The eradication of musk thistle was a major topic at Monday’s meeting of the Ellsworth County commissioners.

Teresa Shute of the county’s Noxious Weed Department said she has had several complaints about musk thistle and has sent out 60 letters to landowners as well as two registered letters. The letters remind landowners to take care of the musk thistle on their properties or the county will have the work done and bill the landowner’s tax statement.

Shute discussed with commissioners the possibility of landowners utilizing diversion for their musk thistle problem. However, no action was taken.

In other business:

• Shute submitted three 2020 budget requests. The first was for the county landfill. Shute requested $75,700 — the same as she requested for 2019. For the Noxious Weed Department, Shute requested $292,700 — $9,400 more than in 2019. Shute also requested $16,900 for the county recycling program. That is $1,000 more than in 2019.

• No action was taken after a 10-minute executive session with Jeremiah Brown of the county emergency medical service to discuss non-elected personnel.

Brown said longtime emergency medical technician Terry Whitmer is retiring from the EMS on July 1. He said EMT Caitlin Schlesener will move from part-time to fulltime service.

• The 2020 holiday schedule for county employees was approved.

• A letter of support was approved for the Department of Defense and its annual training in Ellsworth County.

• No action was taken after a 15-minute executive session with county clerk Shelly Vopat to discuss non-elected personnel.

Vopat presented commissioners with a bill from Gene’s Heartland Foods requesting payment for items charged by the sheriff ’s office. However, Vopat said the county needs more information on the county’s responsibility.

“We just don’t pay bills without proof,” she said.

Vopat said the bill was taken care of a year ago but she wanted to bring it to the attention of the commissioners.

The next meeting of the Ellsworth County commissioners will be at 9 a.m. Monday, June 24, at the county courthouse.