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The Building Codes Division of the Department of Consumer and Business Services is searching for an Electrical Engineer.

This position will serve as division’s electrical engineering expert and key electrical engineering advisor relative to the branch of engineering that deals with the technology of electricity.

For additional details, please visit: https://oregon.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/SOR_External_Career_Site/job/Salem--DCBS--Edgewater-Street/Electrical-Engineer--Professional-Engineer-2-_REQ-57979


​The Oregon State Board of Examiners for Engineering & Land Surveying (OSBEELS) hosted the tenth annual professional Symposium on September 24-25. Like many gatherings in 2020, the Board began the year planning for an in-person event and then, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, was tasked with transitioning the event to a virtual format. Thanks to tremendous event planning by staff, in addition to support from the Board, the transition was successful and the result was the highest attended Symposium to-date, as more than 430 individuals joined the virtual event from across the country.

With the transition to a virtual event, the OSBEELS determined expanding the annual professional education conference to two days would be necessary to maintain the amount of content provided to attendees in a normal year. With two days of content available, full-time attendees were eligible to earn 14 PDHs for their participation.

In their opening remarks, Board President, Daren Cone, PLS, PE, and Board Administrator, Jason Barbee, welcomed attendees to the virtual event and shared details about the (then) current openings with the Board.

The two-day program kicked off with a presentation from Cornforth Consultants’ Tom Westover, PE, on landslide trends across Oregon and how his team works to investigate, evaluate, and mitigate landslides across the Northwest region. Day 2 featured an opening presentation from PAE’s Marc Brune, PE, and ZGF’s Justin Brooks, AIA, on the PAE Living Building, which will be the world’s largest commercial-use living building once construction is complete in 2021.

Experts from the private and public sectors, academic universities, and the OSBEELS presented on projects ranging from designing communities for wildfire resilience, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Coast Survey, hydrographic surveying, Portland State University’s Viking Pavilion renovation, electronic and digital signatures, and more!

The OSBEELS would like to thank all who attended, presented, and helped to make this year’s Symposium a success. At this time, the Board and agency staff are actively planning for an in-person or virtual event in 2021. We anticipate sharing more updates with registrants in the spring of 2021.

The OSBEELS Symposium is an annual event in September that aims to bring professionals from across the region together for a day of professional education and connections.

If you’re interested in attending future Symposiums or other OSBEELS-related events, follow us on Facebook and keep an eye out for future announcements in The Oregon Examiner.

​It’s safe to assume that we are collectively looking forward to what the prospects of 2021 will be. For OSBEELS, 2021 will hold many challenges and opportunities, but the most prominent and exciting prospect is the launching of our new system in the spring of 2021. As you recall, we’ve been working with our vendor since July in preparation of replacing our existing database system with a web-based licensing and regulation solution that will make it much easier for us to serve our licensees. Some of the key features will be online payment, online applications and online renewals. These features will save time and effort while significantly reducing the use of paper. In addition, because you’ll be interacting with us online, we’ll be transitioning the Examiner to a digital format.   
On the not-so-positive side of things to come. It is very likely that our agency will remain closed to the public as 2021 begins. This will also likely mean that our Board and Committee meetings will remain virtual until sometime later this year.

Regardless if we’re able to see you in person or you need to work with us remotely, our goal is to provide excellent customer service.

Once last thing, I’d like to welcome Massoud Saberian and Darryl Anderson as new OSBEELS Board Members.


​By now you may have heard that our agency has undertaken updating our registrant database system. With our current database entering the end of its product lifecycle, agency staff have been working hand-in-hand with our selected vendor to develop a new database system that will provide state registrants with an enhanced, online OSBEELS experience. As we continue to make great strides with the development of our new system, our agency wanted to provide registrants with an update on where we are at in the process and what is coming up.

In the coming months, registrants can expect to learn more about the new system and processes, what will be needed to enroll in the new system, and how their interactions with the Board may be different moving forward.

Our plan at this time is to roll out the new system to all registrants in May 2021. Keep an eye out for upcoming communications sharing more details in the next couple of months!

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Mr. Massoud Saberian, PE, PTOE, and Mr. Darryl Anderson, PE, PLS, CWRE, D.GE, were appointed by Governor Kate Brown to the Oregon State Board of Examiners for Engineering & Land Surveying (OSBEELS) as of December 2020.

Mr. Saberian brings more than 40 years of engineering experience to the Board, working in both the public and private sectors in Oregon, California, and Washington. Now semi-retired, Mr. Saberian owns his own engineering consulting business, ETRC, LLC, which provides expert witness services in transportation engineering cases, as well as roadway safety analysis, and pavement management consulting services. Mr. Saberian is a registered professional engineer in Oregon, Washington, and California and also holds a Professional Traffic Operations Engineer designation from the Institute of Transportation Engineers.

An Oregon State University alumni, Mr. Saberian earned his undergraduate degree in Civil and Structural Engineering and his Master’s Degree in Civil and Transportation Engineering. An Iranian immigrant, Mr. Saberian first moved to Oregon in 1978 and has enjoyed being involved in local organizations to give back to the communities he has lived and worked in. He has been involved in, and held leadership positions, with the Institute of Transportation Engineers, the Oregon Traffic Control Devices Committee, the Oregon Commission on Asian Affairs, and the Iranian-American Professional Society of Oregon, and much more.

When asked what he is most excited about as he prepares to begin his term on the Board, Mr. Saberian stated, “I am excited to continue my professional career by giving back to the profession and the industry that has provided me with many great opportunities over four decades.”

