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Residents press commissioners on sick weeds and abandoned cemeteries; county to boost cemetery budget
Summary
Public commenters urged better weed‑board responsiveness and preservation of abandoned cemeteries; commissioners discussed legal responsibilities, volunteers and historical-society support and agreed to raise the annual abandoned‑cemeteries appropriation from $3,500 to $7,000 for the coming year.
Two public comment items prompted extended discussion: complaints about the weed board’s responsiveness to noxious weeds and a citizen’s plea to protect and fund abandoned cemeteries across the county.
Randy (speaker 16) told commissioners he had repeatedly attempted for more than a year to get leafy spurge sprayed on his 57 acres and said county weed‑board staff did not return calls or follow through. "I came I tried for 2 years now to get that **** sprayed," he said, describing missed appointments and inconsistent communication. Commissioners and staff explained operational limits—spraying windows are narrow, crews prioritize county rights‑of‑way, and wind restrictions can delay work—but several members agreed the board should improve phone response and offer clearer alternatives such as a cost‑share list of contractors.
On abandoned cemeteries, David Bach (speaker 17) recounted a long inventory effort and explained that a small mill levy that once funded cemetery upkeep was eliminated by the legislature. He described examples of fenced sites and scattered military graves and asked whether the county could create a fund to preserve them. "We were looking at, you know, in the future because there's a lot of gray graves and some, banned cemeteries... is there a legal way that we can take money and do that?" Bach asked.
County auditor/treasurer staff explained that state changes removed the prior dedicated mill levy and that the county currently budgets approximately $3,000–3,500 from the general fund for abandoned‑cemetery work; those dollars cannot be placed into a special revenue fund to build up over years. Commissioners discussed working with the State Historical Society, veterans organizations for military graves, volunteer or adopt‑a‑grave programs, and possible tri‑county collaboration for weed control and cemetery maintenance.
After discussion about likely needs and costs, the board agreed to increase the abandoned‑cemetery line in the general fund from $3,500 to $7,000 for the coming budget year to allow fencing, signage and small repairs to proceed more often. Commissioners and staff said they would also pursue historical‑society assistance and outreach to community volunteers.
Key outcomes: the county will double the abandoned‑cemetery appropriation to $7,000 (budget action); staff were directed to explore legal/administrative routes to better track and protect historic graves and to improve communication procedures for the weed board.
