County Public Works could undertake own weed spray operation

Garth Meyer, Gazette Reporter | Jan 04, 20170

A change in weed spraying may come to Whitman County in 2017.

Being considered now by Public Works is a plan to do county road right-of-way spraying in-house.

The move away from private contractors would allow for more flexible, more efficient coverage later in the year, according to Mark Storey, Public Works director.

As it is today, contracts are locked in for the summer, and if more spraying is needed in the fall, it can be difficult to arrange for more work. Under the new plan, costs are expected to be similar.

“I don’t expect it to cost any less,” Storey said.

Storey and Phil Meyer, Public Works supervisor, are now gathering equipment specifications and looking into certifications to do the work.

County commissioners approved funding in the 2017 budget for Public Works to research the idea.

“We’re not 100 percent on this yet,” Storey said.

Storey and Meyer discussed the change last summer with county commissioners in workshop sessions.

Once a decision is made, for this year at least, contractors will still be used this spring. If a change is made, county workers may begin spraying in the fall or next spring.