{"id":7648,"date":"2026-04-02T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.centralcoastclsa.org\/?p=7648"},"modified":"2026-04-06T14:07:29","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T21:07:29","slug":"interview-with-the-san-luis-obispo-county-surveyor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.centralcoastclsa.org\/index.php\/2026\/04\/02\/interview-with-the-san-luis-obispo-county-surveyor\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview with the San Luis Obispo County Surveyor"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

On a crisp day in March, we here at Parallax sat down with San Luis Obispo County Surveyor James Cooper, PLS 9519 and RCE 79127, and over coffee at Blackhorse Espresso & Bakery had a chat about his background and the County Surveyors Office in San Luis Obispo.<\/del><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parallax: <\/strong>What got you into land surveying and what did you do prior to becoming the County Surveyor?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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James:<\/strong> I knew as a kid I wanted to get into engineering; I was always a tinkerer. I entered Cal Poly as an Environmental Engineer,<\/del> but soon realized I was more suited to Civil Engineering. \u00a0During that time, I took two surveying classes that I enjoyed, but never really thought any more about. Upon graduation I went to work at the local Fugro office doing geotechnical work, with most of it being outside or on my feet in the lab. I became a registered civil engineer while working there and went back to Cal Poly for a master\u2019s in Geotechnical Engineering. After working at Fugro for about 7 years, they closed the local office. I was offered a position at other California locations, but this is the Central Coast and did not want to leave the area.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

I was then hired at Garing Taylor and Associates (GTA) as a civil engineer. When I started there the land surveyor in charge was Jim Garing, a pre-82 Civil Engineer. They had a field crew of one, so there were times when they needed an extra hand and I took those opportunities to get back outside and join for the survey work. It was during this time that I really started to enjoy land surveying. This was where I found my vocation, where I could combine my engineering mindset with my passion for nature and the outdoors.  When the survey manager left GTA I took the opportunity to step up into that position. Richard Cassara, licensed land surveyor with vast local experience, joined GTA and took me under his wing, really teaching me what it means to be a land surveyor. Later Bill Rebik, a dual licensee, started working at GTA, also with years of local experience. After a few years I was qualified to sit for the LS exam, having Richard and Bill, along with Jim Garing, and Mike Ratty, another pre 82 civil Engineer as my references. Upon obtaining my license I became the principal land surveyor and a partner in the company.  I was with GTA for about 8 years before joining the County.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parallax: <\/strong>Why did you apply for the County Surveyor position?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

James:<\/strong> Actually, I specifically applied for Joe Morris\u2019 former position in Development Services within the Public Works Department at the County. I was ready for a change of scene and I was excited at the idea of working under Ed Reading and Peter Moreci in the County. After I was interviewed for that position, I was told that Ed was considering retirement in a few years and I was asked if I would consider the position of County Surveyor, which seemed reasonable to me. I started working at the County in November of 2022 and soon after that,<\/ins> at a division meeting, Ed announced he was retiring; it turned out to be about three months after I started. My manager asked if I was ready for the position, and although I felt that I had really jumped in the deep end, I was excited and willing to accept the challenge. I had to wait until my probationary period was over before I could be appointed as the County Surveyor by the Board of Supervisors in June of 2023. Ed has been a continued asset to me since his retirement, and I can honestly say that I would have struggled immensely without the extensive knowledge and experience of Pete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parallax: <\/strong>When you came into the office, was there anything that surprised you right off the bat?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

James:<\/strong> The biggest surprise was the volume of work. I had the false assumption that working for the County would be a more relaxed atmosphere than the pace of private practice; that is not the case at all. We review about 500 map reviews a year that are submitted by the private sector, and that is on top of the other tasks we must manage within the County Surveyor\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

This job has really been a great experience for me and I feel like I have learned immensely in these last few years. I am forever grateful for the knowledge I have received from my mentors, and I am excited about the knowledge that continues daily from working with our local surveyors. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Parallax: <\/strong>Okay, what are your day-to-day tasks as the County Surveyor?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

