To: Sonoma County Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Permit and Resource Management Department
Staff Name and Phone Number: Alex Rosas 707-565-3507
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Appointment of Interim County Surveyor
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Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Adopt a resolution appointing Gary O’Connor as interim County Surveyor effective December 15, 2021.
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Executive Summary:
The recommended resolution will approve the appointment of an interim County Surveyor until such time as a permanent candidate has been selected.
Discussion:
The office of County Surveyor resides within the Permit & Resource Management Department (Permit Sonoma). There is one Surveyor within the Department who supervises one Engineer, one Engineering Technician III, and one Engineering Technician I. Together the Survey and Land Development section and the office of the County Surveyor provide the threshold requirements of all land development within the County. Government Code section 24000 determines the need for County Officers which includes a County Surveyor. Upon creation of the department in 1994, the Board of Supervisors Resolution 94-782 moved the office of the County Surveyor to reside within Permit Sonoma. Government Code section 27550 et seq. and Sonoma County Code sections 2-24 and 2-25 provide for the appointment of County Surveyor by the Board of Supervisors.
According to the County’s job description, the position of Land Surveyor “must be licensed by the State of California and function as a full working level Land Surveyor. Land Surveyors perform office and field duties requiring a thorough knowledge of mapping and survey standards and survey principles, field measurements, boundary law, construction surveys, the Land Surveyor’s Act and the Subdivision Map Act where various kinds of maps and surveys are employed. Incumbents are required to supervise lower level staff, meet the public, and to make independent land-related decisions”.
The County’s most recent County Surveyor, Leonard “Gabe” Gabrielson, retired on November 29, 2021 leaving the position vacant. Permit Sonoma is currently undergoing recruitment efforts to permanently fill this vacancy. Until then, Permit Sonoma needs an interim County Surveyor to comply with state law. Without a County Surveyor, land development services such as subdivision maps, lot line adjustments, records of survey, and other county survey services cannot continue.
Gary O’Connor is licensed by the State of California as a Land Surveyor and has been working for Permit Sonoma as an extra-help retiree with the Survey and Land Development Section. Mr. O’Connor previously held the position of County Surveyor from 2001 until his retirement in 2011, still has the qualifications required by law, and is now being considered by the Board for appointment to interim County Surveyor.
Strategic Plan:
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Prior Board Actions:
03/17/2015: Appointment of Leonard Gabrielson as County Surveyor
11/06/2001: Appointment of Gary O’Connor as County Surveyor
05/24/1994: Appointment of Edward Scott as County Surveyor
Fiscal Summary
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
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Attachments:
Att 1: Board of Supervisors Resolution
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
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