Outside of work, Mr. Saberian enjoys photography and the outdoors and has tried to pick-up gardening and reading musical notes in his spare time during the current pandemic. He also became a grandfather this past year.  
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Mr. Anderson is the President of Anderson Engineering & Surveying, Inc., which he started with his father. Serving primarily the southern Oregon region, the firm provides civil engineering, land surveying, municipal water and wastewater design, ODOT bridge inspection services, geothermal energy development, and a variety of other engineering projects for both public and private clients. Mr. Anderson is also the County Surveyor for Lake County in southern Oregon.

Holding professional designations in multiple states across the western region of the United States, Mr. Anderson is currently a Professional Engineer, Professional Land Surveyor, Geotechnical Engineer, and Certified Water Right Examiner in the state of Oregon. He is also a Certified Bridge Inspector with the Oregon Department of Transportation.

Mr. Anderson earned his undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering Technology from the Oregon Institute of Technology. He is also a member of the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of Oregon, ACEC Oregon Small Firm Council, American Society of Civil Engineers, Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon, and Professional Engineers of Oregon.

Having grown up and spent a majority of his professional career in Lakeview, OR, Mr. Anderson has had the opportunity to work on my diverse projects over the course of his career, including working for Engineering Ministries on projects in Uganda and Nicaragua.

Looking ahead to his upcoming term on the Board, Mr. Anderson is most excited about leveraging his experience in the public and private sectors to offer ideas to help keep the professions strong and moving forward.

Outside of work, Mr. Anderson lives on a ranch and spends most of his spare time working around his property.

​During Professional Practices Committee meetings, held on months in-between regular Board meetings, the members review and respond to questions submitted by the professional community. Recent questions pertained to local jurisdiction policies vs OSBEELS laws and rules for submitting project documents to permitting offices.

The question reviewed by the Committee was regarding whether or not professional registrants are required to adhere to local jurisdiction’s plan submittal policies if they differ from the Board’s rules and laws. The Committee reviewed and discussed the submitted question and confirmed that local jurisdictions may have local policies in-place, that are in addition to state regulations but they are not allowed to have local policies that reduce state requirements. In instances where a local jurisdiction may have submittal policies that differ from statewide regulations, the Board encourages professional registrants to reach out the local offices to confirm their policies and expectations.

The Board encourages all professional registrants to consistently review Oregon statutes and rules under the OSBEELS’ jurisdiction to ensure they are up-to-date on professional practice and conduct standards that may relate to their professional area of competence or services offered to the public. If you have any questions, please visit the Board website to submit a “Question for the Board” form.


When I began my role as the Board Administrator for the OSBEELS last October, one of my top priorities was to find a solution to fixing our old and antiquated licensing system. Over the last six months, I’ve asked for feedback from our licensees, other licensing agencies, our staff and our Board to help identify what functionality everyone would want in a new system. The feedback I received was very consistent, direct and reasonable; the expectation is that our customers want to interact with us electronically. ​

I’m extremely excited to announce that we’ve hired a vendor to bring OSBEELS into the 21st century. The expectation is that we will have an online portal that will allow our customers to do almost everything online with an intuitive web-based system.
Our agency’s targeted timeline would have licensing, renewals, license lookup, payments and exam registrations, and other online system tools up and running early next spring. I know it sounds like that is a long time away, but for a system of this size, it’s actually a very aggressive implementation schedule.

Of course, with any kind of system replacement, there’s going to be some bumps and bruises for both our staff and our customers, but I promise these short-term pains will be worth the long-term rewards. Please have patience with us as we focus our effort over the next eight or so months to transition from our old database to the new licensing system.

Also, please feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions or feedback at Jason.Barbee@oregon.gov. While we have some legal limitations on what can be changed, I’m always open to hearing ideas on what could make our processes easier to understand and comply with.


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At recent meetings, the Board’s Professional Practices Committee reviewed and responded to several questions submitted by members of the professional community. See a summary of the questions and the Committee’s responses below.

The first question reviewed was regarding whether a geotechnical engineer may provide a soils report for construction, then after that report is provided, claim to no longer be responsible, or liable, for the findings of their report as a result of not being contracted for additional work. The Committee discussed and did not respond directly to this point but rather noted he should consult with private legal counsel for an answer. It was noted the topic, contractual and civil disputes, is an area the OSBEELS is unable to make a determination on and is outside of the Board’s jurisdiction.

The second question reviewed was related to forms of acceptable digital signatures and how to properly verify the authenticity of submitted plans with digital signatures. The Committee responded that there is software available that verifies digital signatures through third-party authentication and certifies an individual’s
digital signature, but that the Oregon Board does not make recommendations for specific companies/providers. The Electronic and Digital Signatures article included within this publication was also developed in response to this question.

The Board encourages all professional registrants to consistently review Oregon statutes and rules under the OSBEELS’ jurisdiction to ensure they are upto-date on professional practice and conduct standards that may relate to their professional area of competence or services offered to the public. If you have a professional practice question you’d like to submit to the Board office for review, please visit the OSBEELS website and complete the ‘Ask the Board a Question’​


This article was authored by Board members
Tim Fassbender, PLS, and Renee Clough, PE, PLS



Recent concerns and questions raised by the professional community regarding Oregon Administrative Rule (OAR) 820-025-0010, digital seal and signature requirements, have been received by the Oregon State Board of Examiners for Engineering & Land Surveying (OSBEELS) and prompted a discussion about digital signatures and signing final documents. To address these questions and concerns, we have developed this article that will share resources and information to help professional registrants, and the users of their documents, to understand the differences between an electronic signature and a digital signature.

Relevant rules to this topic include:
  1. OAR 820-025-0001 – defines digital signature and digital certificate.
  2. OAR 820-025-0005(5) – specifies digital signatures as an acceptable alternative to a wet signed signature if specific criteria are met
  3. OAR 820-025-0010 – outlines requirements for digital seal and signature for electronic final documents.

