Supporters of the Chabot substitute included Rep. Bobby Scott (VA-3), Rep. Dan Lundgren (CA-3), former Chairman Henry Hyde (IL-6), Rep. Mark Green (WI-8), Rep. Adam Schiff (CA-27) and Rep. Spencer Bachus (AL-6). The Committee agreed to table further consideration of the legislation until next year. In the meantime, the Senate version of FPI reform legislation is moving forward.

Lobby Day 2005 News.

Lobby Day 2005 will take place on Thursday, September 15^th. Participants should plan to come in on Tuesday the 13^th or early Wednesday the 14^th. We plan on having our pre-Lobby Day meeting in the afternoon of the 14^th. During this meeting we will go over the issues we will be discussing with legislators, and our strategy for the meetings with legislators. We have a lot of issues to discuss this year and hopefully we will be as successful as we have been in the past.

Also, we are now planning to have a reception for the opening of the ACSM Mapping Exhibit at the Library of Congress at the Capitol Hill Club on the evening of the 14^th.  ACSM members are encouraged to participate in Lobby Day, and join us at the opening reception for the ACSM Mapping Exhibit.  Read more about our planned exhibit below.

ACSM Exhibit at Library of Congress.

After almost 2 years of planning, the ACSM Mapping Exhibit will open at the Library of Congress soon. We still do not have a firm date for the opening, but we are expecting it to be open in time for Lobby Day on September 15^th. The exhibit will have four parts; surveying, GIS, geodesy and cartography. There will be approximately 50 pieces to the exhibit showing a wide variety of maps and a kiosk showing a film about GIS. As noted above, assuming that the exhibit will be open by September 15^th, we will have an exhibit “opening reception” the evening of September 14^th at the Capitol Hill Club, which is right across the street from the Library of Congress. We are planning to invite Members of Congress and their staff to the opening ceremonies at the exhibit and to the reception.

Teleconference on Contracts and Negotiations for Surveying Firms.

Schinnerer and Company will sponsor a teleconference entitled:

SURVEYING THE ISSUES:

CONTRACTS AND NEGOTIATIONS FOR SURVEYING FIRMS

The teleconference will take place on Wednesday, October 19, 2005 from 12:00 – 1:30 PM, EDT.

This event is free to Schinnerer insureds and ACSM members and is ideal for surveyors who have responsibility for negotiating professional services agreements.

Participants will discuss:

Ř      Determining the type of contract

Ř      Key elements of a contract

Ř      Common contractual provisions that may cause problems

Continuing education certificates and supporting documentation will be issued to each participant.

Hear from:

Joseph H. Jones, Jr., Esq., AIA, Moderator: Joe Jones is the director of Victor O. Schinnerer & Company’s A/E/C Risk Management Services. Prior to joining Schinnerer, Joe practiced architecture for more than ten years and served the AIA as Assistant Counsel for the Contract Documents Committee. Joe also currently serves as editor for Schinnerer’s Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of Invited Attorneys.

Gerald W. Farquhar, Esq.: Jerry Farquhar has been actively engaged in the construction claims arena as a professional liability defense attorney and as an A/E risk management consultant for more than 40 years. For the past 30 years, he has served as a consultant to both CNA and Victor O. Schinnerer & Company, providing risk management advice to policyholders and decision support to CNA and Schinnerer in the areas of policy drafting, revision and underwriting.

Gary R. Kent, LS.: Gary Kent chairs the ACSM/NSPS committee on ALTA/ACSM Land Title Survey Standards.  He has worked on the committee since 1988, and he continues to be actively involved in standards issues on both the state and national levels.  Gary is the Director of Surveying for The Schneider Corporation in Indianapolis.  Gary regularly presents seminars and workshops across the country on a variety of survey-related topics and is frequently called as an expert witness in legal actions. 

Curt Sumner, LS: Curt Sumner is the Executive Director for the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping (ACSM), and is a nationally known speaker on topics related to the surveying profession. He is also a licensed surveyor in Virginia and Maryland. Curt has been involved in the surveying profession since 1966, and has conducted and/or managed projects in relatively all areas of surveying practice. He has participated on the ACSM committee for ALTA/ACSM Land Title Survey requirements since 1988.

THE AGENDA

Ř      Types of contracts

Ř      Key elements of a contract

Ř      Tips for reviewing a contract

Ř      Common contractual provisions that may cause problems

Ř      What surveyors can do to minimize risks

Ř      Questions

Because this event will have a limited number of phone lines, firms should register early.  Complete the form below for your firm and fax to Joe Jones at 301-951-5466.  Additional information will be sent to you on how individuals within the firm can complete the registration process.

Registration closes on Friday, October 14, 2005.

Firm Name:  __________________________________________________________

Address:  _____________________________________________________________

City, State, Zip: _______________________________________________________

Phone: _______________________ Fax: ___________________________________

Firm Contact: _______________________________________________________

Contact’s Email: ______________________________________________________

Advance questions on this topic can be emailed to Joe Jones at joe.h.jones@schinnerer.com or faxed to 301-951-5496.

Questions must be received by 5:00 PM, EDT on Monday, October 11, 2005.

Questions????  Please call Joe Jones at 301-951-5466.