Committee Chairman, Ward 2 Alderman Maryann M. Heuston, summarized the report for members of the Board of Alderman at their general meeting last week.

By Jim Clark

The Special Committee on Rodent Issues delivered a report to the Board of Alderman at their regular meeting last week.

In the report, Superintendent of Inspectional Services Goran Smiljic outlined steps that have been taken in the effort to bring the rodent population down to acceptable levels.

Smiljic informed the Committee members that ISD does not have a site for baiting with the product purchased from Senestech, other than Trum Field. Video cameras were installed and showed no evidence of rodents. Mr. Smiljic also reported that there has been a significant drop in rodent call sightings.

Committee Chairman, Ward 2 Alderman Maryann M. Heuston, requested that the rodent activity map be shared with the aldermen in a future meeting and that the city ordinance and fine structure be reviewed as well.

“We were informed that the project needed a minimum of five sites where there was activity in order for them to lay that bait,” said Heuston. “Video cameras were installed in particular locations that were deemed to be problematic and those locations did not show regular evidence of rodent activity.”

“We asked why that might be, and the answer that we were given is that because we now have a code enforcement officer for the new dumpster regulations, diligence around that is probably having an effect,” Heuston said.

The Alderman added, “So, it’s important for us to know that the sterilization process which was part of the plan for addressing the rodent issues in this city has not yet begun.”

The Committee had ordered that a number of tasks be carried out, including baiting, video surveillance and looking at the feasibility of implementing sterilization procedures.

“It is true, we were given a chart with a graph on it that shows that in calendar year 2014 the incidence of calls had decreased from the previous year by 28%,” Heuston said. “One of our biggest years was 2012, calendar year 2013 was right up there, and probably because we were encouraging people to report in when they never had before we saw this decrease.”

“We want to delve into this further as a committee. One, because most of this committee report was completed on 30 Board orders that were put in, possibly more, of requests that areas be inspected and that areas be baited because of sightings of rodents,” said Alderman Heuston.

“The way we are going to proceed in this committee is that for the next meeting rodent activity be mapped, and that be brought to the committee meeting. Then we as a committee will be able to see where the activity is right now, even though it’s decreased by 28%, according to the 311 calls from the previous year.” Said Heuston. “And then we want to look at our city ordinance again, our fine structure, to see if we can beef that up. I think we need to think more about why we have not yet participated in the Senestech project, because we were pretty committed to that, seeing if that would have an effect.”

“We need to learn more about the camera, who decides where they should go, how long is a camera in a spot until they say there’s no rodent activity. Then maybe they look at the map and say, ‘OK, not here, but there.’ So I think there are a lot more questions to be answered.”