A digital signature in compliance with OAR 820-025-0010 utilizes a public-private digital key pair provided through the services of a certificate authority. The private key is known only to the signer and is often in the form of a password. The public key is utilized by the certificate authority to validate the document. To verify a digital signature, the verifier must have access to the signer’s public key and have assurance that it corresponds to the signer’s private key. In the case of OAR 820-025-0010 this assurance must be provided by using a certificate authority as a trusted third party to associate an identified signer with a specific public key; essentially the certificate acts like a notary. A self-signed certificate is one that is created by the individual signer without the services of a certificate authority; this is not sufficient for purposes of compliance with OAR 820-025-0010.

The term “third party” in all the above cited OAR sections requires specific discussion. Some software will allow the user to make their own digital signature certificate which is often referred to as a self-signed certificate. This is often made in the same software being used to create the particular document but could be made in some other software. The upshot though is that anyone seeking to verify the authenticity of the digital signature will be coming back to signer for that authentication. In the case of a non-self-signed certificate, an entity known as a “Certificate Authority”, has made the certificate and verified your identity as part of the process. When the digital signature is applied to the document the local software communicates with that Certificate Authority. Later when someone verifies the signature their local software also communicates with that Certificate Authority. Hence the term “third party”, that certificate authority is not you, it is not the person receiving the document - it is a third party. A “third party” Certificate Authority is equivalent to a notary.

See the table and the discussion below summarize the differences: 


Numerous certificate authorities are available with the ability to interface with a variety of software. Consequently, the process of utilizing a digital signature in compliance with OAR 820-025-0010 is too variable to provide a step-by-step description here.

It should be noted that, with a digital signature, the original is the digitally signed file. Prints of that file, whether to paper or to another digital format (such as pdf), are equivalent to photocopies of a wet signed This article was authored by Board members Tim Fassbender, PLS, and Renee Clough, PE, PLS document. Those prints can be used when a photocopy would be acceptable but not when an original is required. Most software capable of opening a specific file type is also capable of confirming the validity of a digital signature when it necessary to confirm the original has been received. Some software will display this confirmation prominently at the top or side of the screen, others need the user to interact with several layers of menus. 

Lastly, it is important to note that OAR 820-025-0005(e) requires a digitally signed document to have the words “digitally signed” in the location where a wet signature would traditionally be placed. 

In an effort to continue to address questions from the professional community, as well as provide further direction, the Board will be reconvening the Digital Signatures Task Force. Actions taken by the Task Force may cause information within this article to become outdated. To stay up-to-date on the latest information and resources, we recommend visiting the Board website.

Please refer to the below resources for additional information on the differences between electronic and digital signatures.


Understanding Digital Signature​ – Jason Kent, PE, and Ranvir Singh, PLS, 2017



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The Board would like to thank members Shelly Duquette, PE, SE, and Chris Aldridge, RPP, for their years of service on the Board.

First appointed in 2013, during her time with the Board, Shelly served as the President of the Board from 2017-2019 and Vice President from 2015-2017. In addition to her Board leadership roles, Shelly has served on the Examinations and Qualifications, Law Enforcement, Professional Practices, and Rules and Regulations Committees. Further, she also participated on the Oregon-Specific Examination Task Force and the Joint Compliance Committee in partnership with the Oregon Board of Geologist Examiners.

Currently, Shelly is a Building Plans Examiner and Inspector with the City of Portland. She is also actively involved with the Structural Engineers Association of Oregon and previously served as a member of the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying’s Exam Committee. 

Chris joined the Board in April of 2015 and served as the Board Vice President from 2017-2019. During his time on the Board, he served as the Committee Chair for the Professional Practices Committee and the Photogrammetric and Remote Sensing Task Force. Chris has also participated on the External Relations, Examinations and Qualifications Committees and the Customer Service and Communications Standards Task Force.

Professionally, Chris is the manager of U.S. Operations for Terra Remote Sensing, Inc. He notes the improvements to Board processes and internal operations as some of the Board’s great accomplishments during his time serving as a member.

“I would like to thank my fellow Board members for their service, friendship, and guidance, in particular my fellow officer Shelly Duquette who helped shepherd the agency through difficult periods over the last two years,” Chris said reflecting on his time with the Board. “My greatest hope is that all of the Oregon registered engineers, surveyors, photogrammetrists, and water right examiners will take the time to understand the hard work done by the Board and the value it presents to the people of Oregon.”

In his spare time, once his time on the Board comes to an end, Chris is looking forward to resuming normalcy and enjoying in-person meet ups with friends and colleagues, as well as attending Portland Timbers games.

Shelly and Chris will be greatly missed on the Board. They dedicated an invaluable amount of time and effort while serving in leadership positions, acting as Board representatives to local and national organizations, and offering their expertise to help solve numerous Board matters.

The Board and OSBEELS staff would like to thank Shelly and Chris for their dedication to improving the engineering, land surveying, and photogrammetric mapping professions and wish them the best in their future endeavors.​


​Recent concerns and questions raised by the professional community regarding Oregon Administrative Rule (OAR) 820-025-0010, digital seal and signature requirements, have been received by the Oregon State Board of Examiners for Engineering & Land Surveying (OSBEELS) and prompted a discussion about digital signatures and signing final documents. To address these questions and concerns, we have developed an article that will share resources and information to help professional registrants, and the users of their documents, to understand the differences between an electronic signature and a digital signature.

Access the article here.​


The Oregon State Board of Examiners for Engineering & Land Surveying (OSBEELS) would like to provide our registrants and stakeholders with an update on the Board’s response to the situation surrounding COVID-19. In response to the ongoing pandemic the Board office has taken several proactive measures to ensure the health and safety of our office staff while doing our best to maintain core business operations.


