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Home My WebLink AboutHEARING Noxious Weed Asessment 2025 - BoCCNoxious Weed Assessment Increase Recommendation September 15, 2025 Presented by Sophie DeGroot, Jefferson County Noxious Weed Coordinator Jefferson County Courthouse, BoCC Chambers Overview •What is a Noxious Weed? •What is the Jefferson County Noxious Weed Control Board? •Weed Board Funding •Why Increase the Assessment Now? Budget Increased needs •Proposed Rate •Forested Parcels •Inflation Adjustment •Acre Rate Comparison •County Rate Comparison •Procedure for Assessment Increase •Recommendations Weed Points in Jefferson County What is a Noxious Weed? •Noxious weeds are invasive, non-native plants that threaten agricultural crops, local ecosystems, or fish & wildlife habitats. •Specific weed species are detailed in Washington’s RCW Chapter 17.10. These are required for control within the County and State. •About half of all invasive, noxious weeds are escapees from gardens. •The rest are plants accidentally introduced to Washington through human travel and trade borders and oceans. Milk thistle What is the Jefferson County Noxious Weed Control Board? •JCNWCB is a regulatory board of 5 members that represent the 5 weed districts of Jefferson County •Mission: “To protect lands within Jefferson County from the degrading impacts of noxious weeds by educating residents, property owners, land managers, and public agencies in how to serve as responsible stewards and aid in the protection and preservation of the land, water, and natural resources.” •RCW 17.10.060 The Weed Board employs staff to carry out this missions through outreach and education, survey and control, and assisting land owners and managers in preventing and managing noxious weeds. The program aims to help achieve compliance with state and county weed laws. Weed Board Funding •State law only allows county weed boards two ways to be funded (RCW 17.10.240) General fund Levy an assessment on property within the county Rates based on land classification Forested lands assessed at 1/10th average rate •Jefferson County enacted a weed assessment in 2016 Non-forested lands: $4.00 per parcel plus $0.30 / acre Forested lands: $0.40 per parcel plus $0.03 per acre •Assessment has not been reevaluated or changed in 10 years •In 2024, $147,717 was collected in Assessment Funds Giant hogweed Why increase assessment now? •Since 2016, inflation has increased an average of 33.94% •Things are on average, 1.34 times more expensive •This includes the cost of materials and labor. 50 acres of holly controlled at Anderson Lake State Park Why increase assessment now? $- $50,000.00 $100,000.00 $150,000.00 $200,000.00 $250,000.00 ACTUAL ACTUAL ACTUAL ACTUAL BUDGET 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 NWC Revenues 2021-2025 Assessment Contracts Other Total Revenue Why increase assessment now? $- $50,000.00 $100,000.00 $150,000.00 $200,000.00 $250,000.00 ACTUAL ACTUAL ACTUAL ACTUAL BUDGET 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 NWC Expenses 2021-2025 Personnel Contracts Admin Other Total Expenses Why increase assessment now? $- $50,000.00 $100,000.00 $150,000.00 $200,000.00 $250,000.00 $300,000.00 ACTUAL ACTUAL ACTUAL ACTUAL BUDGET PROJECTED PROJECTED PROJECTED 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 Revenue vs Expenses, 2021-2028 Total Revenue Total Expenses Why increase assessment now? $- $50,000.00 $100,000.00 $150,000.00 $200,000.00 $250,000.00 ACTUAL ACTUAL ACTUAL ACTUAL BUDGET PROJECTED PROJECTED PROJECTED 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 Fund Balance vs Reserve Requirement, 2021-28 Ending Fund Balance Reserve Requirement Why increase assessment now? •Increased staffing levels to meet program mandates and level of service expected •With no increase in revenue, the program cannot grow to meet high standards Seasonal employees have drastically increased the amount of work we are able to do, but funding for these positions is unstable and running a budget deficit. 