Boundary Determination Officer Series

California State Personnel Board Specification

Series established December 18, 1974

Scope

This series specification describes the Boundary Determination classes within the State Lands Commission. These classes are used for positions which are assigned technical responsibilities to determine boundaries of State-owned sovereign lands, school lands, and swamp and overflow lands.

Definition of Series

This series is available for use only in the State Lands Commission. Incumbents prepare and read maps, perform all work as a survey party member, and may plan the work and direct a survey party or technical staff engaged in the determination and identification of the boundaries of State-owned lands; make technical studies and investigations pertaining to the economics, hydrologic aspects, oceanographic aspects, and surveying aspects of State-owned tide and submerged lands; write memoranda and prepare reports; and do other related work.

Entry Level

Entry into this series is typically through the class of Boundary Determination Technician. This class typically provides for recruitment at Range A and through on-the-job training and training courses in boundary determination, incumbents progress through Range B to the first working level,�Range C. Entry at the Assistant level is for candidates possessing a valid Land Surveyor In Training Certificate and either one year of experience combined with 12 units in surveying, or a baccalaureate degree in surveying or geomatics.

Factors Affecting Position Allocation

Factors affecting position allocation include the level and variety of work, independence of action, and degree of supervisory responsibility; nature of personal contacts, size of staff, and area of geographic concern.

Definition of Levels

Boundary Determination Technician

This is the training and first noncertified working level. Under the direction of professional level Boundary Determination Officers, to perform elementary and routine subprofessional boundary determination work in the State Lands Commission.

Assistant Boundary Determination Officer

This is the first certified working level of the series. Incumbents typically do field and office boundary determination work of average difficulty; and may act as lead over a group of subordinates.

Associate Boundary Determination Officer

This is the full journey-lead level. Incumbents in this class determine the methods of procedure, and personally perform the more difficult phases of the work; prepare maps and boundary descriptions; investigate tidal, lake, and river characteristics; negotiate boundary agreements with owners of lands adjacent to State-owned lands; consult with and advise the Attorney General's Office on matters concerning State interests in lands involved in litigation actions; and appear as expert witnesses in litigation involving State-owned lands.

Senior Boundary Determination Officer (Specialist)

This is the staff specialist/superjourney level of the series. This level is responsible for independently conducting extremely complex and sensitive project work typically involving actions or decisions on which very large areas of revenue-producing land (values in excess of tens of millions of dollars) could be lost or in which significant natural resources could be adversely affected. Incumbents serve as the technical advisors to management on boundary determination matters; appear as an expert witness in litigation involving State-owned lands; represent the State Lands Commission on technical matters as required; and may act as team leader or leadperson.

This class is distinguished from the Associate Boundary Determination Officer by the assignment of projects which are characterized by either extreme sensitivity (i.e., legislative interest, major litigation, or extensive media coverage); or by extreme complexity of the assigned work (i.e., severe disparity in ownership claims, complexity of ongoing monitoring of project implementation, difficulty of securing information, uniqueness of project objectives, or the number and complexity of skills required to perform assigned work).

Senior Boundary Determination Officer (Supervisory)

This is the first supervisory level. Incumbents in this class plan, organize, and direct the work of a technical staff engaged in determining the boundaries of State-owned lands; serve as the technical advisors to management on boundary determination matters; appear as an expert witness in litigation involving State-owned lands; and represent the State Lands Commission on technical matters as required.

Supervising Boundary Determination Officer

This is the first managerial level of the series. Incumbents in this class plan, organize, and direct the State Lands Commission's large and extensive statewide boundary determination program and provide expert advice to top management on the most critical and complex boundary determination matters.

Registration Requirement

Assistant Boundary Determination Officer

Possession of a valid certificate as a Land Surveyor In Training issued by the California State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers. (Applicants who do not possess the required certificate will be admitted into the examination, but must secure the certificate prior to appointment.)

Associate Boundary Determination Officer Level and Above

Possession of a valid California Land Surveyor's License. (A Certificate of Registration as a Civil Engineer issued by the California State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers prior to January 1, 1982, satisfies this requirement.) (Applicants who do not possess the required certificate will be admitted into the examination, but must secure the certificate prior to appointment.)

Minimum Qualifications

Boundary Determination Technician

Either I

Experience: One year of experience in surveying.

Or II

Education: Equivalent to successful completion of one year of college.

Assistant Boundary Determination Officer

Either I

Experience: One year of experience with the State Lands Commission performing duties comparable to that of a Boundary Determination Technician.

Or II

Experience: One year of subprofessional property and boundary surveying experience at a level equivalent to a Boundary Determination Technician. and

Education: The equivalent of 12 semester or 16 quarter college units in surveying. (One year of additional qualifying experience may be substituted for the required education.)

Or III

Education: Graduation from a four-year college degree program in surveying or geomatics.

Associate Boundary Determination Officer

Either I

Experience: Two years of experience with the State Lands Commission performing duties comparable to that of an Assistant Boundary Determination Officer.

Or II

Experience: Three years of surveying and boundary determination experience at a professional level (including at least one year of field work), two years of which shall have been in the performance of difficult boundary determination work comparable to the duties and responsibilities of an Assistant Boundary Determination Officer. and

Education: Equivalent to graduation from college with course work in surveying. (Additional qualifying experience may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis.)