At this time, the Board office is closed to the public in order to limit in-person interactions between staff and the public. Agency staff will continue to perform agency services and can be reached by phone or email during regular business hours. The office’s closure to the public will remain in place until further notice.


After receiving direction from the State of Oregon Governor’s office, and much consideration, the OSBEELS made the decision to postpone the Board’s April Committee meetings, originally scheduled for April 9-10. At this time, the Board is planning on holding Committee meetings on Monday, May 11, and its next regularly scheduled Board meeting on Tuesday, May 12. Additional meeting details will be provided to interested parties when the meeting dates near. If you wish to stay up-to-date on upcoming Board meetings, please contact the Board office at osbeels.info@oregon.gov and request to be added to the interested parties list.  


The COVID-19 outbreak is a rapidly changing situation from a public health perspective. The OSBEELS is committed to keeping registrants informed and taking the appropriate measures to ensure the health and safety of our staff and members of the public. To stay up-to-date on the latest information from the OSBEELS, please visit the Board website: oregon.gov/osbeels.​



​This past January I attended the PLSO Annual Conference in Portland and found it to be a worthwhile experience. It was a well-organized event and the time I spent was extremely valuable. One of the sessions I attended was focused on how the Oregon State Board of Examiners for Engineering & Land Surveying (OSBEELS) investigates complaints and disciplines surveyors. While there was a lot of good information shared during this session, I also noticed there was a lot of confusion and misinformation that was being discussed related to these issues. With that in mind, I thought there would be value in providing a high-level overview of how we handle complaints that are submitted to the Board.


The vast majority of complaints we receive are filed by the public. By law, we are required to review/consider all complaints that are submitted to us. Once a complaint is received our staff investigators perform a preliminary review to evaluate what, if any, rules or statutes within OSBEELS’s jurisdiction may have been violated. The investigators themselves are not able to make a final determination on this matter, however; they will present the complaint to the Law Enforcement Committee (LEC) for a preliminary review. If the complaint is lacking information, the investigator may notify the person who filed the complaint (complainant) and give them a deadline to provide clarification related to the complaint prior to it going before the LEC. The LEC meets every other month throughout the year on even numbered months (February, April, June, etc.), with Board meetings taking place in odd numbered months (January, March, May, etc.).


As a result of law enforcement cases primarily being complaint-driven, the LEC and staff investigators do not contact potential respondents until after a complaint has been reviewed and determined to be substantial enough to open a case. We understand respondent may be interested in providing a response at this stage of the investigation process, however, the LEC has taken the approach that if a submitted complaint does merit further investigation, then potential respondents do not need to be contacted until that determination has been made during a preliminary review.


After review, if the LEC determines a complaint is insufficient or outside of OSBEELS’s jurisdiction, it will decline to open a case, and the complainant will be notified. If the LEC determines there is reason to move forward with a formal investigation, the investigator will contact the person the complaint is about (Respondent), who then has an opportunity to respond to the allegations and provide information they feel is relevant to the matter. The complainant and respondent can communicate directly with the investigator at any time during this process to ask questions or request information. The investigator will not always contact the complainant during an investigation unless additional information is needed. After receiving responses, the investigator will then review all the information provided by both the complainant and the respondent, and compile a case summary to be presented to the LEC, who then determines whether there has been a violation of statute and/ or rule.


If after thorough review of the case, the LEC determines that there was no misconduct on the part of the respondent, or that the allegations at issue are outside the scope of OSBEELS’s jurisdiction, the LEC may make a recommendation to close the case. This recommendation then goes to the full Board at its next meeting, who then decide whether to accept or reject the LEC’s recommendation.


If after a thorough review of the case, the LEC determines there has been a violation, they will propose disciplinary actions and direct the investigator to issue a Notice of Intent (NOI). A NOI is a legal document that summarizes the allegations against the respondent, the proposed disciplinary actions from the Committee, and provides options to dispute the NOI should the respondent disagree with the allegations or disciplinary actions. The NOI is not a final order, and no action will be taken by the Board at this time. NOIs are mailed to the respondent via certified mail, and respondents are given 21 days from the issuing of an NOI to respond. If the respondent fails to submit a response, or if the 21 days expires before the respondent has submitted a response, OSBEELS will issue a Final Order by Default.


If a respondent receives the NOI and disagrees with the allegations, they can request an informal conference with the LEC during a meeting. This is an opportunity for the respondent to talk with the LEC about the issues identified in the NOI. The respondent can and should be ready to discuss why the allegations contained in the NOI are not accurate and/or to negotiate terms for the proposed disciplinary actions.

If no settlement is reached during the informal conference, the respondent’s right to a formal hearing with an Administrative Law Judge remains, and the case will proceed to hearing.

OSBEELS does not provide a timeline for how quickly cases will be resolved because some cases will take longer than others due to the nature and complexity of the allegations. Cases are typically handled in the order complaints are received, but the LEC has the discretion to assign certain cases higher priority if they deem it necessary. In order to safeguard the public’s life, health, and property, OSBEELS is dedicated to investigating cases in an efficient and thorough manner. However, there may be times when the process does not move as quickly as the parties or the public would like. OSBEELS hopes that in these situations, the parties understand that the LEC must be thorough in its case review to ensure that all parties are treated fairly and that the best resolution can be reached.


Again, this is a very high-level summary of what occurs during the complaint and investigation process. We have much more detailed information available online. Please see the following links on our website:


oregon.gov/osbeels/rulesstatutes/Pages/Rule-and-Statute-Enforcement.aspx


oregon.gov/osbeels/Documents/Flowchart/20170912-LEC-ComplaintFlowChart.pdf


Also, please feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions or feedback about our processes at Jason.Barbee@oregon.gov. While we have some legal limitations on what can be changed, I’m always open to hearing ideas on what could make our processes easier to understand and comply with.


