GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY.  THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS GABRIELLA COLETTA DISTRICT ONE CITY COUNCILOR I'M THE CHAIR OF THE BOSTON CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS.  TODAY'S APRIL 9TH, 2024.  THIS HEARING IS BEING RECORDED. IT IS ALSO BEING LIVESTREAMED AT BOSTON DARK OF FORWARD SLASH CITY COUNCIL DASH TV AND BROADCASTED ON XFINITY CHANNEL EIGHT RCN CHANNEL 80 TO FILES CHANNEL 964. WRITTEN COMMENTS MAY BE SENT TO THE COMMITTEE EMAIL AT C C DOT GEO AT BOSTON.COM AND WILL BE MADE A PART OF THE RECORD AND AVAILABLE TO ALL COUNCILORS.  PUBLIC TESTIMONY WILL BE TAKEN AT THE END OF THIS HEARING.  INDIVIDUALS WILL BE CALLED ON IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY SIGNED UP AND WILL HAVE 2 MINUTES TO TESTIFY. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN TESTIFYING IN PERSON PLEASE ADD YOUR NAME JUST TO THE SIGN UP SHEET NEAR THE ENTRANCE OF THE CHAMBER. IF YOU ARE LOOKING TO TESTIFY VIRTUALLY PLEASE EMAIL OUR CENTRAL STAFF LIAISON MEGAN CAVANAUGH AT MEGHAN CAVANAUGH. MEG H AND DOT K HAVE A AND A H AT BOSTON DUCK OF FOR THE LINK IN YOUR NAME WILL BE ADDED TO THE LIST. TODAY'S HEARING IS ON DOCKET NUMBER 0262. ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING THE OFFICE OF PEST CONTROL IN THE CITY OF BOSTON THE MATTER WAS SPONSORED BY COUNCILORS FLYNN AND BRODEN AND WAS REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE ON JANUARY 31ST 2024. TODAY I AM JOINED BY MY COLLEAGUES IN ORDER OF ARRIVAL LOUIJEUNE MURPHY, WEBER, FLYNN AND BRERETON.  I WILL PASS IT TO THE ORIGINAL CO-SPONSORS FOR ANY OPENING REMARKS AND THEN GO IN THAT ORDER AGAIN LOUIJEUNE MURPHY AND WEBER. BUT FOR NOW I'LL PASS IT OVER TO THE LEAD CO-SPONSOR COUNCILOR FLYNN FOR ANY OPENING REMARKS THAT HE MAY HAVE BEFORE . THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS IMPORTANT HEARING. THANK YOU FOR THANK YOU TO COUNCILOR BREADON AS WELL FOR HER WORK ON ALL MATTERS RELATING TO PEST CONTROL AS WELL. I DO WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE CITY AND ADMINISTRATION TEAM THAT'S HERE TO THE INSPECTIONAL SERVICE CHIEF TO THE TO CHIEF DIANE IRISH TO JOHN HOLBROOK AND I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO YOU ALL THREE OF YOU FOR THE IMPORTANT WORK YOU'RE DOING IN THIS CITY.  LET ME JUST NOTE THAT I HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH DIANE IRISH AND I KNOW TANIA DEL RIO AS WELL BUT DON IRISH AND JOHN I WORKED FOR MANY YEARS ON MANY CRITICAL ISSUES ESPECIALLY NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES RELATED ISSUES SOMETIMES ON A DAILY BASIS AND I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROFESSIONALISM OF BOTH DIANE IRISH AND JOHN HOLBROOK ALSO.  LAST YEAR I FILED A HEARING ORDER ON THE CREATION OF AN OFFICE DEDICATED TO PEST CONTROL. WE HEARD FROM NEIGHBORS CITY OFFICIALS ABOUT THE CHALLENGES THAT THEY FACE WHEN DEALING WITH PEST CONTROL. I HAVE HEARD FROM CONSTITUENTS WHO ARE SUPPORTIVE OF AN OFFICE OF PEST CONTROL. AS YOU KNOW, PEST CONTROL IS CRITICAL TO OUR RESIDENTS QUALITY OF LIFE.  