The meeting was called to order at 6:52 pm. Board members present included: Daryl Wiest, Chuck Birkemeyer, Jason Brent, James Johnson, and Gillian Smith. Board member Cami Baylie, along with Public Works Director Curtis Hall, Deputy Director Duane Naibauer, and County Commissioner Mike Freeman were absent.
There were no additions to the agenda.
Chuck moved and James seconded the acceptance of the minutes.
OLD BUSINESS
I 2024 Program Update –
Events
January 23-25 Colorado Farm Show – 100 participants at the booth
January 24 Weed presentations at the Farm Show – 60 participants
March 12 City of Evans Weed ID presentation – 10 participants
April 18 Arrowhead HOA meeting – 40 participants
April 24 Hylio demo for CSU applicator training course – 75 participants
May 1 Children’s Water Festival – North – 500 students & 25 adults
July 16 Master Gardener’s meeting – 50 participants
July 24 Weld County Fair – Creative Weeds
August 5-16 Purple Loosestrife
August 9 WGCD Annual BBQ – mostly city residents
October 11 Children’s Water Festival – South – 500 students and 25 adults (games)
October 23 WGCD small acreage presentation – 6 participants
December 5 WGCD Educational Symposium, booth
Facebook Posts and Other Outreach
Facebook and Twitter: 35 posts from March 25 – Nov. 18, once a week. 15 on Public Works Operations; 20 on plants, currently. News 4 article and news story on June 27, 2024.
Spraying
Bare-ground Acres: 44.55 acres this fall.
Handgun Acres: 40.55
Roadside Acres: 1352.51 Lane Miles: 6750.9
Forest Service Accomplishments: Sprayed: 1149.4 gallons; 14.37 treated acres while inspecting 6618.86 acres.
Landowner Specialists
Field Contacts: 4967 (checking on properties, looking at complaints, meeting with landowners, etc.)
Office Contacts: 5613 (identifying properties, letters, phone calls, follow-up, records, etc.)
Legal Notices mailed:30 Compliance: 27 or 90% compliance Enforcements: 0 3 not resolved. Mowed: 20; Disked: 3; Sprayed: 4
Gillian asked for more clarification on enforcements. Tina indicated that a 10-day legal notice was mailed out, after which Right-of-Entry is requested from the BOCC. Then a contractor is brought in to carry out the work. A bill is submitted to the landowner and if not paid added as a lien to the property taxes. The whole-time staff is still seeking compliance with the landowner and trying to get them to address their noxious weeds. As for the legal notices that weren’t completed, we had difficulty getting in touch with the landowners and it became too late for an enforcement to be effective. Tina doesn’t want to waste money to make a point. They are on the top of the list for 2025 so that communication can happen in a timely manner. Tina added sometimes, legal notices aren’t completed because property sells while it’s in the process.
Mower Staff
Lane Miles: 2717.5 or approx.1358.75 miles out of 748 miles of paved roads (two passes). Target goal is 2500 lane miles/year. Finishing the season mowing gravel roads.
Special Projects
Past special projects that are still in the monitoring and evaluating stage for grass establishment and weed control: Geisert trail, Grader Testing area, North of Fuel Island, East Davis Stockpile Site, LNG area, CR 38 Comm Tower, Bridge 91/38A; Stoneham pond, and Fiscus Pit (Sorghum in May, grass in December/January), Koskie Gravel Pit.
Cost Share Funds available
Weld County: $ 10,000.00 Funds Left: $ 2043.88
50% up to $400
People signed up: 33 Funds spent: $ 7956.12
People cost-shared with: 30
West Greeley CD: $19,837.30 Funds Left: $ 9,560.71
50% up to $600
People signed up: 26 Funds spent: $ 10,276.59
People cost-shared with: 25
ReStORE: $92,500.24 Funds Left: $ 30,198.11
80% up to $850 or $2800
People signed up: 50 Funds spent: $ 49,743.97
People cost-shared with: 43
II Grant Projects Update –
ReStORE – Kathy has worked diligently with landowners to help them address their noxious weeds and spend the grant funds. Through the ReStORE project we have positively impacted 43,568 acres. We have spent $89,551.89 of the grant funds. This leaves $30,198.11 to be returned from the grant. Landowners have matched these grant dollars by spending $124,170.02. A total grant expenditure of $213,721.91 on private lands plus our in-kind match for roadside treatments and Kathy’s time coordinating the grant (yet to be determined) for the three years of the project. In the project we also seeded 198.5 acres out of the planned 200 acres. These acres were nestled in amongst 1000 acres. Two of the three boot brush stations have been installed on the PNG (campground and Buttes Trail). The board and Tina discussed trying to get landowners to pre-purchase product for 2025 to spend down some more of these grant funds. Tina can’t buy the products; landowners must and then submit receipts. It was also discussed how we will write the final report to cover the work that was able to be accomplished in the three years with very difficult weather conditions.
