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Noxious weed program seeks new equipment, leans on grants and small contracts
Summary
The noxious weed presenter told commissioners the program plans to purchase a side‑by‑side sprayer, will allocate a small landfill revenue to machinery, expects recurring state/county grants and is pursuing small contracts (including work for a neighboring county) rather than large multi‑year national‑forest projects.
At the May 11 budget review, the noxious weed official presented the program’s revenue and expense outlook, saying salaries and contributions follow the county’s standard assumptions (a 4% framework) but final wage and insurance figures are pending.
The presenter said machinery and equipment purchases are under consideration, noting an anticipated $3,900 landfill revenue line that could be shifted into machinery and equipment. The program is considering buying a new side‑by‑side vehicle for spray work this summer; cost estimates discussed were about $18,000–$19,000 for a basic model and $35,000–$40,000 for a deluxe model, with the presenter saying a backup vehicle is desirable.
Grant funding remains an important revenue source: the presenter noted a county reservation/state grant with line items for machinery (about $7,500) and described the program’s multi‑year grant cycle, which helps fund staffing and contracted services. "All that is right... it's on a three‑year grant cycle," the presenter said.
The program also discussed contracting work for neighboring Sanders County. The presenter said Sanders asked for bids to spray several county roads and that small single‑day contracts (for example about $3,100) are feasible; a previously proposed much larger scope (discussed in transcript as roughly $250,000 to spray national forest areas) was judged impractical.
Commissioners and the presenter discussed past overspending and the presenter said he adjusted wage lines downward to be more exact this year. The presenter also noted vehicle insurance, machinery maintenance and chemical costs as recurring pressures but said current grant and contract revenues keep the program "sitting pretty good" for the coming year.
What happens next: the presenter will adjust budget lines to include landfill revenue for machinery and will keep commissioners informed of final salary and insurance numbers; commissioners recessed the program and continued through the agenda.
