Modoc County adopts 10% increase to noxious‑weed abatement client fees

The Modoc County Board of Supervisors voted March 10 to establish a revised fee schedule for the Department of Agriculture’s noxious weed abatement program, approving staff’s recommendation for approximately a 10% increase in client charges.

Agricultural Commissioner Heather Kelly presented a cost‑share analysis showing the county was covering a substantially larger share of abatement labor costs in several categories. Kelly proposed raising the client hourly rate from $15.00 to $16.50 and increasing the crew fee from $50 to $55 per hour to better balance county and client shares. She said the department will continue to pursue grant funding for specific programs (for example, a CDFA grant that covers yellow star thistle work) that may offset client costs in some categories.

Board members asked about the historic timing of previous rate changes and county‑level labor cost pressures; Kelly said staff could not recall a recent rate increase and noted labor and other costs have risen. Following a brief public hearing with no public testimony on this item, the board adopted the resolution by voice vote.

Why it matters: The fee schedule governs how costs for county noxious weed abatement are shared between landowners and the county; modest increases aim to reflect higher labor costs and reduce the county’s subsidization of contractor time.

What comes next: The fee schedule will be implemented by the Agriculture Department and posted as the department’s policy; staff indicated some categories remain grant‑dependent and that staff will work with the road commissioner and LPAD to seek closer alignment where possible.

Source: Staff report and public hearing remarks by Heather Kelly, March 10, 2026 Modoc County Board of Supervisors meeting.