Renee Clough, PE, PLS, was appointed by Governor Kate Brown to the Oregon State Board of Examiners for Engineering & Land Surveying in March. Her nomination to join the Board was endorsed by the Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon.


Renee joins the Board with 19 years of experience in engineering and land surveying in Oregon. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Oregon State University and has been a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners since 2010. Renee became registered as a professional engineer in 2006 and as a professional land surveyor the following year in 2007.


Currently a Project Manager with Branch Engineering, Inc., Renee oversees and coordinates land development projects from inception to completion. Project responsibilities regularly include: client relations, monitoring projects to ensure they are in compliance with local jurisdictions, preparing existing conditions mapping, and mentoring young professionals within the organization. She was previously part owner of Branch Engineering from 2006 until recently when she sold her stake of ownership in order to have more time to dedicate to volunteering and family activities.


Reflecting on what she is most excited about with this opportunity to join the Board, Renee responded, “I’m looking forward to being able to give back to the community. So many professionals have given a lot to the engineering and land surveying industries over the years, and I am honored to have the opportunity to give back.”


Outside of work, Renee enjoys managing her daughter’s Destination Imagination team, which took 18th at last year’s Global Finals. She is also a certified powerlifting coach through the United States Powerlifting Association, and previously raced in triathlons. Renee and her family, which includes her husband, who is a structural engineer in Oregon, and daughter, enjoy adopting rescue animals.


The OSBEELS is looking forward to having Renee participate on the Board and share her vast professional land surveying and engineering experience.​


Due to the ongoing situation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, PEO will be hosting its annual conference on Friday, May 1st via live webinar. The one day conference will offer attendees the opportunity to earn up to 5 PDHs. Registration for members will be $60 and $120 for non-members.

The conference schedule includes presentations from ECO Northwest, the Oregon Department of Transportation, the Oregon Department of Energy, and the conference capstone will feature Oregon State University – Cascade’s Dean of Academics, Andrew Ketsdever, discussing the bright future of engineering.


To learn more and register today, visit: http://www.oregonengineers.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=46&Itemid=243​


​The following rules have completed the rulemaking process and been approved for permanent rulemaking by the Board at recent meetings. The purpose of sharing these updates is to ensure registrants are aware of updated rules and practicing in a lawful manner. Visit the OSBEELS website for more information on the Board’s rulemaking process and the statutes and rules within the Board’s jurisdiction.
More detailed discussions on these rule changes can be found within the minutes of recent Board and Committee meetings.


OAR 820-010-1000, OAR 820-010-1010, & OAR 820-010-4000
The purpose of the revisions to OAR 820-010-1000, OAR 820-010-1010, and OAR 820-010-4000 were to include the California state-specific Civil PE exam of 1973 as an acceptable qualifying exam for PE licensure in Oregon.

OAR 820-020-0015
Revisions to subsection six (6) of OAR 820-020-0015, which pertains to professional registrants being required to report license discipline they have received in other jurisdictions to the Board, is for the purpose of broadening the language within the subsection from “revocation or suspension” to “discipline.”

OAR 820-020-0030
Revisions to OAR 820-020-0030, pertain to amending rule language that relates to conflict of interest. The new language aims to provide more clarity for engineers and add an additional subsection to offer exemptions for County Surveying officials.  Revisions within the rule were derived from the National Society of Professional Engineers Code of Ethics Conflict of Interest Rules.

OAR 820-080-1000
OAR 820-080-1000 is a new rule developed to outline the Board’s budget hearing process for proposed biennial budgets. The process includes sharing the proposed budget with all state registrants, holding a public budget hearing, and receiving public comment before the proposed budget is approved and adopted for the upcoming biennium.

OAR 820-010-0505, OAR 820-010-1000, OAR 820-010-1010, OAR 820-010-2000, & OAR 820-010-4000
Revisions to OAR 820-010-0505, OAR 820-010-1000, OAR 820-010-1010, OAR 820-010-2000, and OAR 820-010-4000, pertain to rules for licensees delinquent more than 5 years due to disciplinary actions. Under the new language, an applicant whose Oregon registration has been revoked, or delinquent for five (5) years or more due to refusal to renew or suspension, must pass a qualifying exam within 1-2 years of applying for a new registration, depending on the specific license the applicant is applying for.

​Beginning this year registrants who renew their registration will start receiving a new format of their pocket card. In addition to the new pocket card they will be receving a small certificate with each renewal. Both the new pocket cards and the small certificate have a security mark of the OSBEELS 100-Year Seal to authenticate them.

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​The winter 2020 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) audits of professional registrants submitting renewal applications are underway.


Of more than 15,000 registrants, 3 percent, or nearly 500 individuals are audited by the agency’s Accounts Department semiannually. Those being audited are chosen at random and the CPD information included within their renewal packets will be reviewed. During an audit the department staff will review an applicant’s CPD Organizational form and supporting documents, which may include; completion certificates, attendance verifications, and other related records. Department staff may request any missing documents or records from previous renewal application packets.

The OSBEELS would like to remind state registrants that per Oregon Adminstrative Rule 820-010-0505, as a condition of registration renewal, registrants must demonstrate compliance with the CPD requirements in OAR 820-010-0635. The requirements outlined within subsection (1)(g) of OAR 820-010-0635 state CPD records must be retained for 5 years after completion.


The Accounts Department thanks you for your diligence in providing any additional, requested records to complete your audit. If a registrant is unable to provide records supporting their CPD Organizational form, it may cause a delay, or the refusal, of their renewal application. Retaining copies of your CPD records is not only required by Oregon law, it will help to ensure a quick resolution should you be selected for an audit. 