RATS AND RODENTS ARE A NUISANCE BUT THEY ALSO IMPACT PUBLIC HEALTH SANITIZATION OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, MAINTENANCE OF OUR PROPERTIES.  CURRENTLY PEST CONTROL IS ACROSS DEPARTMENT OF EFFORT IN BOSTON INSPECTIONAL SERVICES PUBLIC WORKS WATER AND SEWER BEING THE MAIN POINT INSPECTIONAL SERVICE WARRANTS ARE BEING THE MAIN POINTS OF CONTACT ON THIS ISSUE AND 14 INSPECTORS COVERING BOSTON HAVING A DEDICATED CITY DEPARTMENT ON PEST CONTROL WOULD ALLOW US TO BETTER FOCUS ON THE ISSUES, PROVIDE A STREAMLINED COORDINATED APPROACH IN REDUCING PESTS AND COME UP WITH A MORE INNOVATIVE WAY IN PREVENTING PEST INFESTATIONS.  THIS ORDINANCE WOULD FORMALLY CREATE THE OFFICE OF PEST CONTROL AND WOULD ACT AS A CENTRAL POINT AND DEDICATED PERSON IN DEVELOPING IMPLEMENTING LONG TERM SHORT TERM INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT PLANS FOR NEW INDIVIDUAL NEIGHBORHOODS BASED ON THEIR SPECIFIC NEEDS. IT WOULD COORDINATE MULTIPLE MULTI DEPARTMENTAL EFFORTS TO REDUCE RATS AND PESTS, DEVELOP OVERALL PEST CONTROL STRATEGY,  CONDUCT OUTREACH TO RESIDENTS ON RODENT MITIGATION METHODS.  I DO BELIEVE WE CAN DO BETTER IN TERMS OF PEST CONTROL. WE NEED THE NECESSARY FUNDS.  WE NEED MORE PERSONNEL. BUT I BELIEVE THAT HAVING A POINT PERSON, A DEDICATED OFFICE THAT DEALS SPECIFICALLY WITH THIS ISSUE ALONE WOULD HELP.  I'M ALSO WILLING TO COMPROMISE . I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS DISCUSSION ON THIS ORDINANCE.  THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR FLYNN.  COUNCILOR BREADON. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. AND THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE THIS AFTERNOON. THIS IS THE FIFTH YEAR WE HAVE HAD THIS COUNCIL OF FLYNN AND I HAVE SPONSORED A HEARING ON RODENT CONTROL FOR THIS IS OUR FIFTH YEAR AND WE HAVE THE SAME CONVERSATION EVERY YEAR.  ONE THING WE TOOK OUT OF IT OUR CONVERSATION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, INCREASING THE FINES SO WE'VE SENT A HOME RULE PETITION UP TO THE STATE HOUSE TO ASK TO INCREASE THE FINES FOR CODE VIOLATIONS. SO MAYBE THAT WILL BE AN INCENTIVE FOR MORE OF OUR ABSENTEE LANDLORDS TO DO BETTER . I AM I'M I'M NOT WEDDED TO THE IDEA OF HAVING A HAVING A RATS R PER SE BUT I REALLY DO THINK THAT THIS IS A LOT THAT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT ALL THE OPTIONS TO ANY AND ALL OPTIONS TO ADDRESS THIS REALLY TROUBLESOME AND PERSISTENT ISSUE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. IT'S INCREDIBLY DISTRESSING AND WITH THE MILDER WINTERS AND CLIMATE CHANGE WE'RE NOT SEEING A DROP OFF IN THEIR ACTIVITY OVER THE WINTER SO I KNOW YOU CAN SPEAK TO THIS WAY BETTER THAN I CAN SO YOU KNOW, I THINK OUR OUR RESIDENTS ARE REALLY LOOKING TO US TO LEAD AND TO TRY AND COME UP WITH SOME SOME SOME GOOD PROBLEMS SOLVING APPROACHES THAT WILL ACTUALLY ADDRESS THIS ISSUE.  AND YOU KNOW, I'D LOVE TO HEAR WHAT I KNOW YOU'RE WORKING ON THIS AND I'D LOVE TO HEAR WHAT WHAT WHAT IDEAS YOU'RE COMING UP WITH AND HOW WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO SUPPORT YOU GOING FORWARD.  IT IS A HUMAN CREATED PROBLEM. WE KNOW THAT.  