The Johnson County Surveyor is a voting member of the Johnson County Plan Commission and a non-voting member of the Johnson County Drainage Board. The Surveyor also is a member of the Technical Review Committee, reviewing subdivisions plans, drainage plans, development plans and other matters that will come before the Plan Commission or the Drainage Board.
The Indiana Alcoholic Beverage Commission requires a state form to be signed by the Surveyor to verify the Business Location for ABC permits.
The Surveyor’s office maintains information such as bench marks, USGS Topo Maps, Flood Zone Maps, Survey Records, historical aerial photography and legal drain information such as legal descriptions and watershed maps. Bench mark information, legal drain information and section corner information is available on this web site.
The County Surveyor also maintains annexation descriptions for each city and town as they are filed with us.
The Surveyor maintains a Legal Survey Record Book for all “legal surveys” within the county. These surveys, prepared by a licensed surveyor, are used as one method to resolve a property dispute.
SECTION CORNER PERPETUATION
Every deed, parcel, and legal land document in the state of Indiana is tied into the original survey performed in the early years of settlement. Section corner stones were set to mark each square mile of the State. In order to prevent gaps and overlaps of land ownership it is of the utmost importance that these markers are maintained.
The Johnson County Surveyor is tasked with the job of finding section corner stones, (by digging in roadways, yards and fields) referencing them by measurements to nearby structures, (such as utility poles, fence post, and buildings) and marking the location of the section corner at the surface (of the ground, roadways, etc). The cost of maintaining the section corners is paid through the Section Corner Perpetuation Fund which consists of money collected by the County Recorder when deeds are recorded. The County Surveyor must maintain a corner record book showing original government section corners, and is required to establish, locate, and reference at least 5 % of the corners each year.
On any given day, the Johnson County Surveyor and staff may be in the field working on section corner perpetuation or on a county regulated drain. The Surveyor may be in the office discussing the next big development coming to our county, or having a public hearing for a drainage board concern. Or the Surveyor may be helping a constituent understand a land surveying description, or explaining technical specifications to a contractor on a construction project. In addition the surveyor may be certifying an alcoholic beverage permit, or meeting with state and federal agencies concerning permit conditions for a regulated drain project.
The Johnson County Surveyor is here to maintain the legal drain, perpetuate section corners, help properly manage and coordinate the growth of our county, all while being a good steward of our natural resources and tax dollars.
If you have any questions, please feel free to call or visit our office.
Section Corners & Benchmarks
A Section of Land Defined
History of the Surveyor
JOHNSON COUNTY DRAINAGE BOARD
Rick Chase : (Chairman)
Merrill Kelsay : (Vice-Chairman)
Robert Weaver : (Secretary)
Robert Etter : (Member)
Brian Baird : Commissioner
Roger Young : Board Attorney
Douglas Lechner : Johnson County Surveyor
Connie Reynolds : Records Keeper – Recording Secretary
The Johnson County Drainage Board performs three generalized functions.
The Board has jurisdiction over almost every aspect related to County Legal Drains. It reviews the surface water management and / or redirection for Minor, Commercial, and Major pre-developed construction projects located within the county outside of incorporated areas. The Board also hears petitions to remove an obstruction for any resident in Johnson County that has a blocked drainage way.