Atchison County commissioners to hear noxious weed update, public rules

Road work, weed enforcement and Project Concern all landed on one agenda at the Atchison County Courthouse, where commissioners were set to tackle the issues most likely to affect daily life first. The May 19 agenda, posted May 15, opened with a 9:00 a.m. workshop open to the public, and the Zoom link was set to start at 10:00 a.m.

The meeting packet also repeated the county’s public-comment rules. Speakers were limited to three minutes and had to give their name and address before addressing commissioners. After approval of the agenda, the consent agenda and commissioner comments, Benny Taylor was scheduled to give a noxious-weed update, a topic that reaches far beyond courthouse walls when spring growth starts creeping into ditches, roadside edges and township rights-of-way.

Kansas treats noxious weeds as a serious threat to native plants, crops, erosion control, wildlife habitat and property values, and the Kansas Department of Agriculture runs the state program. Kansas has 16 designated noxious weeds, and counties may also declare county-option weeds with state approval. Atchison County said additions to the weed list and approved control methods were published in the Kansas Register on April 30 and took effect May 15.

Commissioners had already approved the county’s 2026 noxious-weed management plan earlier in the year after a presentation from Ben Taylor. That plan added more targeted mowing and hand-cutting in ditches and other hard-to-reach areas, updated equipment listings and avoided widespread use of Tordon near crop fields because of the county’s close agricultural footprint.

Road and Bridge also had two items on the docket: an Ottawa Road Phase III start date and a concrete entryway project tied to Nutrien at 17440 Belleview Drive and 6199 Sheridan Road. Ottawa Road Phase III covers 1.9 miles from 230th Road to 246th Road and includes milling, cement-treated base reclamation, asphalt overlay, shoulders, grading, seeding and pavement marking. Bid documents said the early start date was not expected before June 26.

The Nutrien item pointed to another practical concern for county crews working around business and farm traffic. The location ties the discussion to freight movement, field access and the kind of road-edge maintenance that can disrupt daily travel when work begins.

Commissioners were also scheduled to hear a Project Concern April recap. The Atchison County nonprofit, founded in 1971 and serving the county since 1967, provides Meals on Wheels, senior-center meals and public transportation. County minutes from February said Project Concern bought and delivered 490 congregate meals and 3,050 home meals in January, while December minutes showed 1,585 in-person meals and 10,182 home meals delivered in 2025.

The agenda also left room for executive session(s) before adjournment. Taken together, the items showed a county government focused on the work residents feel fastest, from roadside weeds and road construction to the meals and rides that keep older adults connected.