Committee Report - Rodents - 3-14-18 — File 205379

March 14, 2018 Rodent Issues Special Committee Page 1 of 2 Printed 3/22/2018 REPORT OF THE RODENT ISSUES SPECIAL COMMITTEE Attendee Name Title Status Arrived Matthew McLaughlin Chair Present Ben Ewen-Campen Vice Chair Present Stephanie Hirsch Alderman At Large Present Others present: Alderman Mark Niedergang, Annie Connor - Legislative Liaison, Rositha Durham - Clerk of Committees. The meeting took place in the Committee Room and was called to order at 5:30 PM by Chairman McLaughlin and adjourned at 6:14 PM. ISD was not in the meeting. The Mayor’s office will make sure they are invited to future meetings. The next Rodent Issues Special Committee will be April 25th at 5:30 p.m. Approval of the Minutes of July 13, 2017 203792 - That the Administration utilize the drug Senestech to sterilize rats as one of many measures to control the rodent population.: Ms. Connor from the Mayor’s office talked about the Rodent Action Team that meets on various measures every 3rd Tuesday of the month. There were discussions to increase the use of Senestech. Senestech has not been used since the initial study. The pilot was done on MacArthur and Gilman streets due to many sitings of rodents in the area. Senestech uses a video camera to prove there is a rodent problem in the area. The committee will have monthly meetings which will include ISD. Ms. Connor will get a report to share with the committee after the Rodent Action Team meetings every third Tuesday of the month. RESULT: KEPT IN COMMITTEE 205199 - That the Superintendent of Inspectional Services, the Director of Health and Human Services, and the Director of any other department involved in rodent control efforts, appear before this Board’s Special Committee on Rodent Issues each month to highlight rodent control efforts.: Ms. Connor reached out to President Ballantyne to see if any of the BOA members would like to attend the monthly meetings that happens every third Tuesday of the month. The meeting happens during the day which may make it difficult for board members to attend. Ms. Connor offered to share the reports from the monthly meeting with the board members. The Chair would

Committee Meeting March 14, 2018 Rodent Issues Special Committee Page 2 of 2 Printed 3/22/2018 like the report be available for the public and suggested that future Rodent meetings happen the third Wednesday of every month to review the reports immediately following the meetings. There were also discussions about getting a report of the number of calls to 311 with rodent issues. New committee board members asked what’s been done thus far in the rodent program. Baiting has been done where there are siting and requests, there is also a rodent program for residents with some funding. There was also discussion about the use of carbon dioxide, which was tried in Boston and stopped because it was not approved by the FDA. RESULT: KEPT IN COMMITTEE 205338 - That the City Solicitor draft a feral cat ordinance similar to Chicago's, to assist feral cats and address rodent concerns.: The Chair sent a copy of Chicago’s ordinance for the City Solicitor to review. The feral cat ordinance is approved by the humane society and would be fed and cared for by the residents. A microchip is put on the feral cats for tracking and there is evidence that there has been a decline in the rodent siting with this program. Ald. Ewen-Campen asked for information on a certain type of bird which is federally protected and if this is affected by the feral cats. Question was asked if the feral cats kill the rodents or dissuade the rodents from the area. Ald. Niedergang talked about his board order in Legislative Matters for falcons as another way of getting rid of rodents. The Chair also talked about the lack of predator can contribute to the rodent issues. There were two residents from the MacArthur street area who talked about issues they are having with an apartment building not having enough trash bins and the resident put their trash bags on top of the full trash cans. They suggested there should be higher fines or perhaps multiple trash pickups. There was another resident who was concerned with the upcoming GLX and the possibility of more rodents in the area. There were increased rodents when the MBTA cut down trees. Ms. Connor talked about a required rodent mitigation plan as part of the GLX. There is an environment meeting on GLX March 21st at the Somerville High School at 6:30 in the auditorium. RESULT: KEPT IN COMMITTEE