Make America Beautiful – In 2025 we will start participating in Make America Beautiful grant program along with 5 other organizations. This program will provide $80,000 in 2025 and 2026 for the same project area as the ReStORE project. Hoping to help the landowners reach their goals with these funds. However, we have struggled with these landowners wanting financial assistance. They are hesitant of government help. Also, the weather has not been the most helpful since 2022 when we started the ReStORE project with droughts and high snow levels/rain. The board agreed that with the funds coming from the same entity, that for auditing purposes, the distinction between the grants needs to happen.
III 2025 Budget Requests and Updates – The 2025 budget has had second readings. It looks like everything will go through as requested. One request was for one last drone that offers weather rating incase needing to work during light rain or snow to document projects or disaster damage along with a thermal camera. This will give us two units that can work in wet conditions. Neither unit is a DJI. Then in one to two years will start the replacement process.
The biggest request is asking for two full time positions. One is for landowner compliance. For this position, Tina will be giving up two seasonal positions. This will give us two full-time year-round staff to cover the entire County. Hoping the year-round status will help with the increased workload and allow for contacts November through March/April when landowners are more open to working with us to develop a plan to address their noxious weeds. We will see how the season goes and if I was a little overconfident on what staff can handle. Tina will also be available to help fill in and cover some of the County. The other position is for a full-time mower operator. For this position Tina will be giving up one seasonal position and maintaining two seasonal mower position for a total of three. Tina wants one dedicated staff member to run the boom mower and help with seeding. With these specialized pieces of equipment, Tina wants someone who is responsible for them and can learn them inside and out. Take care of the equipment and damage as little as possible.
NEW BUSINESS
I Role of the Advisory Board – Daryl was excited to see this topic on the agenda. He pulled out the bylaws and read one of the opening paragraphs as to what the roles of the Board are. He commented how he had never seen the management plans during his time on the board, we hadn’t gone over them or discussed them in any depth. Tina agreed that we hadn’t. They were created back when the weed list was one big list, and Counties could pick and choose which species we addressed. Since it went to the A, B and C lists the state did more to manage the management plans. However, Tina would be happy to see what she could find of the old inhouse management plants and send a link to the State’s webpage that talk about how the species are to be managed. There was continued discussion on the age of the bylaws and if they needed to be updated, a long-range plan for which species to address, adding kochia to the list, and a CDOT discussion about their responsibility for highways and interstates to control noxious weeds. Tina commented how she does not have the resources, even if CDOT paid her, to address all their roadways in addition to the County roads, except for Highway 85 from Nunn to WY for the Dalmatian toadflax. Brent commented how everything seems to come from the top down. Then there was additional discussion about the large entities like CDOT, irrigation ditches, and municipalities and getting compliance from them. Tina offered the following role responsibility of the advisory board: Provide comments to Tina as to how policies and procedures may impact landowners, as Tina presents them. Offer suggestions to make them more effective or fair to landowners if they are not already. Come up with ideas for how to get better compliance with landowners and the County Code. Provide ideas if you hear of other treatment options or suggestions. And contact the legislative assembly if moved to do so with regards to any bills being pushed through the legislative session. Tina was asked to create a working document that highlights the Boards roles that can be reviewed periodically and provide a quick glance as to expectations, especially for new members. This document will be a combination of pieces from the bylaws as well as Tina’s suggestions.
Tina offered the board members the opportunity to ride along with a sprayer or herself to see how business is conducted on a regular day to day basis.
II 2025 Meeting Calendar – Tina mentioned that the Colorado Farm Show was going to be January 28-30, 2025 at Island Grove. The morning of the 29th would be three weed presentations: Why Didn’t My *!?$# Weeds Die? What is My Land Trying to Tell Me? and Steps to a Successful Restoration. The Board settled on March 19, July 25 and November 19 for board meetings. The July date will be a tour and board meeting. The July date might move if an earlier date is more conducive to seeing something in the field.
IV Advisory Board Questions – None specifically.
V Announcements - None
VI Meeting adjourned at 7:55 pm with a motion from Chuck and a second by James. Motion passed.