Public Health - 9-20-10 Attachment 2 — File 190148

From: Monica Lamboy To: William White Cc: Peter Forcellese; Edward Nuzzo; Matthew Buckley; Ellen Schneider; Michael Meehan; Omar Boukili; David Shapiro Subject: update on rodent control activities Date: Saturday, September 18, 2010 10:44:10 AM Aldermen White, Since I will not be at the meeting Monday regarding rodent control activities at the Public Health/Public Safety Committee, I wanted to provide you with a written update. Staff continue to make progress on the action plan that we gave the committee prior to the summer recess. Accomplishments include: 1. Prepared draft ordinance related to overgrowth of shrubs and storage of wood – this ordinance is being submitted at the Sept 23rd meeting and will provide staff with regulatory tools to require property owners to clear overgrowth that can harbor rodents. It also requires that wood piles be elevated 1 foot off the ground to prevent them from serving as housing for rodents. 2. Ad campaign – the Communications Department has been tremendously helpful and has filmed what will become a public ad campaign to educate the public on what they can do to reduce rodent activity. My understanding is that the film is being edited over the next few weeks and we hope to have something for review in October. The goal of this is to be entertaining and informative at the same time. Russell Koty deserves credit for coming up with this idea and Michael Meehan, Steve DeCarlo and Russell for generating the script ideas. 3. Written materials – Ellen Schneider is working on a pamphlet/booklet for residents and businesses letting them know what they can do to reduce rodent activity. That should also be available some time in October. (Alderman Heuston would like us to prepare door hangers that we can put in neighborhoods where we have received a complaint. That will be our next outreach project.) 4. Training / inspections – ISD staff went on detailed inspections with the rodent abatement company of Magoun Square and I believe an area near Beacon Street to address complaints while also training staff in what to look for at the same time. My understanding is that all believe this to be very informative. 5. Inspections of dumpsters – we plan to implement a process of inspecting all dumpsters 2x per year. At this point, we are gathering the data on where the dumpsters are located so that they can be put on a map. Staff would then have the info needed to efficiently target the dumpsters. This should be available in October, but there is some data clean up needed. Please let me know if you need any additional information. Monica Monica R. Lamboy, Executive Director Mayor's Office of Strategic Planning & Community Development 93 Highland Avenue, Somerville, MA 02143 (t) [phone removed] ext. 2510, (fax) [phone removed] mlamboy@somervillema.gov