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Weed district presents budget, equipment purchases and building proposal; commissioners discuss funding lines
Summary
Carter County’s noxious weed staff reviewed a fiscal-year budget that includes higher seasonal salaries, a $7,500 cost-share line, contracted spraying authority, and a planned new shop building; commissioners and staff discussed funding sources and implementation details.
Carter County noxious weed staff presented their proposed budget and capital needs, telling commissioners they planned to hire five seasonal crew members, continue a producer cost-share program, and pursue equipment and building purchases funded partly from grants.
Taylor, presenting the weed district budget, said salary expenditures were increasing because the district planned to hire five crew members for the coming months; the budget line for salaries rose roughly $190,000 on the page presented. The district manager reported a $7,500 county cost-share line to reimburse producers with approved weed management plans: 50% up to $750 for herbicide purchased from the weed district, and 25% up to $500 when the district provides herbicide and labor.
Taylor described contract services at $75,000, used to hire additional spray crews when needed. The district also reported plans to purchase a side-by-side vehicle with a tank and spray unit and a four-wheeler; the recorder estimated those purchases at roughly $45,000. The commission was told a pickup was purchased previously from grant funds.
The weed staff presented a preliminary plan for a new shop building to replace or relocate facilities currently at the airport area. Preliminary dimensions discussed were 290 feet by 60 feet, with 30 additional feet of heated shop space (effectively 290 by 60 overall with a heated portion). Commissioners discussed placement on county-owned property near the old airport and the likelihood of CCIP (Capital Construction Improvement Program) involvement and the need for engineered drawings and hazardous-material-safe storage for herbicides. Staff said the building estimate would likely exceed procurement thresholds and require advertising/competitive bidding and engineering prints.
Staff discussed current herbicide inventory and a multi-year effort to use excess stock before resupplying. They said a Hammond grant and an MDT (Montana Department of Transportation) contribution (estimated rollover of about $4,000) would help highway spraying this fiscal year.
The weed staff also described a change in seasonal starting wages — the starting wage was now $20 per hour and increasing to $21 for returning staff — to meet restricted-use pesticide handling rules. Staff said crew members were receiving safety and near-miss reporting training from Northern Plains Consultation (NPCC) trainers.
No formal board action or appropriation was taken at the meeting; the commission provided direction on budget lines and asked staff to finalize specifications and return with formal procurement documents.
