Fulton County, Indiana

WELCOME! 

Elected County Surveyor (4yr term): Seth White, cell phone (574)-817-0511

1st Deputy Surveyor: Michael Niemeyer

2nd Deputy Surveyor: Lacey Holloway

A County Surveyor has a technical set of established skills specific to the job of drainage. It is never the responsibility of the County Surveyor to conduct private land surveys. 

RESPONSIBILITIES/DUTIES

Maintenance: The office is responsible for over 300 County Maintained regulated drains (Opens & Tiles). Maintenance collected on a said drain stays with that specific drain. The fund covers work performed to ensure the drain works at an optimal level. Work can include: repairs, slide-ins, dredging, debris removal, trapping, spraying & etc. NOTE: Maintenance will collect until the account balance is 4x the annual assessment. 

** Surveyor's office will not pay a contractor for maintenance on a maintained county ditch unless notified and given permission first from the Surveyor's office. 

Reconstruction: Landowners may petition to Reconstruct a drain or the Surveyor can make a recommendation. Per Indiana state code, a required 10% of the landowner's signatures within the watershed prior to submitting the petition back to the Surveyor. The process for Reconstruction is as follows: the office shoots the drain, draws & estimates a cost; the project is present to the Drainage Board & a Public Hearing is set; letters are sent containing vital information to all involved (no earlier than 30 days prior to Hearing); Public Notices are filed twice in the Rochester Sentinel legal section; the Hearing is held; and a Finding & Order is posted in the legal section of the Rochester Sentinel the following Wednesday (the public has 21 days to legally contest the findings). If legal action is taken by a landowner(s), the project stops until a court determination is stated. If no legal action is taken, the Surveyor will create project specifications and maps for bidding. 

Bidding: All tile reconstructions and spring spray packets always need bid. Maintenance projects over $5,000.00 require bidding. All projects at or above $75,000.00 require the contractor to submit the Indiana State Form #96 with the bid. All bids and associated paperwork need to be submitted in a sealed envelope on or before the stated date and time in the bid packet. The bids will be date stamped when received. Bids received after the date will not be considered. If any opened bids contain incomplete paperwork, the bid will be removed from consideration.  

Ex Officio Member/Technical Adviser: The Surveyor is a non-voting member of the Drainage Board. He/she is responsible for presenting all information to the Board & making recommendations. The Surveyor also sits on the Zoning Board as one of the 13 voting members.  

County Road Culverts: The County Highway Department is responsible for replacing and setting County road culverts. The Surveyor assess the size and relays it the Highway, sets a hub and checks elevations through the process. The Fulton County Highway Department & the Surveyor's Office stay in frequent communication. 

Cornerstone Maintenance: A County Surveyor is responsible for the maintenance and verification of all the cornerstones or "section corners" in the county.This service assists Private Surveyor's with private survey work. It is never the responsibility of a County Surveyor to establish a "new" section corner, only licensed surveyors can establish corners. The office currently maintains corners by physically identifying markers noted in the references. If a reference is missing (this happens frequently), the office will set a new reference using mag nails or stationery points. All information is then updated into the GIS mapping system.

Indiana allows any licensed surveyor within or outside the county to bring a new "established" cornerstone into the County Surveyor for payment. As long as the office can verify the information on the cornerstone, the company will be paid for the establishment. The County has no contracts with any private surveying company to establish cornerstones. The state provides funds for this service. 

Indiana code requires all County Surveyor Offices to maintain annually 5% of their county's section corners. The Fulton County Office proudly maintains annually well over the 5% required. Fulton County holds the highest number of maintained section corners than any other surrounding county. All cornerstone information is available to the public online through the Fulton County website. 

 SERVICES

PRINTING/BLUEPRINT COPYING & SCANNING: Prints up to 36" wide are acceptable. Fees are based on the service provided. Check or cash accepted.

PLAT BOOKS: Plat books can be purchase at the NRCS Office (In front of New Holland).

GIS: The GIS mapping system is at your fingertips in the comfort of your home. NOTE: The layover lines are NOT always exact & can't be used legally to determine property lines. 

Certifications for Alcoholic Beverage Permits: Indiana requires any business permits for beer, wine or liquor to be submitted with a signed location verification from the County Surveyor. There is no fee attached to this service.

LISTING OF PRIVATE LAND SURVEYORS

*Disclaimer* The County Surveyor ONLY manages water. The office is not permitted to recommend any          Private Land Surveyor. Any questions pertaining to fees need to be addressed with Private Surveyor you contact.

1. Bunnell Land Surveying, Barrie Bunnell, (260) 563-9110 (Wabash)

2. Randall Miller & Associates, Randall Miller, (574) 753-9353 (Logansport)

3. RE Daake & Associates, (574)936-3469(Plymouth)

4. White Surveying, Seth White, (574) 817-0511 (Kewanna)

5. Newport Surveying, Rusty Logan, (574) 735-2417 (Logansport)

6. Plymouth Land Surverying (574) 936-3469 (Plymouth)

7. Progressive Engineering, Inc. Brad Cramer, (574) 553-0337 (Goshen)

8. Randall Miller & Associates, (574) 753-9353 (Logansport)

9. Randall Miller & Associates, (260) 563-4467 (Wabash)

10. Richard Ward Surveys, (765) 643-8078 (Anderson)

Fulton County Drainage Board