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Gallatin County Weed District
Regular Monthly Meeting
November 1, 2007
Board members present were Jeff Littlefield (Chairman), Fred Bell, Bob Hofman and Bob Urich and Commissioner Joe Skinner. Others present were Keith Mainwaring, Sam Rogers, Betty Biggs (Farm Bureau), John Ansley (Enforcement/Education Coordinator), Dennis Hengel (Coordinator), Rosemary Perry (Secretary) and Joby Sabol (Attorney representing PT Lands).
Introductions. Introductions were made around the table. Hengel passed around photographs of the Weed Wash events that were held at the FW&P Gallatin Canyon game check on October 21st and October 28th.
Minutes. The minutes of the October Meeting had been sent to the Board and they were approved as submitted.
Claims/Budget. Littlefield brought up the charges for the enforcement mowing of the Maxey Property on the Invoice that will be submitted to the property owners. Hengel explained that two (2) mowers had bid on the job and the bids were identical. The mowers divided the job between them dependent upon the size of their equipment. Following discussion Fred Bell moved to approve the Invoice for Enforcement on the Maxey property, Bob Hofman seconded and the motion carried.
Littlefield asked Hengel about the Weed Budget transfer that is on the Public Meeting Agenda for 11/06/07. Hengel explained that funds not used during FY”07 transfer to FY’08 changing the Special County Grant from $6200 to $6700.
OLD BUSINESS
1. Public Notice for addition of noxious weeds to the County List. Littlefield asked Hengel about the public announcement process. Hengel informed the Board that Chris Gray (Gallatin County Attorney –Civil Department) stated that the process does not need to go in front of the Commission Public meeting as the Weed Board meeting is a Public meeting. A Public Notice will be placed in the Chronicle for 2 consecutive weeks (Nov 25th and Dec 2nd) and then public discussion will take place at the December Weed Board Meeting.
NEW BUSINESS
1. Public Comment/Other.
o Betty Biggs updated the Board of some of her activities with the Farm Bureau Weed Committee. She has attended a 3-day forestry stewardship program and found the weed management program very good. She has also attended a mini college at the University of Montana where she felt the weed class was very good. She made contact with a company from Stevensville, that does brush control. If any one is interested she has the contact information and
the company will be doing some work on hawthorne that is growing on Bigg’s property.
o Keith Mainwaring brought up discussion on the radio show that he, Hengel and Ansley participated in on Saturday October 6th. One of the callers was Paul Newby (aerial applicator). Newby suggested that the Weed District contact aerial applicators to possibly get information regarding weed infestations that can’t be seen from the ground. Mainwaring also stated that KMMS is a supporter of the weed program and felt that the Board should write them a
“thank you” to acknowledge the support.
o Fred Bell commented that conducting the weed wash at the game check station was an excellent educational tool. He had a question regarding the containment pad. Hengel informed him that the pad requires 4 individuals to deploy and roll-out. As there was not enough crew to deploy the pad the decision was made to use the wash station without the pad. During next year’s field season the wash area will be monitored and any weeds that grow
will be treated.
2. 2008 Weed Summit. The event has been scheduled for February 12th, 2008 at the GranTree Inn. The room has been booked and we will have a buffet lunch provided this time for a small fee. Hengel informed the Board that he would like to restructure the program this year to include guest speakers. Some of the ideas he had were to address successes from the last Weed Summit, such as the small acreage program that the Conservation District set up with Jen Mohler and the cooperative work done by the Weed District with MDT and
the Forest Service. Littlefield asked about individual representatives giving reports, however Hengel would prefer they pass around written reports and then if there are questions they could be dealt with.
3. Cooperative Weed Management Plans.
o Gallatin/Big Sky WMA – The Board reviewed the documents. All signatures of support have been collected for the document. The WMP will be sent to the GYCC.
o Frog Rock WMA – The Weed Management Plan was written by John Councilman, Gallatin National Forest Weed Coordinator. The Forest Service needs signatures of support. Littlefield asked if there were any legal standings regarding the program, Hengel informed him that there were but only for the Forest Service. The document is a statement of what we are going to do for work. Fred Bell moved to approve the document and for the Board to sign Bob
Hofman seconded and the motion carried. Jeff Littlefield signed as Chair.
4. Commissioner Report. Commissioner Skinner stated that he had nothing special to report.
5. Chairperson Report. Littlefield reminded the Board of the Executive Session at the end of the meeting to discuss Hengel’s evaluation. He informed the Board that HR is actually updating all the Department Head Job Descriptions as most are very outdated. Littlefield also informed those present that there are reports of adding additional noxious weeds to biological control programs including hawkweed.
7. Enforcement/Education Coordinator Report. Ansley reported on the following:
o He had received an anonymous report of SK along Wheeler Mountain Way in the Peak View subdivision. He investigated and sent letters to approximately 10 home owners in the subdivision.
o He has not written thank you letters to the property owners that have done their weed control yet but will be sending those out shortly.
o He participated in the Talk Radio show on Saturday October 6th with Hengel and Mainwaring.
o He and Perry were trained on the EDEN program for Vendor payment.
o He and Perry attended a MT Dept of Ag grant writing workshop at Wheat Montana with Coordinators from Broadwater County and Jefferson County.
o He and Perry went to Madison County Weed District to get assistance with grant writing from the coordinator, Margie Edsall.
o Ansley participated in a car wash day at the FW&P hunter check station in Gallatin Gateway on Sunday October 21st.
o He and Perry went to Big Timber for more grant writing input from Stacey Barta, Coordinator.
o Ansley attended a Department of Agriculture applicator license recertification training in Billings.
o He inspected four (4) subdivisions:
§ Brownell Minor Bridger Mountain Investments
§ Patterson Park Minor Rocky Mountain Furniture Condos
o Is currently working on two (2) noxious weed trust fund grant applications (a) Upper Madison WMA and the Frog Rock WMA.
