October 11, 2007

Weed board votes to increase assessments

By Jennifer Larsen

News editor

A split vote ultimately determined that the Adams County Noxious Weed Control Board (ACNWCB) would request an increase in weed assessments for 2008 from the Adams County Commissioners after a public hearing on Oct. 2.

The proposed assessment increases are: Irrigated, 30 cents to 31 cents for a three percent increase; dryland, 12 cents to 13 cents, eight percent increase; rangeland, three cents to four cents, 33 percent increase; towns, $5 to $6, 20 percent increase; and minimum parcel, $5 to $6, 20 percent increase for a total increase of $17,973.70 (11.6 percent) in 2008.

The weed control board received little public comment during the hearing. Coordinator Sue Sackmann gave a presentation after the hearing opened that listed administrative, operational and records management policies and other documents currently on file.

In Adams County, 89,322 acres are classified as irrigated farmland; 701,524 acres dryland farmland; 321,494 acres range/scabland/undeveloped/rights-of-way; and a separate classification for incorporated cities/towns.

Assessments were increased in 1994: Irrigated, 25 cents to 30 cents; dryland, 10 cents to 12 cents; rangeland, two cents to three cents; minimum, $5; and cities were added for $5.

Changes made in the department at the end of 2007 and in 2007 include: reduce staff hours from 40 to 35; freeze salaries, allowing no overtime; close storage unit; sell surplus equipment; reduce seasonal staff from seven to six months; take vehicles off of insurance while in storage; raise enforcement fees; raise penalty fees; not fill vacant field inspector position; and another county weed board paid the fee for Adams County to participate at the Ag Show.

A total of 1,520 hours were lost in 2007 from reductions in field staff hours, according to the information Sackmann presented: two field staff reduced from 40 to 35 hours, 240 hours; one field staff reduced from seven to six months, 160 hours; one field staff position not filled, 1,120 hours.

Sackmann said effects of less hours include greatly reduced inspection time per area especially at railroad rights-of-ways, railroad trails and roads, staff unavailable to travel with contractors and some portions may not have been inspected.

In 2005, four staff members issued 839 field inspection forms (FIF), 196 weed control notices (WCN) and 27 enforcements. With three staff members in 2006, 866 FIFs were issued, 218 WCNs and 15 enforcements. This year, two staff members issued 670 FIFs, 154 WCNs and 10 enforcements.