SO WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO IN TEACHING OUR NEIGHBORS TO DISPOSE OF THEIR TRASH ETC. APPROPRIATELY BUT I THINK IT'S AN ALL HANDS ON DECK EFFORT ENGAGING WITH THE COMMUNITIES AS WELL AND ALSO FROM YOUR DEPARTMENTS AND AND OFFICES AS REPRESENTATIVES TO TO TRY AND GET EVERYBODY ON BOARD ON THIS ISSUE.  SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE AND LOOK FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATION.  THANK YOU. COUNCILOR BURDEN COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR AND THANK YOU TO THE SPONSORS FOR HOSTING THIS. I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE ADMIN CONGRATULATIONS COMMISSIONER DEL RIO AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT IN RECOGNITION OF THE INCREASING CHALLENGES OUR CITY FACES WITH ROAD IT IN PERSPECTIVE IS EXACERBATED BY THE PANDEMIC. I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. WE NEED TO HIGHLIGHT WE MUST ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE A CONCERTED AND MODERN APPROACH TOWARDS PEST CONTROL. MANY OF OUR RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS ESPECIALLY OR MEDIUM TO LARGE ONES SUFFER FROM OUTDATED DESIGNS THAT HINDER EFFICIENT WASTE MANAGEMENT CONTRIBUTING TO THE PROBLEM. AS COUNCILOR BREADON MENTIONED, RESIDENTS OF BOSTON DESERVE TO LIVE IN SANITARY CONDITIONS FREE FROM THE MENACE OF RODENTS AND NEGLECT BY PROPERTY MANAGERS WHICH IS ALSO WHY THE HOME RULE PETITION THAT COUNCILOR BREADON MENTIONED THAT I WAS HAPPY TO CO-SPONSOR AND WORK ON IS REALLY IMPORTANT AS WE DISCUSS THOSE WE HAVE TO ALSO ASSESS IF THIS APPROACH IS THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY OF ADDRESSING THE ROOT CAUSES OF OUR PEST CONTROL ISSUES.  MY OFFICE WE DUBLIN RAT WALKS AND JOHN YOU ARE YOU ARE RATS ARE YOU ARE ALL THINGS RAT IN THE CITY OF BOSTON WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT AND WE'VE BEEN ON RAT WALKS IN ROXBURY IN JAMAICA PLAIN IN CHARLESTOWN IN MATTAPAN AND HYDE PARK AND THE TENACITY THAT YOU BRING TO ADDRESSING THIS PROBLEM WITH OUR OFFICE, WITH OUR CONSTITUENTS WHETHER THEY'RE IN MOUNT PLEASANT, VINE AND ROXBURY OR WHETHER IT'S WITH YOU KNOW, NEW PROJECTS THAT WE'VE TRIED TO PILOT IN JAMAICA PLAIN RAT FOR RAT FERTILITY WITH CONTRA PEST WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT OTHER WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM AND YOU'VE BEEN OPEN AND WILLING SO I JUST WANT TO COMMEND YOU FOR THAT. I THINK AS AN URBAN CITY THIS THESE ARE JUST THESE ARE ISSUES THAT WE DEAL WITH.  BUT CAN WE GET BETTER? CAN WE DO BETTER? I ABSOLUTELY THINK SO. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW, CREATING MORE BUREAUCRATIC BUREAUCRACY IS HOW WE GET THERE BUT DEFINITELY MORE EFFORT, MORE INTENTIONALITY WITH HOW WE'RE ADDRESSING ISSUES OF TRASH AND HOW WE ARE EDUCATING THE PUBLIC IS REALLY IMPORTANT. SO THANK YOU AND THANK YOU CHIEF IRISH THANK YOU COMMISSIONER AND JOHN, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE COUNCILOR MURPHY AND THEN COUNCILOR WEBER THANK YOU CHAIR AND THANK YOU TO THE SPONSORS AND TO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. I DID SEE YESTERDAY A POPPED UP THAT YOU HAD THE RODENT CONTROL