2023 totals – no seasonal employees: 150 2024 totals – 1 seasonal employee: 295 acres 2025 to-date – 2 seasonal employees: 230 acres Seasonal employees removing holly What can we do with an increase? •Hire additional year-round staff or more seasonal employees Uphold higher standards of weed control across the County Assist with treatments of rare noxious weeds on private property Continue to survey and improve weed maps •Implement a cost-share program for County Residents More noxious weeds controlled on private property •Host Volunteer Events •Increased outreach and printing of educational materials •Purchase a second vehicle •Plantings •Support increased cost of supplies Spotted knapweed Proposed Rate Increase •Current rate: $4.00 / parcel $0.30 / acre •Proposed Rate $5.50 / parcel $0.45 / acre •$147,717 •$215,543 Poison hemlock vs bur chervil Inflation Increase 2016 $4.00 $0.30 2017 2%4.08 0.306 2018 2.80%4.19 0.315 2019 2.80%4.31 0.324 2020 2.10%4.4 0.331 2021 2.10%4.49 0.338 2022 6.2% (5%)*4.71 0.355 2023 8.7% (5%)*4.95 0.373 2024 4.10%5.15 0.388 2025 2.25%5.27 0.398 2026 2.25%5.39 0.406 *There is a 5% cap on inflation rate used. See below. Proposed Rate Increase •This rate takes into account the $1.39 / $0.11 increases for inflation. The additional $0.11 / parcel and $0.09 / acre support the current need to grow the program past what it has been for the last 10 years. •This rate would support increased permanent staffing. It would also support a full $10,000 cost-share program. Forested Parcels •Section 3.65.030 Rate. •(1) An assessment for the Jefferson County noxious weed control program of $___. ____ per parcel and $___. ____ per acre on all property not classified as forest land shall be imposed annually. Under RCW 17.10.240 forest lands may be subject to an annual noxious weed assessment that does not exceed one-tenth of the weighted average of the per acre and per parcel rate levied on other lands that are subject to the weed assessment. Property classified as forest land, as defined in RCW 84.33.035, which is used solely for the planting, growing or harvesting of trees and which is typified, except for a single five-year period following clear-cut logging, by canopies so dense as to prohibit the growth of an understory shall be assessed at the rate of $___.___ per parcel and $___.____ per acre. •The County will include DNR parcels in this rate bracket. Proposed Acre Rate Comparison 12,000 lbs of Scotch broom removed from the PUD corridor this year Inflation Adjustment •Annual Assessment will be adjusted per Annual Fee Indexing. Fixed amount fees established by this ordinance shall be adjusted annually on the first business day of January (adjusted date) by the amount of the increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPIW). The annual fee adjustment shall be calculated as follows: Each fee in effect immediately prior to the adjustment date will be increased by the percentage increase in the CPIW as reported for the month of September preceding the adjustment date. Increases will be rounded to the nearest cent for the per parcel rate and the nearest tenth of a cent for the per acre rate. Timber rates will be one tenth of each per parcel and per acre rate. A fee shall not be reduced by reason of such calculation. Fee increases in accordance with this calculation shall not exceed five percent per year. Compare to other Counties Procedure for increasing assessment 1. Weed Board decides whether to pursue investigating assessment increase and debate preliminary proposals Can occur over multiple board meetings 2. Weed Board public hearing August 11 Present proposed rate to public Public comment 4. At board meeting following public hearing, Weed Board discusses and votes on recommendation to BoCC 5. Board of County Commissioners hold a public hearing for public comment on September 15, 2025, then vote to pass or deny the ordinance that establishes new rates starting in 2026. YOU ARE H E R E Recommendations •On August 11, 2025, the JCNWCB voted to: Raise the assessment: $5.50 / parcel $0.45 / acre Add Inflation Adjustment Sophie DeGroot sdegroot@co.jefferson.wa.us 360-316-9332 ~ 600 lbs of poison hemlock removed from City of PT 5/19/2025