Title
Surveyor recommending the Board:
1) Approve the Introduction (First Reading of Ordinance XXXX - Survey Monument Preservation Fund and Survey Monument Fee;
2) Amend County Ordinance Sections 120.28.30 - Form and Contents, 120.32.030 - Monument Placement, and 120.52.050 - Non-completion of Monument Placement, to include consistency across ordinances; and
3) Waive full reading of the ordinances, read by title only, and Continue this matter to XXX,XX, 2025 for Final Passage (Second Reading). (Cont. 8/12/25, Item 35)
FUNDING: Applicant Fees.
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DISCUSSION/BACKGROUND
The Surveyor is proposing to establish a Survey Monument Preservation Fund (Fund) to pay the necessary expenses incurred or authorized by the county surveyor in any retracement or reestablishment of survey monuments of major historical land division lines upon which later surveys are based, such as, but not limited to, government section lines, rancho lines, grant lines, rancho section lines, acreage subdivision lot lines, and subdivision boundary lines within the county.
Pursuant to Sections 27584 and 27585 of the California Government Code, for the limited purpose of financing the Fund, the Board may impose a fee not to exceed ten dollars ($10), which shall be charged and collected by the county recorder, over and above any other fees required by law, as a condition precedent to the filing or recording of any grant deed conveying real property.
California statute allows for local jurisdictions to establish monument preservation funds. Throughout the state, counties utilize this fund to ensure that survey monuments are preserved to aid and benefit the public. The El Dorado County Surveyor recommends establishing this fund within our county to assist in the preservation of boundary monuments.
Unfortunately, natural disasters occur in our county. These disasters create uncertainty, a financial burden, and emotional duress for our residents. For the County of El Dorado, wildfires have become a regular occurrence. These fires often take everything from the residents of our county. When they wish to rebuild, they must be able to determine and show where their property lines are located.
This ordinance will provide the County Surveyor with funding to execute post-disaster surveys to preserve boundary monuments prior to the clean-up process. Once the County Surveyor’s Office has executed the appropriate field surveys, a map will be made and recorded to show any existing boundary monuments. The public, and their privately contracted land surveyors, will be able to utilize our map to quickly re-establish their property corners faster and file the required documents at a discounted cost.
In addition to disaster recovery, this ordinance will establish a fund that can be utilized by the County Surveyor’s Office to aid in the cost recovery for staff time used for reviewing monument preservation efforts made by the private sector. Current state law requires that boundary monuments be protected. To abide by this, private sector land surveyors file Pre-Construction and Post-Construction Corner Records with the County Surveyor’s Office. The state-mandated fee for these records is $17 per record and does not adequately cover the cost of staff time. The staff time utilized to intake, review, and file these mandated records is currently absorbed by the general fund. Because these records are considered monument preservation, this new recommended fund may be used for this process.
Three additional County Ordinance Sections require amending to include consistent language across all ordinances about monuments.
Through the County budget development for FY 2025-26, and Board direction for cost recovery strategies, the Department has reviewed services provided, and the proposed fee will help meet the cost recovery goal.
ALTERNATIVES
The Board could choose not to approve the ordinance and fund; however, the ongoing cost of monument preservation is a General Fund cost to the County.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION
N/A
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
Recorder-Clerk, County Counsel, Auditor Controller
CAO RECOMMENDATION / COMMENTS
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS
There is no direct fiscal impact associated with the approval in concept to proceed in developing the ordinance. The proposed new fee will be applied to approximately 25% of all recorded deeds, with an expected annual revenue of between $20,000 and $25,000.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
N/A
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
N/A
CONTACT
Brian Frazier
Surveyor