STARTS WITH YOU PUTTING OUT THAT SOCIAL MEDIA POST IS SOMETHING I KNOW MYSELF AND MY COLLEAGUES WHEN WE'VE HAD PAST HEARINGS WE'VE BEEN IN THIS CHAMBER SEVERAL TIMES, JOHN, WITH YOU AND YOUR TEAM TALKING ABOUT THIS VERY SERIOUS ISSUE OF TRASH. AND WHEN WE HAVE TRASH WE THEN HAVE RODENTS AND HOW ARE WE GOING TO ADDRESS IT TO MAKE SURE EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD FEELS LIKE THAT. WE'RE LISTENING TO THEIR CONCERNS AND ONE THING DOES START WITH EDUCATION COUNCILOR BREADON.  I THINK YOU MENTIONED RIGHT THAT THE RESIDENTS RIGHT WE KNOW THAT WE PLAY A PART IN THIS AND SO HOW CAN WE HELP BUT THEN HOW CAN WE MAKE SURE THAT WITH LANGUAGE ACCESS AND YOU KNOW IN EDUCATION TO THOSE WALKS ARE MORE THAN JUST I'VE GONE ON THEM WITH YOU TOO. WE'VE WENT RIGHT INTO MY BACKYARD ONTO THE PORCH AND IT'S IT'S GOOD TO GET THAT INFORMATION.  BUT THIS IS ALSO TO TEACH THE RESIDENTS AND TO BE GOOD NEIGHBORS TO DO A BETTER JOB AND SOME OF THE CONCERN COMES FROM AND IT WILL PROBABLY BE SPOKEN TO TODAY WHERE YOU KNOW, ABSENTEE LANDLORDS OR RESIDENTS WE TALKED ABOUT THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT DON'T HAVE DRIVEWAYS AND HAVE ACCESS TO KEEP BARRELS STORED WITH TIGHT COVERS. SO JUST GOING FORWARD, HOW ARE WE GOING TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE IF IT IS A DEPARTMENT IF IT'S A NEW AGENCY, THEN THAT CONVERSATION STARTS HERE AND I'M HAPPY TO BE PART OF THAT. BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY MYSELF AND MY COLLEAGUES JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO SUPPORT YOU, JOHN. AND OBVIOUSLY YOUR TEAM MAKING SURE THAT WE GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS AND THE CITY OF BOSTON WE CAN DO HARD THINGS. WE DO IT ALL THE TIME SO WE CAN TACKLE THIS IF WE WORK TOGETHER. SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.  THANK YOU. COUNCILOR MURPHY, COUNCILOR WEBER THANK YOU, CHAIR. WELL, THIS IS MY MY FIRST PEST CONTROL HEARING. THANK YOU FOR THE COUNCILORS FLYNN AND BRAYDON FOR WELCOMING ME INTO THE FOLD.  AND YOU KNOW I SAID A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO I TOOK A WALKING TOUR OF THE MILDRED HAYLEY APARTMENTS WITH COUNCILOR HERE AND WE VISITED SEVEN OR EIGHT APARTMENTS. THE FIRST ONE WAS FULL OF COCKROACH CARS AND A YOUNG MUMS THREE YEAR OLD HAD BEEN IN AND OUT OF THE HOSPITAL WITH ASTHMA IN ALL THE OTHER APARTMENTS WE SAW THAT DAY THERE WERE SOME HOLES IN THE WALLS FROM FROM RATS AND MICE.  THERE WERE MICE AND STAIRWELLS AND YOU KNOW I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT IMPACTS OUR HEALTH AND IT'S SOMETHING I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO LEARNING FROM YOU. YOU KNOW HOW WE CAN MAKE OUR CITY SAFER AND CLEANER ESPECIALLY FOR THE FOLKS WHO RELY ON THE CITY FOR THEIR HOUSING. