Brent Meyer, Lancaster County weed superintendent, told the Lincoln City Council on Dec. 8 that the county’s weed-abatement program performed 282 enforcement actions this year and conducted 8,169 on-site inspections in the city, covering about 3,691 parcels. “Just a little over $50,000 is what remains today,” Meyer said of unpaid assessment amounts, down from about $81,000 originally assessed as properties were cleared or paid during the season.

Meyer outlined the department’s enforcement sequence — post an orange sign on the property, send letters and legal notices, then hire a contractor if owners do not comply — and noted a $100 administrative fee added to contractor costs. He and council members discussed the components of the assessment; Meyer said the city does not mark up contractor charges and that the $100 fee has been unchanged for many years.

Councilmember Tom Beckett moved an amendment to update the assessment report with the most current data; the amendment, seconded and then put to roll call, passed unanimously. The council then approved the main motion to assess costs for cutting, clearing and removing weeds for the period Nov. 1, 2024, through Oct. 31, 2025, on a 7-0 vote.

What happens next: the updated assessment report will be reflected in the city’s billing and lien processes for properties that remained unpaid at the time of the hearing. No public speakers opposed the assessments during the hearing.