Mayor Michelle Wu's administration is trying to make the creation of a rat czar position in Boston official. This job, which involves killing rodents, would be given to a current city employee who is already leading municipal pest-control operations.
On Tuesday, Tania Del Rio, the commissioner of inspectional services, mentioned that there have been talks about promoting John Ulrich, the assistant commissioner of ISD's environmental services division, to the new role. The goal is to better coordinate the various city agencies responsible for rodent control.
During a City Council committee hearing, Del Rio referred to John as the city's rat czar and indicated that there are discussions about giving this role formal authority to coordinate more effectively.
Dr. Robert 'Bobby' Corrigan, an internationally recognized expert on rats and mice who was hired by the city as a consultant, is developing a mitigation strategy plan. He stated that the rat czar has been highly effective for rat management since it was established in New York City last April.
Kathleen Corradi, New York's rat czar, who is a self-proclaimed anti-rat activist, works directly under the mayor's office and collaborates with all departments handling pest-control operations in the city. This information was provided by Corrigan, who previously worked as a research scientist for the city government there.
Corrigan affirmed that a rat czar is crucial for city rat management, based on a question about the necessity of such a role.
In New York City, there is no independent pest-control office, unlike what Councilors Ed Flynn and Liz Breadon are advocating to establish in Boston through a city ordinance. Flynn and Breadon are pushing to create a standalone pest-control office in Boston according to a city ordinance that was discussed at the day's hearing. In New York, this office is part of the health department. Wu administration officials, who testified, effectively opposed the proposal for a standalone office. Instead, they opted to enhance the current multi-agency approach to pest control, which disappointed Flynn, as he had hoped for someone to lead the new office after advocating for a year for a rat czar.
During his opening remarks, Flynn expressed willingness to compromise but disagreed with the administration's position against establishing a new pest-control office. He described rat infestation as a significant public health emergency.
Flynn voiced his frustration upon learning from administration officials that there was no weekend pest-control coverage from the 14 relevant city inspectors. He stated that changes were necessary as people tend to gather more on weekends.
Flynn emphasized the importance of having a standalone department for pest control, arguing that it is also a public safety emergency. He believes that the issue needs to be prioritized.
Flynn expressed his frustration upon finding out from administration officials that there was no weekend pest-control coverage from the 14 relevant city inspectors. He stated that changes were necessary as people tend to gather more frequently on weekends.
Dion Irish, the chief of operations, mentioned that while the administration agrees with most of the goals of the ordinance, they would explore weekend coverage beyond having one inspector on call. However, standing up a completely new office is the only aspect that poses a problem.
“We think ISD will be the main organizer for the departments under John’s guidance,” Del Rio said. “We are ready, able, and happy to take on that role.”
Del Rio added that the government was waiting for the recommendations from Corrigan’s report for a “Boston Rat Action Plan,” which it intends to use as a “roadmap” for mitigation.
Corrigan said getting rid of food sources for rodents should be the city’s highest priority, citing improper waste disposal he’s observed in Boston. Ulrich, the potential rat czar, mentioned that the city is facing challenges in that area with absentee landlords and student housing.
After Breadon mentioned that rats can chew through the trash bins of residents and landlords trying to follow mitigation measures, Corrigan said stainless steel bins are really the only rat-proof option, although certain types of plastic work well.
Also discussed as potential ways to reduce the problem were dry ice, carbon monoxide, and contraceptive-laced bait, the latter of which was tried in New York City and could be expensive if used on a citywide basis in Boston, Corrigan said.
Councilors participating in the hearing all agreed that Boston has a rat problem, but it was unclear where many of them stood on the proposed ordinance.
Julia Mejia, an at-large councilor, sent an absence letter stating she was in favor of creating a new pest-control office, but Council President Ruthzee Louijeune said she wasn’t sure if more “bureaucracy” was the right approach.
Councilor Gabriela Coletta, who led the government operations committee hearing, said further discussion would be guided by Corrigan’s report.
“A warming climate is creating the conditions for not only rats, but all pests, bed bugs,” Coletta said while calling for a more proactive approach with the understanding that more waste will be produced as it gets warmer.
“I just think it’s going to be a series of events,” Coletta said, “that lead us to potentially what happened in Paris.”