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO LEARNING BACK TO YOU. CHAIR THANK YOU. COUNCILOR WEBER I'LL JUST BRIEFLY GIVE AN OPENING REMARKS OR OPENING REMARKS BUT JUST WANT TO THANK THE INCREDIBLE CITY EMPLOYEES WHO WORK EVERY SINGLE DAY TIRELESSLY TO BEAUTIFY AND BRIGHTEN OUR CITY AND OUR STREETS. I WANT TO GIVE A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO BRENDAN CONLON WHO IS SO RESPONSIVE TO MY OFFICE WHEN WE REACH OUT ABOUT RAT ABATEMENT AND PEST CONTROL. I ALSO WANT TO SHOUT OUT MICHAEL BROWN IN PUBLIC WORKS WHO SO QUICKLY MOVED HEAVEN AND EARTH TO REMOVE TWO TREE PLANTERS IN THE NORTH END THAT HOUSED MULTIPLE RATS NESTS. AND SO THAT WAS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF GOVERNMENT WORKING AT ITS MOST EFFICIENCY AND AT ITS HIGHEST AT ITS MOST EFFECTIVENESS. AND SO I DO HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF REPRESENTING THE NORTH END AND EAST BOSTON AND CHARLESTOWN WHICH IS THE MOST BUT ONE OF THE MOST DENSELY POPULATED DISTRICTS. AND SO MORE PEOPLE MEAN MORE WASTE AND MORE WASTE ATTRACTS RATS AND SO WE KNOW THAT THEY'RE INTRINSICALLY LINKED. SO LOOKING FORWARD TO UNDERSTANDING EXACTLY EVEN THOUGH WE DO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS QUITE FREQUENTLY IN THE COUNCIL BUT UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE CITY IS DOING TO REDUCE SOME OF THE WASTE ON OUR CITY STREETS BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY I'M INTERESTED IN QUANTIFYING I GUESS HOW BAD THE PROBLEM ACTUALLY IS AND UNDERSTANDING EXACTLY HOW WE ARE OR ARE NOT MEETING CONSTITUENT REQUESTS BASED ON THIS CONVERSATION. I DO WANT TO PULL BACK TO ASSESS WHETHER OR NOT THIS PARTICULAR STRATEGY OF CREATING ANOTHER OFFICE IN ADDITION TO THE WORK THAT'S ALREADY HAPPENING WILL MAXIMIZE OUR INVESTMENT WHILE ACTUALLY SOLVING THE PROBLEM. SO I THINK THAT THIS IS A SOLUTION AND MAYBE A SUITE OF SOLUTIONS BUT I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS CONVERSATION AND UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE WORK IS ACTUALLY WHAT THE WORK IS NOW THAT'S HAPPENING. SO WITH THAT I WILL PASS IT OVER TO OUR PANELISTS AND I WILL INTRODUCE THEM AND THEN HAPPY TO HAND IT OVER TO YOU AND YOUR PREFERRED ORDER.  CHIEF OF OPERATIONS DEON IRISH COMMISSIONER TANIA DEL RIO OF INSPECTIONAL SERVICES JOHN O'ROURKE WHO IS THE ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER OF THE ENVIRONMENT DIVISION IN ESD AND WE ALSO HAVE DR. ROBERT BOBBY CORRIGAN WHO IS A CONSULTANT AND URBAN RODENT ALLERGIST FROM RAMSAY PEST MANAGEMENT CONSULTING WHO IS WITH US VIRTUALLY SO WITH THAT I WILL PASS IT OVER TO THE ADMINISTRATION FOR YOUR OPENING REMARKS REPLICATION THANK YOU CHUCK. LATER COUNCILOR FLYNN COUNCIL MEMBER AND COUNCIL LOUIJEUNE FRIEDEN AND MURPHY WE APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION AND WORK WITH YOU ON THIS. THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT WE'RE ABSOLUTELY 100% ALIGNED WITH IN TERMS OF HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO ADDRESS QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES SUCH AS RODENTS.  THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO THE MAYOR.  