​As I’ve begun to settle into my role as the new Board Administrator these past couple of months, I wanted to take this opportunity to share an update with state registrants about a project that has become a priority within our agency and how we would like to work with state registrants to deliver the best solution for you all.  
Over the past year, it’s become evident that our current registrant database system is coming to the end of its lifecycle and we are in the beginning stages of actively looking for a replacement system. The database, which has been in-use for the past 15 years, was a tremendous resource for the OSBEELS as it transitioned into the digital age. The database provides the agency with a singular location to securely store essential agency documents such as; registrant profiles, financial records, law enforcement case materials, and much more.

As we begin the New Year, we have a great opportunity to not only greatly improve the functionality of our system’s ability, but also provide state registrants with a valuable self-service options that offers you resources and an improved customer experience.
I’d like to invite you all to provide the OSBEELS with your feedback regarding what the most important features you’d like to see in a new system, in terms of interacting with the Board through an electronic portal and our website. Follow the QR code below to submit feedback to the Board. Thank you for taking the time to provide the OSBEELS with your feedback and insights, it will be incredibly valuable as we work to develop this new online experience for you all.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RL623TV

​At recent Board meetings, the members reviewed and responded to questions received that pertained to two subsections of ORS 672.047, specifically regarding adequate right-of-entry notification and “duty of care”. The OSBEELS felt the topics and responses warranted additional sharing with professional registrants.
The first topic was regarding ORS 672.047(4), which outlines the required forms of notification surveyors are required to provide to landowners, and occupants, prior to entering onto a property. The questions reviewed by the Board were regarding whether verbal communications between a professional land surveyor and landowner was sufficient to meet the requirements outlined in ORS 672.047(4). Upon review of the situation and law, the Board determined verbal notification was not a sufficient means of notifying the landowner, and occupant, and that surveyors should always provide written notification to landowners, and occupants, prior to entering onto one’s property. Providing and keeping records of written notifications will protect professional land surveyors as it substantiates that notice was indeed provided to the land owner should a dispute arise.


As a reminder notices provided shall give the professional land surveyor’s; name, address, telephone number, purpose of entering onto property, availability of the survey, and the presence of any temporary or permanent monuments or other markers to be left on the land.

The second topic reviewed by the Board pertained to subsection 5 of ORS 672.047, which states

‘A registered professional land surveyor, or any employee or agent of the land surveyor, who enters land as allowed under this section is owed no greater duty of care than that owed by a landowner to a trespasser’.

To ensure clarity, the members and legal counsel reviewed the legal definition of “duty of care” and determined that it means that a landowner has no duty to keep their premises in a safe condition for a land surveyor to enter the property. It means that a land surveyor cannot sue an adjoiner if that land surveyor is injured because of a hazardous condition on the adjoiner’s property. It does not give the landowners the right to sue a land surveyor for trespass, or to “defend” their property against a land surveyor. It is not a basis for a landowner to deny a surveyor entry to their land after being provided proper notice.

Meaning, if sufficient notice is provided in accordance with ORS 672.047(4) the surveyor is legally permitted to enter onto a property to perform their professional services with or without permission from the landowner, or occupants. However surveyors, or their employees or representatives, cannot sue the landowner for injuries or damages sustained while on the landowner’s property when performing professional services.

The Board encourages all professional registrants to consistently review Oregon statutes and rules under the OSBEELS’s jurisdiction to ensure they are up-to-date on professional practice and conduct standards that may relate to your professional area of competence or services offered to the public. If you have any questions, please visit the Board website to submit a “Question for the Board” form.

​In July, the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) announced the recipients of the 2019 Surveying Education Award. For the fourth year in a row, Oregon Tech’s Geomatics program was among the recipients. 


Oregon Tech was one of seven college programs from across the country to receive the annual award, and one of two programs in the Northwest, the other being Idaho State University’s Surveying and Geomatics Engineering Technology program.

In addition to the award, the NCEES also donated $10,000 to Oregon Tech to assist with the program’s continued efforts to promote the value of licensure in the land surveying profession. The award committee selected New Mexico State University’s Geomatics/Surveying Engineering program to receive this year’s grand prize.


The NCEES’s annual award recognized programs that best reflect the organization’s mission to advance licensure for surveyors in order to safeguard the health, safety, and welfare of the public.

Located in Klamath Falls, Oregon Tech’s Geomatics program offers students four-year degrees in Surveying and Geographic Information Systems. While completing their coursework, students in the Geomatics program are able to gain valuable land surveying experience through hands-on fieldwork that prepares them for employment and licensure as professional land surveyors.

​The OSBEELS hosted the ninth annual professional Symposium on September 13 in Salem, OR and welcomed over 240 attendees from across the Northwest. Held at the Salem Convention Center, this year’s program featured educational presentations on notable projects and research that is helping to upgrade our state. Full-day attendees were eligible to earn eight (8) PDHs for the one-day conference. 


In his opening remarks, Board President, Daren Cone, PLS, PE, welcomed attendees and shared that 2019 marked the 100-year anniversary of the Board’s formation and inaugural meeting. Since that time, he stated, “the foundation set by past registrants and Board members has been monumental in shaping today’s industries and the state of Oregon.”

The Symposium welcomed college students from various state universities back for the third annual College Student Showcase. The program provided college students the opportunity to meet professionals, share news about their clubs, and learn about the work being done in their perspective industries.  


The day’s program kicked off with a presentation from the engineering team behind the Vancouver Waterfront’s renovation project, and specifically, the Grant Street Pier foundation design. The team behind the innovative project includes individuals from WSP Global, PBS Engineering & Environment, and Geotechnical Resources, Inc. (GRI).

Experts from the private and public sectors presented on projects ranging from bridge replacements, 3D scanning, the Bend Whitewater Park, Dam Safety Engineering, surveying Oregon State Parks, and more!

