By Andrew Firestone

Aldermen met with Inspectional Services Division members and concerned citizens Monday, May 16, to draft a new ordinance to combat Somerville’s rodent problem, which has recently received wide media coverage. In this new ordinance, drafted by City lawyer Dave Shapiro and Alderman William White, chair of the committee for Public Health and Public Safety, residents and homeowners would have the burden turned upon them to stop the infestation, or risk fines.

“As chair of Public Safety, for a number of months we’ve been dealing with a concern of ward aldermen dealing with rodent problem,” said William White, Alderman-at-Large. “Looking at the current ordinances it looked to me like we really didn’t have an effective tool. Dave Shapiro from the law office sat down and drafted a real effective ordinance that I think will give us the teeth we need to deal with rodent problems in neighborhoods.”

Homeowners would have to pay for their own exterminator when they find rats, then take steps to rodent-proof their houses against future infestation, such as “prevent the accumulation of materials stored in a manner capable of providing  food or harborage for rodents.”

The new ordinance, which will be voted on in the first week of June, came about after continued complaints of rats, and heavy news coverage. Ward 1 Alderman William Roche, while acknowledging the problem said the media had overblown the problem, saying it was causing a panic.

“We shouldn’t get other cities and towns looking at Somerville as if we have a huge rodent problem, we’re tripping over them everywhere we’re going, because it’s not that bad,” he said.

“I don’t want to make a big deal of this, but you go back over four years worth of calls in my ward, none of this is related to people just reacting to a news article,” said Maryann Heuston, Alderman of Ward 2, which was hit particularly hard by the problem. “It may be the case in other areas, but not in Ward 2. This is an everyday problem.”

“What we’ve got in our backyards is our problem, it’s not the sewers really. I’m actually going so far as to have a meeting with people from Cambridge because Ward 2 is so close to Cambridge,” she said, noting “all the dots in ward 2 right next to the Cambridge line,” which she said might be because of large facilities that go unchecked on the border-line.

The ordinance would also give Ed Nuzzo, the superintendent of the ISD, the mandate to enter homes that might be the sources of infestation. Nuzzo was candid about the problem, and said that the ordinance was a good idea, despite possible increases in fines.

“We do have an issue with rodents but I don’t think it’s that severe,” he said, adding “we  have our pockets in the city, without a question of a doubt.”

He said that while the City ISD and Department of Public Works had been diligent in eliminating rats, “you have to understand, no disregard Charlestown or Cambridge, they have their rat problems, and believe it or not, it does come into our city,” he said.

The fines for failing to deal with a rat problem when noticed are $50 for the first, $100 for the second, and $300 for any subsequent violations.