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Neosho County commissioners weigh Mesonet weather station site; county cost limited to maintenance
Summary
Commissioners discussed pursuing a Mesonet weather station paid by the Southeast Homeland Security Council; council covers the $20,000 station cost and two years maintenance, with the county responsible for roughly $2,000 after that, and commissioners asked staff to pursue possible locations.
Neosho County commissioners discussed pursuing a Kansas Mesonet weather station for the county, with the Southeast Homeland Security Council covering the station hardware and two years of maintenance.
The commissioners heard that the council would "pay[] for the full cost of the $20,000 for the actual, weather station itself and then 2 years of maintenance," and that afterward the county might face a recurring maintenance cost of about $2,000, depending on sustainment arrangements. The presenter said the station records soil temperature and moisture, wind, solar radiation, barometric pressure, a camera and several other environmental sensors useful for agriculture and fire-condition monitoring.
Why it matters: commissioners said the data could inform local fire danger and agricultural decisions and improve situational awareness across the county. County staff and commissioners discussed looking for a centrally located site so the station’s readings would be representative of Neosho County rather than biased toward the county edge.
Commissioners and staff discussed possible locations, including county-owned land near the county landfill and other parcels; the presenter said the equipment footprint is small (a roughly 4-by-4 pad and a tower of about 32 feet) and that K-State would perform the initial maintenance under the Homeland Security grant. The presenter also said some neighboring counties already host Mesonet stations and that the Southeast region’s goal is one station per county.
The board asked staff to identify potential county-owned properties and to contact private landowners who might host the station. Commissioners emphasized locating the sensor “more centrally located in the county” and coordinating placement with adjacent counties to avoid redundant coverage.
The presenter identified Chip Redmond as the regional advocate who has presented on the Mesonet program and noted that K-State handles installation and the initial two years of maintenance under the grant. No formal vote was recorded on placing a station; the discussion closed with a request that staff return with location options and ownership checks.
Looking ahead: presenters said installation would follow the federal/state grant schedule; purchases under the NOFO likely would not occur until the end of the year and, if the county accepts a station, the county’s first maintenance outlay likely would not be due until later (the presenter said possibly not until 2028 under current timelines).