6. Coordinator Report.
o Hengel discussed the PT Land PUD subdivision. Hengel gave the Board an overview into the Weed Management Plan and request for a Memorandum of Understanding for this subdivision. The property is located between Oak Street and Baxter Lane and adjacent to Kenyon Noble Lumber. Jerry Perkins is the subdivider and was represented at the meeting by Jobie Sabol, Attorney. Currently, the subdivider has an approved WMP with the Weed District and is now
going for final plat approval with the City of Bozeman. The subdivider has not constructed the infrastructure (roads, trails, parks, revegetation) of the subdivision. In lieu of infrastructure development, the subdivider is posting an improvements agreement with the City of Bozeman. However, the improvements agreement does not include mitigation of noxious weeds or revegetation of disturbed areas or revegetation or open space. In addition, this field season, the subdivider did not implement control of the noxious weeds on the property or conduct revegetation of the open space as required
in the approved WMP. Finally, the WMP needs to be rewritten to reflect the current status of the property. Hengel has discussed this issue extensively with the engineering firm (Morrison and Maierlie) representing the subdivider. Hengel offered three suggestions for MOU approval: (1) include WMP implementation under the City of Bozeman improvements agreement or (2) develop a separate improvements agreement for WMP implementation with the Board and (3) revise the WMP to reflect the current status of the
property. There followed extensive discussion between the Board and Attorney Sabol regarding the guarantee of WMP implementation for MOU approval. Commissioner Skinner presented the idea of a separate letter of credit for the Weed District as an improvements agreement. The final agreement was that the Weed Management and Revegetation Plan would be rewritten to address the concerns of the Weed Board. Morrison and Maierlie will meet with Hengel to develop the details of a revised WMP and corresponding improvements agreement (letter of credit). After the agreement Sabol excused himself and left the
Board meeting.
o The Weed Wash Station was used at the FW&P Gallatin Canyon game check (on Hwy 191 to Big Sky) on the Sunday’s of October 21st and October 28th. The station was set up from 11am to 4pm at the game check. The events were very successful. It was encouraging to note that a majority of the hunters passing through the weed wash were aware of the noxious weed issue. As an educational tool, in addition to the hunters passing through the
station, over 150 vehicles per hour passed by the location and were exposed to the weed wash signs. A third weed wash event will be held on Sunday November 4th at the same location. Due to the cold weather this will be the final event for the year.
o He inspected the BLM property in the Maudlow area and reported that the property will need another treatment next field season. It was not sprayed for the last 2 field seasons and scattered plants of spotted knapweed emerged this year. The SK plants were hand pulled each year but more weeds than can be mechanically removed will emerge next year. The entire railroad grade from Maudlow to Lombard (Missouri River) will need treatment.
o Hengel and Ansley met with Chris Gray (County Attorney – Civil Division) to go over the enforcement process. Minor changes are required in the text of the enforcement program. The program needs to reference the Montana Code Annotated code and section numbers.
o Hengel met with Chris Gray and Tom Rogers (Planning) to discuss changes to the County WMP.
o Hengel conducted one open cut mine (gravel pit) inspection:
§ Weidenaar Ranch Gravel Pit
The original WMP was inadequate to control the weeds on the site. After discussion and contact with the Cooperator and Engineering Firm a second WMP was submitted and approved. Currently, the property is in excellent condition with only an isolated plant of Canada thistle found on the property. The Weidenaars have done an excellent job of controlling noxious weeds on the property.
o Hengel conducted subdivision property inspections for:
§ Diamond Estates #2 Annie Lot #5
§ Meadowlark Ranch Phase 1 PT Land PUD
§ Four Corners Professional Park West Gallatin Commercial Condos
§ Fullen Minor Rimrock Meadows
§ First Community Bank Osborne Minor
§ Foster Minor Hyalite Foothills Lot 46 Minor
Details of the subdivision inspections can be found in the Monthly Staff Update (November).
o Hengel informed the Board that a Fairgrounds staff member had chased a fuel thief out of the County Road complex. The thief was stealing fuel out of the vehicles parked inside the complex. The Weed District trucks are stored there so Hengel will get lockable gas caps for the trucks that are left outside.
o Hengel informed the Board that he is getting an estimate to extend the furnace duct work into the shop work area in the hopes that the extra heat into the shop area will mitigate the winter freezing problems that we have had in previous years.
o Lisa Rew – MSU mapping specialist has sent the Tall buttercup and Orange hawkweed mapping information to Allen Armstrong (County GIS Department). Armstrong will print off a map for the Weed District
The Board meeting adjourned at 2.45PM. The next meeting will be December 6, 2007.
The Board then went into Executive Session to discuss Hengel’s performance evaluation.
Respectfully submitted,
Rosemary Perry
Secretary
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