Rodent Issues Special Committee weighs in

On August 2, 2017, in Latest News, by The Somerville Times

Ward 2 Alderman Maryann M. Heuston reported the latest findings of the Special Committee on Rodent Issues to the Board as a whole at their last regular meeting.

By Jim Clark

The City of Somerville Board of Aldermen heard a report by the Special Committee on Rodent Issues at the most recent regular meeting of the Board.

Committee Chairperson, Ward 2 Alderman Maryann M. Heuston, updated the status of the city’s efforts to curb the rodent infestations that have plagued the city for many years.

Prior to the regular meeting of the Board as a whole, the Committee – which is comprised of Alderman Heuston, Ward 1 Alderman Matthew McLaughlin, and Alderman At-Large John M. Connolly – met beforehand to review data and prepare their report to the Board.

Alderman Heuston reported on the items discussed at the Committee meeting. The Committee discussed Magoun Square, identifying locations that may be a source of trouble. Ideas considered were private trash pick-up, private baiting in addition to City baiting, grease removal, removing things that attract rats like bird feeders, cat food bowls, and water bowls, and requiring more stringent rules for baiting in advance of a demolition project. The Committee approved a motion that ISD compel access to properties where property owners are not cooperative.

Heuston emphasized the need for more aggressive enforcement of rodent abatement procedures at a particular Magoun Square location. “There is more work to be done at this location. The inspectors are awaiting information and will be going to that location shortly,” Heuston said. “Ideas that were brought up during that discussion had to do with private trash pickup, whether the businesses down there had private trash pickup. The suggestion was that the businesses down there should be doing their own baiting in addition to the city baiting that’s being done.”

Alderman Connolly reportedly suggested that private trash for businesses should be picked up on a daily basis, instead of sometimes only twice a week. “That’s not enough for a robust business that’s serving food,” said Heuston.

Alderman Connolly made a motion that ISD seek a court order to compel access to properties when property owners are not cooperative. The Committee approved the motion.

Bills of lading for grease removal was also discussed.

Various aldermen discussed rodent infestation issues within their respective wards. Heuston said that there was general discussion regarding conditions that attract rats, as well as the effects of construction and demolition in the city.

More stringent rules for developers were discussed, such as requiring of baiting during construction and demolition activities.

Additionally, a rat birth control program was discussed and there was general agreement that more research into this type of program would be worthwhile, and that other methods of rodent control should be explored by the city.

“We are also being told that the door-knockers are being redone,” Heuston said. “Those will be revised and start to be used again.”

The report of the Special Committee was subsequently accepted into the record of the regular meeting.

Supplemental items relating to rodent infestation issues were also addressed during the meeting. These included:

  • An order that the City Solicitor take action to petition the courts to allow the city onto properties requiring remedial action when there is an emergency public health issue.
  • An order that the Supervisor of Inspectional Services provide the Board with an update regarding rodent prevention fliers.
  • An order that the Supervisor of Inspectional Services monitor, on a daily basis, the apartment building on the corner of Medford Street and Norwood Avenue (499 Medford Street) for open trash, as there is a major rat infestation in that area that could spread through the Magoun Square business district due to neglect in controlling trash at that property.
  • An order that the Executive Director of the Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development take all necessary measures to ensure that rodent baiting is integrated into the entire Beacon Street project and work collaboratively to address recent rodent issues that have already increased in the active section of the project.
  • An order that the Superintendent of Inspectional Services regularly bait the sewer at 66 Newbury Street.
  • An order that the Commissioner of Public Works regularly empty the trash bin at WSNS, (across from 17 Raymond Avenue), and check for rodents.
  • An order that the Superintendent of Inspectional Services bait the sewer in front of 24 Endicott Avenue to help mitigate rodent activity on this street.
  • An order that the Superintendent of Inspectional Services conduct an inspection of the Emerson Street neighborhood for rodent issues and take all necessary action related to inspection of problem properties and businesses in the area.
  • An order that the Superintendent of Inspectional Services intensify rodent control around Magoun Square, particularly on Norwood Avenue and Lowell Street, behind food businesses, and take additional actions if necessary to suppress rodent activity, and report to the Ward 5 Alderman by December 8th with an update.
  • An order that the Superintendent of Inspectional Services bait the sewers on Albion and Hudson Streets between Lowell and Central Streets.
  • An order that the Superintendent of Inspectional Services explore the possibility of using dry ice as a rodent control measure and report the findings to the Board.
  • An order that the Superintendent of Inspectional Services provide a rundown of all rodent control efforts throughout Ward 1 and a plan for rodent control for the summer.

A number of additional related orders were also put into effect at the meeting.

 

8 Responses to “Rodent Issues Special Committee weighs in”

  1. Matt says:

    Why not ask residents to allow the city to put out the steralization traps. I’m sure many people would prefer a trap rather than rats in their back yard.

  2. LindaS says:

    I think that as long as Somerville continues to undergo constant construction, there will never be a complete solution to this issue.

    More and more animals are being seen in this city that we never saw in the past, probably due to being crowded out by construction and development. Turkeys, rabbits, and even coyotes have been spotted in recent times, and we are as urban as it gets.

    Urban development comes at a cost, and unfortunately it’s the wildlife that suffers for it. Humans are to blame for most of the problem, so let’s hope that we can also be able to provide the solution in a humane way.

  3. Matt says:

    We need more outdoor cats!

  4. Steve Keenan says:

    LindaS is correct. We are taking away the spaces for wildlife to survive. It is so sad.

  5. LindaS says:

    Joking or not, unfortunately, more outdoor cats would only create another issue. The life span of an outdoor cat is far shorter than for an indoor cat due to the number of risks from cars, dogs, and other animals.

    I have had cats for many years and never let any of them out of the house. Anyone who thinks they would be happier outside is wrong. Let anyone tell me they would be happier out on the street fending for themselves instead of having the run of a home or apartment and readily available food. Just ask a homeless person which they prefer.

    Cats being used to naturally remove rats would be impractical. Not only
    do the number of rats far outweigh that of cats, they would likely give the cats a disease or infection.

    I know they brought falcons into the cities to naturally reduce the pigeon population years ago. We still have falcons, and we still have pigeons. There needs to be some more effective solution to reduce the rat population, and sterilization may be one that could actually work.

  6. Courtney O'Keefe says:

    When the industrial buildings were demolished to make way for Maxwells Green, the open space turned in to a dumping ground for animals caught in cages. One neighbor witnessed a car pull up and release a caged animal in the middle of the night. This is one of those cases of “you’re damned if you do and you’re damned if you don’t.” Both construction and empty, abandoned buildings welcome four-legged residents.

  7. Jim says:

    A big part of the issue is trash control. There are student houses near Tufts that don’t take out the garbage for weeks on end. We had a Tufts house next to us build mountain of garbage in their backyard (b/c taking it out was just too much work) and it became a rat hotel.

  8. LindaS says:

    What I will never understand is why people continue to abandon animals by dumping them this way, when they know there are plenty of animal shelters willing to take them. All they need to do is call them and have them taken away. Instead many animals are left to die. Look at all the cases of animal cruelty on the news. All they had to do was call a shelter instead of leaving poor animals to starve to death.

    In the case of catching and trapping so-called “pest” animals, wouldn’t Animal Control be willing to deal with them if they are caught, instead of simply dumping them out somewhere else? Isn’t that their job?

    Even if they are no longer on your property, dumping them out somewhere else only brings the problem to someone else.

    As for trash control, there needs to be tighter monitoring of places where trash is being neglected, and heavy fines placed for those who are letting it pile up to the point where they are attracting rats and other undesirable animals.