ATCT LCL CTLR BECOMES AWARE OF CLOSED RWY AT CTLR RELIEF BRIEFING; BUT FORGETS TO ADVISE PLT OF CONDITION WHEN ISSUING TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. CTLR; DISTR WITH OTHER TASKS; OBSERVES C303 MANEUVERING BTWN CLOSURE CONES AND ONTO CLOSED RWY BEFORE ERROR CAUGHT.

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TWR WAS BEING STAFFED BY 1 PERSON. I RELIEVED HIM. DURING BRIEFING; HE SAID 'TXWY D4 IS CLOSED.' I SAW A CREW BURNING WEEDS IN THE PAVEMENT CRACKS AND FILLING THE CRACKS WITH SOME TYPE OF TAR. I LISTENED TO THE ATIS AND THE TXWY CLOSURE WAS NOT ON IT; SO I RECORDED A NEW ONE. A FEW MINS LATER; AN IFR ACFT CALLED FOR TAXI AND I CLRED HIM TO TAXI TO RWY 23. I DID NOT ISSUE A RESTR AND HE DID NOT RPT HAVING THE ATIS. I REALIZED HE DIDN'T HAVE THE ATIS (OR AN IFR CLRNC); BUT WAS BUSY; SO I PLANNED TO CHK ON THESE MOMENTARILY. I LOOKED UP AND SAW HIM SQUEEZING BTWN THE TFC CONES ONTO THE CLOSED RWY. AFTER CHASTISING HIM FOR THIS; I ASKED IF HE HAD THE ATIS; WHICH HE DID. THEN I CHKED WITH MCN AFSS; WHO SAID THERE WAS NO NOTAM ISSUED ON THE CLOSURE. I THEN CALLED MY SUPVR (IN THE TRACON); WHO WAS ALSO UNAWARE OF THE CLOSURE; BUT SAID HE WOULD CHK ON IT. WHEN HE CALLED BACK; HE HAD TALKED WITH ARPT MGMNT. HE SAID THAT THE NOTAM HAD BEEN ACCIDENTALLY CANCELED THE DAY BEFORE. THEN HE SAID THAT THE NOTAM WAS NOT GOING TO BE REISSUED; BUT I SHOULD DIRECT ACFT AWAY FROM THAT AREA. I RECONFIRMED THIS; THEN TOOK THE NOTAM OFF THE ATIS AND TRIED TO REMEMBER NOT TO USE THE TXWY. THE FAA HAS A REASONABLY GOOD SYS IN PLACE FOR THINGS LIKE THIS (NOTAMS). I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THERE IS A RELUCTANCE TO USE THIS SYS. I SHOULD ALSO POINT OUT THAT THE AREA WAS MARKED OFF WITH AVERAGE SIZE TFC CONES (ABOUT 24 INCHES) HEAVILY SPLATTERED WITH BLACK TAR AND SPACED 10-15 FT APART. IT WOULD SEEM BETTER TO REQUIRE TALLER; VISIBLE CONES; PLACED CLOSER TOGETHER.