City staff to draft new rat-control strategy

City council has decided to continue a residential rat abatement program, even as their partner agency has said they are no longer interested in participating.

A recommendation had been made to cancel the $20,000 a year program, which was defeated during last night’s city council meeting by a vote of 8 to 4.

At present, the city maintains a contract with pest-control company Orkin to eliminate the rodents, while Algoma Public Heath (APH) administers the phone calls and arranged the removals.

Ward 6 Councillor Ross Romano, who has used the program, said it was flawed.

“My personal opinion is, the system as it works — doesn’t,” said Romano. 

At issue for Romano was a wait time of weeks between the time he called APH and when Orkin arrived to dispatch of the rats on his property.

Unsatisfied with the waiting period, Romano attempted to employ the services of another company, but was unsuccessful in finding one willing to conduct the service.

“I think the program needs to go and we need something better. At least if it goes, it gives residents some other opportunity to say, ‘Ok, if it’s going to take me a month to deal with this company, I will call another company. Yeah, I’m going to have to pay for it, but at least I’ll get it dealt with,” said Romano.

Since 2010, the residential rodent control program has averaged 304 calls per year, with a spike of 661 calls reported in 2015.

Jerry Dolcetti, commissioner of Engineering and Planning, noted rats have been here for millions of years and it would be impossible to eliminate the pests completely.

They often migrate throughout the city, said Dolcetti, whenever there is a major construction or demolition project, like the construction of the sewage treatment plant in the east end or the removal of the animal cages in Bellevue Park.

Dolcetti said Orkin is seeking a re-negotiation of its contract with the city, at an expected higher cost.

Steve Butland, councillor for Ward 1, noted he had received calls recently from downtown property owners as results of rats fleeing the demolition of the former Northern Breweries building.

Conditions which encourage rats to make homes in residential areas — such as tall grass and unsecured garbage — are difficult to enforce with only one bylaw officer for the entire city, suggested some councillors for Wards 1 and 2.

In a letter to city staff, Jonathan Bouma, manager of Environmental Health and Communicable Disease Control for Algoma Public Health, suggests the city handle calls for service, citing high call volumes, in-kind costs and lack of resources as reasons to discontinue APH's participation in the program.

Bouma said APH has provided about $10,000 of ‘in-kind’ service by helping to administer the program.

Ward 2 Councillor Susan Myers noted APH receives $2.4-million annually from the city and suggested — because rats carry disease — that rat abatement is within the mandate of the agency.

APH is willing to be contracted for advice on difficult situations, writes Bouma.

Ward 1 Councillor Paul Christian penned a second motion — which passed unanimously — which seeks a more comprehensive plan from city staff to move forward with a new strategy to deal with the rat problem, which may include public education and preventative measures.

He said the city owes it to the community to handle the rat issue properly.

“In the short term we need to support this program until we come up with something that is better,” said Christian.