Brookline Town Meeting Says “No” to Rats

On November 15th, the first night of Brookline’s Town Meeting, Warrant Article 3 -a Resolution to Urge that the Town of Brookline Devote More Resources to Trash Management and Rodent Control - passed with 241 in favor, 4 opposed, and 6 abstentions. (The official tally is not yet posted).

The resolution recognizes Brookline has a major rat infestation problem that must be addressed - reported rat sightings in Brookline have increased over 300% since 2019.

The resolution welcomes the October 2022 announcement of the Town’s Rodent Control Action Plan and thanks staff for what they have already done, while recognizing that much more needs to be done. It urges that future budgets, starting with FY 2024, include the necessary funding for rodent control and trash management. ($200,000 in federal aid previously designated for COVID testing has already been reallocated for rodent control, as the state is funding the COVID testing.)

Markus Penzel, Town Meeting Member for Precinct 2, spoke for a unanimous Advisory Committee urging favorable action on WA3. The resolution recognizes that rat infestation in residential, commercial, open space and construction sites causes serious public health and sanitation threats, creates property damage and reduces quality of life.

Penzel stated that many town meeting members have been approached by constituents, citing rat urine and feces on porches and driveways; rats in plumbing and walls; rats chewing up wires in cars; and rats invading residents’ yards making them unusable for children to play or families to garden. Some residents have invested thousands of dollars to ameliorate the problem, but to no avail.

Anthony Ishak, TMM for Precinct 1 and one of the petitioners, stated that 60 percent of rats are from Brookline’s commercial districts and some are from construction sites.

The resolution calls for the FY2024 budget to include additional funding for rodent control and trash management measures. It also calls for more stringent regulations relating to solid waste disposal and rodent control; increased fines, fees and penalties to encourage compliance and to increase revenue for town efforts to combat the rat infestation.

What is causing this crisis?

Town officials attribute the rat infestation to more people using parks and open spaces and engaging in outdoor dining during COVID. As a result, there is more litter and a volume of trash that not only is hard to manage but at times is improperly stored. Construction sites, good areas for rats to burrow and often areas with insufficient trash disposal, also contribute to the problem.

Action to date:

At a Friday Conversation sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Brookline on November 4th, Sigalle Reiss, Director of Public Health and Human Services and a member of the Task Force, described current implementation of parts of the Rodent Control plan, including issuance of new outdoor dining regulations, fines for violations, and revision of solid waste regulations.

Also, according to Erin Gallantine, Commissioner of Public Works, several Town departments are working on enforcement around improperly stored trash. Solid waste regulation updates will provide more clarity around requirements for dumpsters, where many of the problems are.

The DPW is committed to year-by-year additions of “big bellies”, within the DPW budget - solar trash compactors that are fully enclosed, rodent proof, and able to hold five times as much waste as a regular trash bin.

What next in the short run?

As part of the Town’s Rodent Control Action Plan, a contract was just signed with Modern Pest Services to reduce the presence of rodents in town through digital technology. It has a unique system of baited above-ground SMART boxes, using barbecued chicken as the lure! Each box can hold up to five rats, and the contractor will be automatically notified as the boxes need emptying.

Brookline, in conjunction with Modern Pest, has identified high-rodent activity areas in town where these boxes will be installed, starting November 28th, to help monitor and control rodent activity while providing real-time data on rodent populations in the community.

Another initiative just launched is the portal at BrookONline, which provides a central place for individuals to report outdoor rodent control issues on public or private property in Brookline. Each request will be reviewed by staff within 2-3 business days and forwarded to the responsible Department (Health and Human Services, Building Department, Department of Public Works) for inspection. This site will soon have additional online resources, including booklets, rodent prevention tips, and mapping of rodent populations.

In addition, outdoor dining regulations have been updated and requirements clarified. Solid waste regulations are in the process of revision.

What does this mean for the FY2024 budget?

In communications after the resolution passed, Sean Lynn-Jones (TMM Precinct 1 and one of the petitioners), the FY2024 and longer term elements of the Rodent Control Action Plan are focused on enforcement (e.g., hiring an Inspectional Services and Code Enforcement Supervisor), improved solid waste regulations, better trash management (e.g., buying “Big Belly” rodent-resistant trash bins for parks, playgrounds, and public spaces), and community education (e.g., the new webpage and distributing door hangers in areas where there is a major rat problem). For more detail, see the Oct. 12, 2022 Rodent Control Action Plan Recommendation Memorandum.

Diana McClure is Communications Director, League of Women Voters of Brookoine, whose mission is voter education.