Senior Boundary Determination Officer (Specialist)

Senior Boundary Determination Officer (Supervisory)

Either I

Experience: Two years of experience with the State Lands Commission performing duties comparable to that of an Associate Boundary Determination Officer.

Or II

Experience: Five years of surveying and boundary determination experience at a professional level, three years of which shall have been in the performance of difficult survey and boundary determination work with responsibilities comparable to the Associate Boundary Determination Officer level. and

Education: Equivalent to graduation from college with course work in surveying. (Additional qualifying experience may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis.)

Supervising Boundary Determination Officer

Either I

Experience: Two years of experience with the State Lands Commission performing duties comparable to that of a Senior Boundary Determination Officer (Specialist) or Senior Boundary Determination Officer (Supervisory).

Or II

Experience: Five years of surveying and boundary determination experience, three years of which shall have been in the performance of the most complex survey and boundary determinations work with responsibilities comparable in level to a Senior Boundary Determination Officer (Specialist) or Senior Boundary Determination Officer (Supervisory) within State service. and

Education: Equivalent to graduation from college with course work in surveying. (Additional qualifying experience may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis.)

Knowledge and Abilities

Boundary Determination Technician

Knowledge of: General research techniques and principles, map reading, California history, and California geography; elementary principles of algebra and trigonometry.

Ability to: Communicate effectively; do computing neatly and accurately; follow directions.

Assistant Boundary Determination Officer

Knowledge of: All of the above, and principles of boundary determination and surveying; common descriptions of real property; engineering mathematics; tidal characteristics, shore processes, including beach sedimentation; littoral drift; swamp and overflowed land boundary determinations; modern surveying equipment; the methods and terminology used in searching for land titles and factors involved in arriving at a vesting of ownership of property; laws pertaining to public and private ownership of real property.

Ability to: All of the above, and do mapping and computer-aided drafting; lead survey parties; analyze situations accurately and take effective action; prepare clear and concise reports.

Associate Boundary Determination Officer

Knowledge of: All of the above, and procedures and policies of the State Lands Commission.

Ability to: All of the above, and prepare and read maps; prepare complete and comprehensive reports including status of ownership of lands and make recommendations; negotiate boundary agreements; analyze situations accurately and take effective action.

Senior Boundary Determination Officer (Specialist)

Knowledge of: All of the above, and statute law and common law of the adjacent states of Arizona, Nevada, and Oregon; new techniques, methodologies, and developments which impact land surveying and boundary determination.

Ability to: All of the above, and integrate conflicting technical data and present conclusions and/or recommendations as an expert witness in litigation actions; conduct boundary studies under conditions in which little information is readily available, requiring a substantial degree of independent judgment and complex research in order to extract essential information.

Senior Boundary Determination Officer (Supervisory)

Knowledge of: All of the above, and principles of personnel management and supervision of the State Lands Commission; the Commission's Equal Employment Opportunity Program objectives; a manager's role in the Equal Employment Opportunity Program and the processes available to meet equal employment opportunity objectives.

Ability to: All of the above, and prepare and present technical articles to professional groups and organizations; effectively contribute to the Commission's equal employment opportunity objectives.

Supervising Boundary Determination Officer

Knowledge of: All of the above, and the most complex types of boundary problems and the litigation attendant thereon; Commissions' Equal Employment Opportunity Program objectives; a manager's role in the Equal Employment Opportunity Program and the processes available to meet equal employment opportunity objectives.

Ability to: All of the above, and plan, organize, and direct the work of the entire Boundary Determination Staff; effectively contribute to the Commission's equal employment opportunity objectives.

Special Personal Characteristics

All Levels:

Tact and neat personal appearance.

Class History

Alternate Range Criteria 102

Upon entry into the class, the person shall be appointed to the appropriate range in accordance with the following criteria. When the requirements for the particular criteria are met and upon recommendation of the appointing power, the employee may move to the higher range and shall receive a rate under the provisions of Section�599.676.

Range A. This range shall apply to incumbents who do not meet the requirements for Range B or Range C.

Range B. This range shall apply to: (1) persons who have satisfactorily completed the equivalent of one year of experience in the State Lands Commission performing the duties of a Boundary Determination Technician, Range A, and completion of a minimum of six college units in surveying; or (2) persons who have satisfactorily completed 12 college units in surveying; or (3) persons with two years of experience performing duties comparable to a Boundary Determination Technician, Range A, and completion of six college units in surveying; or (4) persons who have graduated from college with a four-year degree in Geomatic Engineering, Physical Science, Civil Engineering, Geography, Mathematics, Construction Engineering and Mathematics, or a closely related area.

Range C. This range shall apply to: (1) persons who have satisfactorily completed the equivalent of one year of experience at�Range B and a minimum of six college units in surveying; or (2)�persons who have completed one year of experience performing duties comparable to a Boundary Determination Technician, Range B, and 12 college units in surveying; or (3) persons who have graduated from college with a four-year degree in surveying or geomatics.

* NOTE: This was adopted as a State Personnel Board Staff Calendar Item.