Monday - Friday
8am - 4pm C.S.T.

219-866-4930

115 W Washington St
Rensselaer, IN 47978

Monday - Friday
8am - 4pm C.S.T.

219-866-4930

115 W Washington St
Rensselaer, IN 47978

Department

SURVEYOR

Contact Us

Hours: Mon-Fri: 8am-4pm

Phone: (219) 866-4907
Fax: (219) 866-4641

Contacts

Vince Urbano
Surveyor

2530 N Mckinley Ave
Rensselaer, IN 47978
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The Surveyor's Office is responsible to perpetually maintain all government section corners throughout the county and to maintain official records related to these corners. The Surveyor is the technical authority on the construction, reconstruction and maintenance of all regulated or proposed open and tiled drains in the county and serves as an ex officio member of the Jasper County Drainage Board.

The Jasper County Surveyor is also a member of the Jasper County Plan Commission, the Jasper County Technical Advisory Committee, the Kankakee River Basin Commission, K.I.R.P.C., Iroquois River Conservancy District, and several multi-county drainage boards.

Drainage
The Jasper County Surveyor oversees all maintenance, construction and reconstruction work associated with regulated drains. This work includes drain descriptions, maps, assessments, and in house minor repair on all county drains. Jasper County has 1162 miles of county regulated drains.

Section Corner Perpetuation
The Jasper County Surveyor must keep and maintain a corner record book showing original government section corners. The Surveyor must check and reference at least 5% of all corners shown in the corner record book each year.

Certification to ABC
Prior to the Indiana Alcoholic Beverage Commission issuing a new Alcoholic Beverage Permit in an unincorporated area, the County Surveyor must certify that the permit location is within a one mile radius of a settlement or group of residences in the unincorporated area that has been in place for one of the following: purchases, public meetings, as a community or neighborhood center.

Plan Commission
The Jasper County Surveyor is a member of the County Plan Commission. As a member of the Plan Commission, The Surveyor attends monthly meetings and makes decisions on subdivisions and planning.

County Drainage Board
The Jasper County Drainage Board meets once a month at 1:00 p.m. on the first Monday of the Month. The County Surveyor serves as an ex-officio member of the Drainage Board. In this capacity, the Surveyor is the technical authority on the construction, reconstruction, and maintenance of all regulated drains or proposed regulated drains in the county.

Private and Natural Drains
The County Surveyor, through the Drainage Board, reviews complaints regarding obstructions within Private and Natural Drains. When ordered by the Drainage Board, the Surveyor oversees the removal of any obstruction so as to restore proper drainage.

History of the County Surveyor's Office

The Land Ordinance of 1785, as adopted by the Continental Congress, signaled the commencement of the Rectangular Public Land Survey System as a means of dividing federally owned land for transfer of ownership to the public. The first rectangular survey in the State of Indiana was performed by Israel Ludlow in 1797. In 1834 and 1835, several surveyors divided what was to become Jasper County into the individual townships and ranges that are in use today. It is this system which the Jasper County Surveyor's Office perpetually maintains to this day.

The Indiana Constitution of 1851 as amended in 1852 officially established the Office of County Surveyor as an elected office. The length of the term was set at four years, but unlike many other County Offices, there is no limit to the number of terms that may be served.

Past County Surveyors of Jasper County, Indiana

Names

James Welch
Wesley Spitler
James Ballard
Frederick Schraak
J.D. Hopkins
John Miller
R.B. James
Joseph M. Hopkins
Charles P. Mayhew
Daniel B. Miller
George M. Johnson
Lewis S. Alter
James C. Thrawls
John E. Alter 
Myrt B. Price
W. Frank Osborne
DeVere Yeoman
Clifton J. Hobbs
E.D. Nesbitt (Died while in office)
Hugh Tom Kirk
Richard W. Arnott
Michael G. Kingman
Kevin M. Armold
Vince A. Urbano

Terms

(Dates Unknown)
(Dates Unknown)
1854-1856
1856-1858
1858-(No Date Given)
(Dates Unknown)
(Dates Unknown)
1870-1872
1872-1875
1875-1876
1876-1878
1878-1884
1884-1892
1892-1898
1898-1908
1908-1912
1912-1914
1914-1916
1916-1953
1953-1963
1963-1978
1978-2004
2004-2008
2009-Present

Licensed Land Surveyors Practicing in Jasper County

Sayers, Kevin L.,
LS20200022
Turning Point Surveying, Inc.
219-987-8330
DeMotte

Tiemens, David J.,
LS29900020
Tiemens' Land Surveying
219-987-2828
DeMotte

Useful Information:

  • 7.92 inches equal 1 link
  • 25 links equal 1 rod
  • 16.50 feet equal 1 rod
  • 4 rods equal 1 chain
  • 1 chain equals 66 feet
  • 100 links equals 1 chain
  • 10 square chains equals 1 acre
  • 160 square rods equals 1 acre
  • 80 chains equal 1 mile
  • 320 rods equals 1 mile
  • 5,280 feet equals 1 mile
  • 640 acres equals 1 square mile
  • 43,560 square feet equals 1 acre
  • A section is 640 acres
  • A township is 36 sections, each 1 square mile
  • An acre equals 208.71 feet on each side