Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First

County Commissioners hire local weed superintendent

Issues concerning Kimball County’s noxious weeds stem back to August, 2015, when Dave Hottell, County Highway and Weed Superintendent, reported to the Board of Commissioners that major changes were needed.

Hottell brought in Chris Burkes of See Weed Management out of Cheyenne, Wyo., to give her opinion as well.

According to Nebraska’s Noxious Weed Control Act each county is responsible for enforcement in their jurisdiction. Each county board shall employ one or more weed control superintendents. Each such superintendent shall, as a condition precedent to employment, be certified in writing by the federal Environmental Protection Agency as a commercial applicator under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act.

“It takes one drive along Highway 30 to figure out that Dave is overwhelmed,” offered Burkes at the the particular August commissioner meeting. “The bad thing about having the road and weed superintendent being the same person is that both jobs are demanding at the same time. Time becomes very valuable.”

Burkes previously worked as weed superintendent in Box Butte County, and as a weed inspector for the state of Nebraska from 1989 – 2012. Currently her company works for Banner and Deuel counties. Burkes presented her thoughts to the commissioner on their options, which included hiring a weed superintendent or to contract the weed work done from a company.

The subject was then discussed at subsequent commissioner’s meetings and taken to a vote during the budget hearing to offer the position of Kimball County Weed Superintendent as a separate position with the County.

In doing so, the county was required by law to proceed by advertising the opening of the position. The county received only one application for the position within the allotted mandatory time frame.

During a meeting in November, Cody Renkoski, a private contractor for weed spraying with Renkoski Property out of Sidney, Nebraska, approached the commissioners with interest of doing the weed spraying for the county. Renkoski offered the county a contract $44,900.

When Burkes heard of the offer made by Renkoski, she then attended the next commissioner’s meeting to offer a bid, as well. Burkes offered a contract to the county for $49,900.

Though both offers from the contractors came in after the time designated for applications, they are private contractors and did not fall under the same obligations given to individuals applying for the position.

During the most recent County Commissioner’s meeting it was decided to hire the one and only local applicant for the Weed Superintendent position with the county, Rick Wangler.

“It’s good business to hire locally,” affirmed County Commissioner Daria Anderson-Faden, “As a member of the board of commissioners, I would encourage money spent by the county to stay in the county.”

“I felt that the out-of-county contractors were not a good fit for Kimball County and an individual living within the county would be more responsive to the needs of our area farmers and ranchers,” continued Faden, “It is easy for out of town contractors to waltz in and waltz out but not address the real concerns of the county. We advertised for an employee position, then two individual contractors approached the board of commissioners with their bids. Although, the contractor’s bid and the employee wages are negligible, we will be getting a employee in the off weed season and a local employee. An out-of-county contractor can’t offer that service.”

The owner and operator of Renkoski Property of Sidney, was not at all pleased with the decision made by the commissioners.

“I floated a three year contract proposal at $75,000,” Renkoski asserted, “I would have locked this price in for the three years.”

Renkoski also proclaimed that the county chose to hire a local person who is unlicensed and inexperienced.

“This will cost in many ways including education, licensing, etc.,” he said, “the way they (the commissioners) see it, is that the weed super just drives around spraying weeds. They have to interact and be knowledgable. This is flawed logic and if this would have happened in Cheyenne County, I would be (angry). Tax payers ought to know how government is spending their money.”

“They (commissioners) explored the contractors doing the work, but decided in the end to hire locally,” offered Kimball County Clerk, Cathy Sibal, “then they believed that most of the funds would stay in Kimball. That, as well as hiring for the position is year-round work.”

 
 
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