THAT'S WHY WE HAVE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE MAYOR HAS RECENTLY DONE IS IS PROMOTED MIKE BROAD TO A NEW ROLE AS SUPERINTENDENT OF BASIC CITY SERVICES. HE PLANNED ON BEING HERE WITH US TODAY BUT UNFORTUNATELY HE COULDN'T BE HERE. BUT HIS WORK WITH US IS ALSO A REFLECTION THAT THIS IS A MULTI-AGENCY ALL HANDS ON DECK TYPE OF OF OF AN ISSUE. WE HAVE GREAT PARTNERSHIPS WITH WATER AND SEWER PUBLIC WORKS CODE ENFORCEMENT UNIT PUBLIC WORKS SANITATION UNIT, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT WE CAN GO ON AND ON. THERE ARE MANY AGENCIES THAT HAVE AN IMPORTANT ROLE TO PLAY IN THIS AND EVEN WITHIN ISED THERE ARE MULTIPLE DIVISIONS DEVISED THAT HAVE A ROLE IN THIS. WE HAVE A HOUSING DIVISION THAT'S DOING THIS WORK WITH PEST CONTROL WITHIN THE RESIDENTIAL AREAS. WE HAVE OUR HEALTH DIVISION THAT'S DOING THIS WORK WHEN IT COMES TO FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS, SUPERMARKETS ETC. BUT NO DOUBT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT RATS THE LEAD AGENCY IN THE CITY IS THE ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES DIVISION LED BY JOHN OLIVER WHO YOU'LL HEAR FROM LATER ON TODAY. BUT I JUST WANT TO COMMEND THE COUNCIL AGAIN FOR JUST ALWAYS RAISING THIS ISSUE UP BECAUSE IT IS ONE OF OUR TOP ISSUES AND WE KNOW THAT THE TREND IS NOT WHERE WE WANT TO SEE IT GOING SO WE NEED TO REEVALUATE REDOUBLE AND TAKE WHATEVER ADDITIONAL STEPS WE NEED TO TAKE AND WE ARE DOING THAT AS CHAIR COLETTA MENTIONED, WE HAVE AN EXPERT WITH US TODAY BOBBY CORRIGAN WHO WE REACHED OUT TO HIM THROUGH ISSUING A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS TO BRING ON A CONSULTANT TO HELP US EVALUATE OUR CURRENT PROGRAM AND GIVE US RECOMMENDATIONS ON ON IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE CAN MAKE.  DR. CORRIGAN AS YOU WILL HEAR WHEN HE SPEAKS LATER ON IS NOT ONLY A NATIONAL EXPERT BUT PROBABLY THE WORLD'S LEADING EXPERT ON THIS.  SO LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING THE TEAM PRESENT AND THEN HAVING OPPORTUNITIES TO ANSWER QUESTIONS SO I WILL STOP THERE AND PASS IT ON TO COMMISSIONER DEL RIO.  THANK YOU TO YOU. I ALWAYS HAVE TROUBLE WITH THIS THING. I THINK IT'S ON TO THE CHAIR TO THE CO-SPONSORS IN THE REST OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND TO MY COLLEAGUES. FIRST I JUST WANT TO SAY I'M VERY HAPPY AND EXCITED TO JOIN THIS ONGOING CONVERSATION AND I HAVE SEEN THAT THE NOT ONLY THE CONVERSATION BUT THE WORK IS ONGOING AND I'M PERSONALLY TREMENDOUSLY EXCITED TO NOW BE A PART OF IT.  SO I JUST WANTED TO TO SAY THAT AND I'LL BE BRIEF BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF REAL EXPERTS ON THE TOPIC HERE BUT I WANT TO TOUCH ON A COUPLE OF POINTS. NUMBER ONE IS THAT I HAVE LEARNED IN MY SHORT TIME AT I IS IN SPEAKING WITH BOTH DR. CORRIGAN AND JOHN AND THE TEAM THAT'S BEEN INVOLVED IS THAT THIS IS NOT A ONE DEPARTMENT PROBLEM MUCH LIKE THE WORK THAT I DID IN MY LAST ROLE WITH COORDINATED RESPONSE TEAM.  THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT IS SO PERVASIVE AND SO LARGE IN SCALE AND SO AFFECTING OF MOSTLY EVERYONE THAT LIVES IN THE CITY THAT IT DOES TAKE FOR FOR EVERY PERSON BOTH A RESIDENT CITY WORKERS FROM DIFFERENT AGENCIES TO PLAY A ROLE AND I WANT TO REPEAT WHAT CHIEF HERE HAS JUST SAID AROUND IS THE BEING WILLING ABLE AND HAVING A HISTORY OF PLAYING THAT COORDINATING ROLE AND TO AN EXTENT THAT LEADERSHIP AROUND TACKLING THIS ISSUE. THAT BEING SAID, IT DOES HAVE TO