The afternoon portion of the event was launched with a presentation from the Oregon Department of Transportation’s State Surveyor, Joe Thomas, on the technology being used to help facilitate the development of the State Transportation Improvement Project.

​Tim Fassbender, PLS, CWRE, was appointed by Governor Kate Brown to the OSBEELS as of August 2019.


Fassbender joins the Board with more than 30 years of land surveying and water rights examination experience. He earned his associate degree in Land Surveying from the Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT). Fassbender became registered as a professional land surveyor in Oregon in 1986 and later became registered as a Certified Water Right Examiner in 1987. 


Fassbender is currently the City Surveyor for the City of Eugene. As the City Surveyor, he is responsible for the review and approval of all land divisions (partitions & subdivisions). Additional duties include determining boundary and right-of-way locations for city owned properties and roads, and providing support to all city departments concerning easements, land conveyances, construction projects, and other related projects.

After graduating from OIT, Fassbender initially gained employment with Orville Caswell in Eugene, OR, as a crew member before transitioning to a position with the Lane County Surveyor’s office. After serving 10 years with the Surveyor’s office, Fassbender returned to the private sector to form the firm of Ford-Ness-Fassbender. Following his partnership with Ford-Ness-Fassbender, Fassbender was hired by the City of Eugene as the City Surveyor, a position he has held for over 17 years. 


He’s been a member of the Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon (PLSO) since 1974, serving as the Midwest Chapter President five (5) different times, as well as PLSO’s Board of Directors Chair three (3) times. Additional duties within PLSO include chairing the Legislation Committee, Welfare & Ethics Committee and the Budget Committee.  Fassbender is also a member of the local Rotary club.

Born and raised in Junction City, OR, later moving to Eugene, Fassbender enjoys skiing, golfing, and woodworking outside of work. 


“I’m excited about the opportunity to work alongside the other Board members and provide my experience and knowledge in both the private and public sectors.” Fassbender said about his recent appointment to the Board.

The OSBEELS is looking forward to having Fassbender participate on the Board and share his vast professional land surveying and water right examination experience in both the private and public sectors.

​At its September meeting, the members of the Oregon State Board of Examiners for Engineering & Land Surveying (OSBEELS) selected Jason Barbee to be the Board’s next Administrator. Barbee will join the agency after serving as the Unemployment Insurance Division Deputy Director for Policy and Operations with the State of Oregon’s Employment Department. He started with the Board on October 1.

Barbee brings over 11 years of management experience with the State of Oregon, and has a track record of successfully leading programs and departments.
“It is an absolute honor to lead this agency which has such an important role to play in the safety and wellbeing of the public,” Barbee said in regards to his selection as the Board Administrator. “I’m looking forward to learning from the Board, the staff and the stakeholders to make sure we provide the best possible services and resources to our state registrants and members of the public.”

In his new role with the OSBEELS, Barbee will oversee the day-to-day operations of the agency and serve as a Board representative to external state departments and professional organizations, among other responsibilities.

“The Board is very excited to have Jason step into the Administrator Position. Jason’s skill sets in leadership, management and policy development are well suited for the OSBEELS in achieving its mission to protect life, health, and property.” Board President, Daren Cone.

Barbee earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from the University of Oregon before joining the state as an Income Tax Auditor with the Oregon Department of Revenue. Barbee remained with the Department of Revenue until 2013, gaining management experience and expanding his roles within various Special Program units, before transitioning to the Oregon Employment Department. He has been the Unemployment Insurance Division Deputy Director since 2015.

In his capacity as the Deputy Director, Barbee developed program policies, participated in strategic planning, assisted with the Division’s $8 million biennial budget preparations, and oversaw a unit comprised of 40 professionals.

Barbee’s professionalism, ability to lead a successful team, and legislative experience stood out to the Board during the recruitment process, which drew applications from across the country. The Board is excited to have Barbee join the OSBEELS as its Administrator and lead the agency in accomplishing its mission of regulating the practices of engineering, land surveying, photogrammetric mapping, and water right examination in the State as they relate to the welfare of the public in safeguarding life, health and property.

Barbee and his family live in Millersburg, OR. When he is not working, Barbee enjoys spending time with his family, which generally is in the form of him and his wife sitting on bleachers and watching their two high school children play sports. He also loves barbequing on his traeger and cheering on his alma mater, the University of Oregon Ducks.

OSBEELSHiresNewAdministrator_2019.pdfOSBEELSHiresNewAdministrator_2019.pdf

​During the Board’s May 14, 2019 meeting, Daren Cone, PE, PLS, was elected to serve as the Board President, effective July 1, 2019. Dr. Sean St.Clair, PE, was elected to serve as the Board’s Vice President. The nominations were held as a result of the previous Board President and Vice President’s biennial term ending in June.

Currently in their first term as Board members, Mr. Cone and Dr. St.Clair joined the Board during the summer of 2017. Prior to becoming Board President, Mr. Cone chaired the Finance Committee and served on the Law Enforcement Committee, Examinations & Qualifications Committee, Legislative Task Force, Oregon-Specific Exams Task Force, and the Photogrammetric & Remote Sensing Task Force.
Having a background in forest engineering, Mr. Cone previously worked for the Boise Cascade Corporation and managed his own private practice. Currently, he works for the Oregon Department of Forestry as a State Forests Engineer. Aside from his professional career, he enjoys participating in National Engineering week activities, and being an active member of the Council on Forest Engineering and the Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon.

Prior to becoming the Vice President, Dr. St.Clair chaired the Examinations & Qualifications Committee and the Rules & Regulations Committee and also served on the Joint Compliance Committee, Professional Practices Committee, and the Oregon Specific Exams Task Force.

