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Pasco County Geologic Ordinance
Great News! The geologic ordinance passed the first vote of the Pasco County commissioners in February 2008. The ordinance will allow reports to be prepared, signed, and sealed by a professional geologist and engineer or professional engineer.
Specifically, the revisions read as such:
“Section 704.4 A. Report Requirements
The report shall be prepared by either a qualified professional geologist in accordance with Chapter 492, F.S. and a qualified professional engineer in accordance with Chapter 471, F.S. or a professional engineer with experience in the geotechnical field in accordance with Chapter 471, F.S.”
The reason that a PG and PE, or a PE must prepare is that part 4 of the report deals with activities that only a PE can do. Therefore, PGs are able to sign and seal what our license allows, but because the County is requiring engineering activities (all of this is to get building permits) the PE would have to sign those aspects.
Additional good news is that Mr. Ed Davis, PE, the president of the Florida Engineering Society, and Mr. Bob Higgins, PE, chairman of the FES Concerns Committee, agreed with the revised ordinance language.
I have known Bob for several years and have discussed similar issues with him (one being when we worked on getting us PGs in the Water Resources Act). He said that he would support the language and he had no problem with it.
Mr. Jon Moody, PE (he is the one that first brought up reinserting the PG language) said that he personally thought in some conditions (e.g., Aripica in Pasco County) that a geologist would be best suited to do the work. If you ever see Jon, please tell him thank you for supporting us.
The second reading is scheduled for March 11, 2008 at 1:30 in Dade City . I am planning to be there. If anything untoward occurs between now and then, I will let you know. If any of you hear anything, good or bad, about this, please let me know that as well.
Thanks for everyone’s help.
Chuck Drake, P.G.
President, FAPG-AIPG
03/10/08