BE A MULTI-AGENCY EFFORT. BOSTON WATER SEWER HAS BEEN MENTIONED. PARKES HAS BEEN MENTIONED BACK IN A FEW OTHERS NEED TO PLAY DIFFERENT ROLES AND I THINK I'VE SEEN JOHN PLAY IN THIS COORDINATING WORLD AND I WE HOPE THAT HE CAN CONTINUE PLAYING. I THINK YOU TOOK THE WORDS RIGHT OUT OF MY MOUTH COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE WHEN YOU SAID I ALSO THINK OF JOHN AS OUR RATS ARE IN THE CITY AND THERE ARE THERE ARE THOUGHTS AND CONVERSATIONS AROUND KIND OF AMPLIFYING THAT ROLE AND GIVING IT THAT THAT FORMAL AUTHORITY AROUND COORDINATING. SO MORE TO COME ON THAT I WANT TO I WANT TO ALSO JUST MENTION OR YEAH JUST MENTIONED THAT THERE ARE CONVERSATIONS I RAISED AS WELL AROUND NOT JUST RELATING TO INS BUT IN GENERAL ARE ENFORCEMENT WORK AND OUR WORK AROUND COLLECTING FINES OR JUST GETTING COMPLIANCE OF THE DIFFERENT ASPECTS THAT WE OVERSEE.  SO MORE TO COME ON THAT. BUT I WANT TO LET JOHN DESCRIBE A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT THE OFFICE CURRENTLY DOES SO THAT WE ALL HAVE THE SAME BASELINE OF UNDERSTANDING WHAT DR. CORRIGAN HAS BEEN WORKING WITH US, WHAT WORK HE'S DONE WITH US SO FAR AND GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT THE NEXT STEPS WOULD BE FOR FOR THE YEAR AND FOR HOPEFULLY THE LONGER TERM.  SO I'LL LET YOU SPEAK ON THAT A LITTLE BIT. GOOD AFTERNOON MADAM CHAIR.  MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL JOHN I'LL WORK ON THE ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER OF ENVIRONMENT SERVICES OVERVIEW OF OF OUR DIVISION ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES IS AN ENFORCEMENT DIVISION OF THE OUR MAIN FUNCTION IS THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE STATE SANITARY CODE AS IT PERTAINS TO RODENTS AND TRASH. WE CURRENTLY HAVE 14 LICENSED INSPECTORS WHO COVER 22 WARDS ACROSS THE CITY.  MOST OF OUR WORK IS GENERATED THROUGH 311 COMPLAINTS. WE DO A LOT OF WORK AROUND EDUCATION PRODUCING VIDEOS FOR SOCIAL MEDIA, HOSTING WEBINARS, PRESENTING NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATE MEETINGS AND DOING NEIGHBORHOOD LITERATURE DROPS.  WE ALSO HAVE A LICENSING PROGRAM THE SITE CLEANLINESS LICENSE WHICH REGULATES BULK REFUSE CONTAINERS AND THOSE CONTAINERS RECEIVE A YEARLY INSPECTION FROM OUR INSPECTIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT CONTAINERS ARE IN GOOD SHAPE AND TRASH IS BEING STORED PROPERLY.  SO CURRENTLY THE BOSTON ROAD IN ACTION PLAN IS IS WHAT WE'RE CALLING IT. IT'S COORDINATION ACROSS CITY DEPARTMENTS WHO WITH THE LEADERSHIP OF DR. CORRIGAN TO LOOK AT ALL ASPECTS ON HOW OUR OPERATIONS AFFECT ROAD AND POPULATION AND HOW WE CAN BUILD ON THE RELATIONSHIPS WE CURRENTLY HAVE TO IMPROVE OUR EFFECTIVENESS AND REDUCING THE RODENT POPULATION.  I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE DR. CORRIGAN IN THE INTEREST OF TIME.  