James: <\/strong>We of course do map reviews on all records of survey, corner records, parcel maps, tract maps and lot line adjustments. Along with the technical review of the map, we also deal with ensuring conditions of approval for subdivisions are taken care of, which requires a lot of coordination between departments and professionals.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Public Works, and in fact in the County government, there are only two land surveyors on staff: Dustin Idler [PLS 9160] and me, so we are the subject matter experts. We routinely consult with many of the County departments, including Planning & Building Department, Parks, Environmental Health, County Counsel, Central Services, and even the Board of Supervisors. One of our biggest annual tasks is monument preservation for the year\u2019s road rehabilitation.  We have consistent interaction with our Transportation Division to ensure that monument preservation is included within their budget and scope of work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other routine tasks include annexations with LAFCO, Assessment Apportionment with the Auditor Controller, maintaining the online database of all maps throughout our County, and completing survey requests for other County projects, which include everything from topo, boundary, construction staking, and creating legal descriptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parallax: <\/strong>How do you see your relation (interaction) with the surveying community?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

James<\/strong>: Well, I would like to think it is pretty good.  We try to put emphasis on customer service and humility. I really welcome feedback and have talked to several peers in private practice about what we are doing well and what could be improved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parallax: <\/strong>How much and what kind of interaction do you have with the surveying community?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

James<\/strong>: I have quite a bit of interaction with private practice land surveyors, mostly email, but phone calls at least once or twice a week on average. I also have interactions with professionals at various cities within the county. Most interactions deal with best practices, procedures for processing, or questions about state and local law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parallax: <\/strong>How do you see your relation (interaction) with <\/del>the public?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

James:<\/strong> I believe we have a good relationship with the public. Often homeowners call wanting their boundary surveyed or needing an answer over a dispute with their neighbor regarding access. These can be difficult situations, and they want me to settle that dispute, but it is most often outside my authority and all I can do is listen, understand, and point them in the right direction. This goes from suggesting they hire a private land surveyor, a title company, and possibly contact an attorney knowledgeable in land-use issues. Many other calls from the public are because they are confused or frustrated about the subdivision process. We believe that there is value in taking the time to do as much as we can to help guide the public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parallax: <\/strong>Your most common interaction with surveyors must be with map review. What positives have come out of those interactions, and what negatives?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

James:<\/strong> It is not so much about positives and negatives; it is more of having discussions for the good of the survey. I do sometimes get imposter syndrome because I am reviewing work by land surveyors who have been practicing for a lot longer than I have. I do understand that it is their map I am reviewing, and I am always cognizant of not overstepping, but I have a fresh set of eyes and may have insight that could be valuable to the surveyor and our local standards of care. I always want these interactions to be respectful between professionals, with a focus on adding value, both to the survey and to the public.  I find these peer-to-peer interactions with so many surveyors across the county and state very rewarding. As a private surveyor, I did not get the diversity in opinions that I see today as the County Surveyor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parallax: <\/strong>What goals do you have as County Surveyor?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

James<\/strong>: I would like to get some high-quality scans of the older maps the County Recorder has. When you look at the original map, the text on the maps is clear and easy to read; that is not the case with the scans.  I really would like to provide scans that are as easy to read as the originals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

I had the false assumption that working for the County would be a more relaxed atmosphere than the pace of private practice; that is not the case at all. We review about 500 map reviews a year that are submitted by the private sector, and that is on top of the other tasks we must manage within the County Surveyor\u2019s Office<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

My biggest priority is that I want the division to be transparent on what we expect and what we can accomplish; to outline clear expectations and processes.  Previous County Surveyors have worked diligently to make the office well regarded, and I strive to make sure it stays that way. I feel that we communicate well with the public and I want to make sure that it continues to improve. Both Dustin and I strive for that daily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond that, a goal has been to do more survey advocacy within other county departments. I would like to make sure the other departments come to us when there is a surveying issue or concern. To really accomplish this, we will need to be a fully staffed survey division, which I have been working to put together.  We currently have a field crew of one, but I am advocating for another position to complete the work more efficiently and safely. A dedicated full-time crew would allow us to complete more jobs each year and will be a benefit to many County projects and to the public in general.  I am also aiming to modernize our survey crew with scanning and drone implementation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parallax: <\/strong>Anything else you would like to say?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

James<\/strong>: This job has really been a great experience for me and I feel like I have learned immensely in these last few years. I am forever grateful for the knowledge I have received from my mentors, and I am excited about the knowledge that continues daily from working with our local surveyors. I aim to constantly learn and grow in this job and maintain a positive reputation among peers and the public. This job has been a lot of work, but I have enjoyed it thoroughly and I wouldn\u2019t change a thing\u2026although I would like to get back out in the field from time to time!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parallax: <\/strong>Thanks for taking the time to sit down with us.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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