Rat problems? They could soon be your problem

City staff are recommending the cancellation of a city-wide residential rodent control program, despite a dramatic rise in calls for service last year.

Currently, the city maintains a contract with a local pest-control contractor to remove rodents, while Algoma Public Heath (APH) has administered the phone calls and arranged the removals.

The city budgets $20,000 per year toward the program.

Should city council approve the discontinuation of the program during its Monday meeting, residents will be responsible for removal of rodents on their property at their own expense.

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

It seems Algoma Public Health is no longer interested in administering the program.

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.

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

City staff prepared a request for proposal, using the city of Windsor’s rat abatement program as a model, which was reviewed by relevant departments and APH.

Windsor’s model focuses on identification of hot spots and other data collection in an attempt to establish preventive measures to combat the city’s rat problem.

Instead of adopting the program, city staff are recommending it be cancelled altogether.

According to city staff’s report to council, replicating Windsor’s program, without APH assistance, would cost as much as $100,000.

Of the seven other municipalities surveyed by Sault Ste. Marie city staff, only Windsor maintains a city-funded rat abatement program.

Sudbury, Timmins, North Bay and Thunder Bay do not offer funded rat abatement by either the municipality or local health unit.