Dr. St.Clair moved to Oregon in 2004 from Georgia where he was an instructor at the Georgia Institute of Technology and as a Structural Designer for Starzer, Brady, Fagan Associates. In Oregon, he is a professor and was the Civil Engineering Department Chair at Oregon Tech for ten years.

Dr. St.Clair has spent time as a member of the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying’s (NCEES) Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Exam Development Committee, FE Content Review Study Committee, and has authored sections of the FE Reference Handbook for NCEES.

The OSBEELS would like to thank former President, Ms. Shelly Duquette, PE, SE, and Vice President, Mr. Chris Aldridge, RPP, for their service over the course of their terms. Both individuals will continue to serve as Board members. 

​The Board would like to thank Logan Miles, PLS, for his four years of service as a Board member. He was first appointed by Governor Brown in September 2015.

During his time with the Board, Mr. Miles served as the chair of the Oregon-Specific Exams Task Force and the Examinations & Qualifications Committee and participated on the Professional Practices Committee, Rules & Regulations Committee, and the Photogrammetric & Remote Sensing Task Force. Mr. Miles participated on, and worked diligently on the development of the Oregon-Specific Land Surveying exams during his time on the Board, which he considers his greatest accomplishment as a Board member.

“The evaluation of the state-specific Land Surveying exam was an important step towards the future of that exam. We are not only making the exam process more robust, but we are giving our volunteer exam writers some training and useful information to aid in the preparation of the exam.”

Professionally, Mr. Miles is a Survey Unit Manager with the Oregon Department of Transportation in the Southern Oregon Region. Prior to working for the state of Oregon, he gained experience working in the private sector within the transportation and energy industries. In his spare time, Mr. Miles is looking forward to spending time with his growing family.

“I would like to express my appreciation to the agency staff that put in so much time and energy into agency initiatives and fellow Board members who volunteer countless hours of their time all in an effort to preserve and protect the state we live in,” Mr. Miles noted looking back on his time as a Board member. 

The Board and OSBEELS staff would like to thank Mr. Miles for his dedication to improving the engineering and land surveying professions and wish him the best in his future endeavors.

​At its March 2019 meeting, following the completion of the rulemaking process, the Board adopted Oregon Administrative Rule (OAR) 820-020-0055 regarding unprofessional conduct. The purpose of the new rule was to clarify the OSBEELS’ ability to assess civil penalties for negligent, gross negligent, and incompetent professional practices, which are found within the Board’s laws under Oregon Revised Statute (ORS) 672.
Language within OAR 820-020-0055 is as follows:

Incompetence, negligence or gross negligence in the practice engineering, land surveying, or photogrammetric mapping is unprofessional conduct.

The OSBEELS encourages all registrants and interested individuals to remain up to date on the Board’s rules. Should registrants need additional information or clarification about Board laws and rules, submit a Board Question form found on the OSBEELS website to OSBEELS.info@oregon.gov.

​This past spring OSBEELS coordinated with the Portland State University’s (PSU) Maseeh College of Engineering & Computer Science to hold the May Board meeting on the PSU campus. In addition to the meeting agenda, Board members and staff hosted a Q&A panel activity with engineering and geomatics students, and received a tour of the College of Engineering’s labs and research facilities.

While on the facility tour, Board members and staff were shown the Oregon Small Satellite Project lab. The project is the first of its kind in Oregon, which aims to have the group be the first in the state to launch a small education satellite, called “cubesats.”

During the day, the Board also welcomed Dr. Richard Cori, Dean of the Civil & Environmental Engineering department. During his visit with the Board, he discussed enrollment trends the College of Engineering was seeing and the development of research labs within the College’s building.

The OSBEELS would like to thank the PSU College of Engineering & Computer Science for hosting the May Board meeting and providing our members with a behind-the-scenes look at their facility.

​2019 marked the 100-year anniversary of the Oregon State Board of Examiners for Engineering & Land Surveying’s (OSBEELS) inaugural Board meeting.  To celebrate this milestone the OSBEELS held an afternoon event on July 11 at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry and welcomed registrants, former Board members, state officials, and members of the public.

The celebratory event acknowledged the accomplishments of past Board members and state registrants and looked ahead to the future of our state’s engineering and land surveying industries.

The presentation program was kicked off by new Board President, Daren Cone, PE, PLS, providing opening remarks about the Board’s work in the previous century and how much state licensure has evolved since 1919. Following this, National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) Western Zone Vice President, Brian Robertson, spoke on advancements in professional licensure across the national landscape. Turning a focus to the state of Oregon, Steven Cooley, PE, Chief Engineer for the Oregon Department of Transportation spoke on the status of the Statewide Transportation Improvement Plan and the vision the department has for the future of infrastructure in the state. At the conclusion of the presentation program, the OSBEELS, along with former board member Anne Hillyear, RPP, presented the first book of meeting minutes to the Interim State Archivist, Stephanie Clark. Anne Hillyear is the great granddaughter of the OSBEELS’s inaugural Board President and Oregon’s first professional engineer registrant, Olaf Laurgaard. 

The OSBEELS would like to thank all past and current Board members, staff, volunteers, exam development team members, and registrants for their commitment to fulfilling the agency’s mission of protecting the welfare of the public and safeguarding life, health, and property in the state of Oregon over the last century.

​The upcoming Oregon State Board of Examiners for Engineering and Land Surveying (OSBEELS) Board meeting on May 14 will be held at Portland State University in the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science’s Board Room. The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. and will be held in conjunction with PSU’s College of Engineering.

The Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science is located on 1930 SW 4th Ave, Portland, OR 97201. Public parking is available at the College of Engineering and on surrounding streets. We’d like to remind interested individuals to be aware of parking rates and the allotted amount of time for public parking on specific roads. Registrants and the public are encouraged to attend this special Board meeting.​

 

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