No need for consultant to handle rat problem

By Joel Wittnebel/The Oshawa Express

The price tag is simply too steep to move ahead with hiring an outside consultant to further analyze the city’s rat problem.

In a motion brought forward ahead of council’s 2018 budget deliberations, Councillor Rick Kerr, the newly appointed chair of the corporate services committee, suggested that council quash the idea of hiring a consultant, and instead use existing resources to tackle the issue.

Earlier this year, it became clear that the City of Oshawa was dealing with a rat problem like it had never seen before, as rats thrived under a milder winter and were pushed indoors by an excessively wet spring.

Following a laundry list of complaints from residents who were dealing with rat issues, councillors directed staff to look into potential options to help residents and to bring those costs to the 2018 budget for consideration.

However, in order to look closer at the issue, including a city-wide assessment of hot spots, peer reviews of other extermination programs, and to identify options to deal with the issue, it would require a consultant at an approximate cost of $100,000.

“In our municipality, we need a unique solution,” Kerr said.

For that reason, he’s suggesting that staff move forward with a rat abatement program involving communication and public education, consultation with the city’s Building Industry Liaison Team, enforcement of municipal standards, continuing to collect data related to sightings in the community, and directing residents to use private pest control businesses to trap and remove rats.

For Councillor Doug Sanders, a large culprit behind the issue is the use of inappropriate backyard bins for compost.

“We need to educate people on what type of compost bins or piles that they have,” he said. “I think that’s an important piece that we’re missing.”

However, due to the public’s interest in the issue, Councillor Amy McQuaid-England, currently away on medical leave, says she is angry the public didn’t have a chance to comment on the path forward.

“Shame on council for not giving public notice on this issue, and allowing such an important issue to be squashed,” she said.

The motion carried with only Councillor John Neal opposed. Councillors Amy McQuaid-England and John Shields were absent from the meeting.