Burleigh County weed officer reports 39 of 47 townships sprayed; board sets bid schedule and seeks higher insurance coverage

County Weed Officer Darren Johnson updated the Burleigh County Board on the weed-control program, saying the department "has managed to spray 39 townships out of the 47" despite a late start and challenging weather. He described a plan to add a user-friendly section on the county website with FAQs, office hours, lab program details and fillable forms so residents can find information without calling the office.

Johnson reviewed chemicals used this season on county right-of-way — citing High Noon with Liberate and BlueLink for roadside applications — and recommended ordering more 1-gallon containers where available to make purchases easier for private applicators. "We're ordering everything in that I can in 1 gallons to make it user friendly," he said, and urged rotating products (Milestone, High Noon, Greyzon Next) to limit resistance.

On storage and risk management, Johnson said chemical stock recently moved into rented county space and raised a specific insurance question: an initial coverage estimate for stored chemicals was reported as $37,003.62. He recommended applying for a $7,500 target grant to buy a portable generator and heater so stored product would not freeze. "I don't care... just as long as we don't lose our chemical," he said of his willingness to use modest on-site measures to prevent loss. Commissioners discussed wiring, maintenance and grant restrictions and asked staff to check grant language before committing to a hard-wired installation.

Board members and Johnson discussed inventory uncertainty and agreed to seek a higher insurance quote. Johnson said typical orders can be around $20,000 and suggested raising insured value; commissioners expressed consensus to request an insurance quote for roughly $50,000 of coverage and to confirm details with the county insurer and auditors.

On contractor procurement, Johnson proposed splitting the weed-control bid into two packages — one for roadways and one for lab/land (lap) programs — to allow contractors with different equipment to bid where appropriate. Commissioners raised recordkeeping gaps for past lab-program reimbursement and agreed by consensus to remove a stipend clause from the contract package. The board set a tentative procurement calendar: bids to be posted Dec. 1, receive submissions through the Jan. 6 meeting, and award contracts by Jan. 20.

The board also discussed specifying treatment of guardrail areas and non-noxious but safety-relevant vegetation in the bid package, continuing the lab-program match (historically $1,500 per participant, $3,000 total), and outreach to independent sprayers. Johnson noted upcoming trainings and conferences (Fargo, Mandan, Bismarck) and interest from a handful of landowners in biocontrol beetles for spurge in drainage areas.

The county chair and commissioners voiced general support for Johnson’s recommendations and agreed on next steps: staff will seek the higher insurance quote, confirm grant language for generator purchase and finalize bid materials and schedule for distribution in December. The board approved routine procedural items (agenda and prior minutes) earlier in the meeting.

The next procedural step for the weed-control program is completion of bid documents and formal posting on Dec. 1; the board is scheduled to review submissions at its Jan. 6 meeting with an award planned for Jan. 20.