of operations, onsite copying, and computer capabilities; type of organizational structure (partnership, single proprietorship, LLC, corporation); previous experience and references; and educational/academic credentials of personnel.
2. Transition: Your ability, flexibility, and willingness to participate in a transitional period during the first few months.
3. How do you propose to edit and produce the quarterly issues of Wisconsin Professional Surveyor?

• 4.      How do you propose handling daily calls and or emails, to include calls from the public with questions about survey matters; or about a dispute or conflict with a surveyor?
• 5.      The Society is aware that among the parties being solicited for this request are licensed land surveyors without any experience in managing an association, and professional management companies without any knowledge of what surveyors do. In recognition of this situation, we would not rule out any proposal or suggestions in which a management company would take on a licensed           surveyor to handle various aspects of the operation, or a proposal from a land surveyor who would employ a management company to assist in their areas of expertise. In any case, all services are expected to be performed by the corporate entity hired, and not as paid employees of the Society.
• 6.      We further invite you to propose any combination of services that you believe could work for you: for example, the digital distribution of publications; or retaining an individual to answer technical questions and survey problems from the public.
• 7.      Based on the information provided in this RFP, provide a description of how you envision your role in assisting WSLS and the WSLS Board in meeting the goals of the Society. Also include how you foresee you being able to assist with future planning and goals for the Society.

Section 7. Basis for costs

Since this request is just the first step in the selection process and is open to suggested alternatives in accomplishing the many tasks at hand, we do not expect anyone to be able to quote us a specific annual fee for services. It would be helpful and appreciated, however, if your statement would provide a general range of your fee charge for various activities, or what you currently charge others for similar services.

Section 8. Response and follow-up

We are asking for your response by March 1^st, 2022. We also ask that your proposal be digital so that it may be distributed amongst our committee and board members. All proposals will be reviewed by our Ad-Hock Committee, who in turn will make its recommendations to the Society board prior to its March 12th meeting. It is anticipated there will be follow-up interviews with a handful of selected applicants. These interviews will be completed in a panel format and can be in person or virtually based on the circumstances and at the discretion of the committee.

Please return to:   

Wisconsin Society of Land Surveyors     

Frank Thousand, Executive Director

5113 Spaanem Ave                                              

Madison, WI 53716                                             

fthousand@charter.net

Any questions, call Frank Thousand at (608) 770-9759 or email at fthousand@charter.net

WSLS Documents - Google Drive

There is a link to the NSPS Joint Committee on Government Affairs in the Library.  You will need to be logged in to access the link.  

The report contains all the items NSPS is working on on your behalf.  It is very interesting.  

WisDOT GPS on BM status Map.pdf

Seiler Customer Appreciation Days.pdf

Turning Point OpenHouse ChapterMeet 2021.pdf

The Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA) and State Cartographer’s Office (SCO) are pleased to announce the release of the Version 7 (V7) Statewide Parcel Map Database, the newest iteration of Wisconsin’s statewide digital parcel map.       

	·	Wisconsin V7 Statewide Parcel Map Webpage – For statewide downloads (as file geodatabase), individual county downloads, schema documentation, and more
	·	Wisconsin Statewide Parcel App
	·	Wisconsin Statewide Parcel Map REST Services
		THIS DATA IS PROVIDED FREE OF CHARGE, HOWEVER, IF YOU USE WISCONSIN’S PARCEL DATA, WE ASK THAT YOU LET US KNOW IN THE V7 FEEDBACK FORM

          Knowing why the data matters to your business needs is crucial for us to justify offering this service into the future.

After you have gotten a chance to take a look, thank you for letting us know how you use statewide parcel data!

Sincerely, 

Peter Herreid

Grant Administrator

Wisconsin Land Information Program 

        &

Mike Friis 

Program Manager 

Wisconsin Land Information Program   

Now for a number of years the two Chapters have held a joint meeting.  They usually try to find a location that was easy to get to by members of both Chapters.  This year the meeting was at Brigham County Park which is right next to Blue Mounds State Park but without the stickers.  President Harvey addressed the group.  The members were happy to be meeting in person in a great location.  The Southwest Chapter provided the shelter and Madison brought the food.  MASC President Bob O'Neill did the cooking.  Both Chapters had brief business meetings.  And mother nature provided the sunset.

I went looking and found the new version of A-E 7 is online.  Check out the Legislative page and look up Administrative Code or just click on the link   https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/folders/0ALAEUDLmaTZnUk9PVA