I THINK HE HAS A HARD STOP AT 3:00 DARK TWO CORRIGAN HAS BEEN A CITY ROAD AND CONSULTANT FOR OVER 30 YEARS AND HAS DESIGNED CITY RAT MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS FOR SEVERAL US CITIES AS WELL AS ASSISTING CITY ON AN INTERNATIONAL SCALE. PRIOR TO BEING A CONSULTANT HE WAS ON THE STAFF OF PURDUE UNIVERSITY FOR 16 YEARS TEACHING ROAD AND CONTROL AND CONDUCTING ROAD AND CONTROL RESEARCH. HE HAS PUBLISHED OVER 160 TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS AND AUTHORED THE COAUTHOR AND THREE OF THE MOST POPULAR TEXTBOOKS USED IN PEST IN THE PEST CONTROL INDUSTRY HIS CO-OP. HE HAS WORKED IN BOSTON AREA SEVERAL TIMES IN THE PAST DECADE AS WELL AS MAKING RAT RELATED VISITS TO BOSTON DURING THE BIG DIG. SO I WOULD LIKE TO NOW TURN IT OVER TO DR. CORRIGAN FOR HIS PRESENTATION.  DR. CORRIGAN, CAN YOU HEAR US? YES, I CAN. CAN YOU HEAR ME ? WE CAN HEAR YOU. PLEASE GO RIGHT AHEAD. OKAY. THANK YOU AND GOOD AFTERNOON TO EVERYONE.  AGAIN, AS JOHN MENTIONED ON THE ROAD AND CONSULTANT AND I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR IS PRETTY MUCH BEEN MY ENTIRE CAREER QUITE FRANKLY AND WHAT I'D LIKE TO PRESENT IN THE SHORT TIME I HAVE WITH YOU ALL TODAY IS TO ADD TO EVERYTHING I HEARD WHICH WAS VERY IMPRESSIVE. I THINK EVERYBODY HERE AT THIS HEARING ON THE STANDS THE SITUATION VERY, VERY CLEARLY WHICH IS REASSURING.  SO I DON'T NEED TO REPEAT ANY OF THAT. WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS JUST GIVE OUR CONSULTANTS OVERVIEW AS I'M WRAPPING UP AS I'LL SHOW YOU WE'VE HAD THIS BOSTON RIDE ACTION PLAN FOR THE LAST FOUR MONTHS AND I'M IN THE PROCESS OF WRITING UP THE RECOMMENDATIONS. RIGHT. SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS SWITCH OVER TO SOME SLIDES TO BEGIN WITH AND I'M NOT GOING TO DO A POWERPOINT PER SE. THESE ARE JUST A FEW SLIDES I'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU.  OKAY. MR CORRIGAN WE DON'T HAVE THOSE SLIDES. CAN WE JUST TAKE A MOMENT TO RECEIVE THEM SO THAT ALL OF THE COUNSELORS CAN REVIEW THEM? SURE. SURE. AND WHILE THAT'S WHILE THAT'S HAPPENING, I ALSO I GUESS I WOULD LIKE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WE DID A LOT OF WORK IN THE LAST FOUR MONTHS. IT'S IT'S PRETTY IMPRESSIVE. IN FACT, WHEN I LOOK BACK ON THIS AND I THINK THE CREDITS THERE GOES TO THE EFFICIENCY OF THIS PROGRAM OF THE BOSTON RED ACTION PLAN AND CERTAINLY RIGHT OUT OF CHIEF IRISH OFFICE WITH DEREK DESALVO, JOHN OELRICH TYING IT DIRECTLY TO TIMBERLAKE AS A CONSULTANT I CAN SAY ANYTHING I ASKED FOR IN TERMS OF DATA WHICH I DID SEVERAL TIMES DIFFERENT KINDS OF DATA COVERING DIFFERENT AVENUES WAS WITHIN 24 TO 48 HOURS IT WAS PRODUCED. AND HE WHEN I ASKED TO MEET WITH AND AS I'LL SHARE WITH YOU ANY DEPARTMENTAL EXPERTS AND DEPARTMENTAL SPECIALISTS I ASKED TO MEET WITH WAS SET UP AND ARRANGED FOR FIELD VISITS AND WHAT HAVE YOU. SO THE EFFICIENCY SEE IT WAS JUST VERY, VERY IMPRESSIVE AND I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR THAT EFFICIENCY. IT JUST MAKES A CONSULTANT'S LIFE MUCH EASIER AND ALL THAT IS GOING TO BE REFLECTED IN THE FINAL REPORT COMING THIS MONTH . OKAY, DR. CORRIGAN, I WAS MISTAKEN.  WE DO HAVE ACCESS TO THE PRESENTATION AND WAS SENT TO THE COUNCILORS AHEAD OF TIME SO I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT AND PLEASE FEEL FREE TO TO GO RIGHT AHEAD. OKAY.  ALL RIGHT. SO THIS IS GOING TO BE A BACKGROUND ON RODENTS AND THE RAPID PROGRESS AND IF AND I'LL JUST SAY NEXT SLIDE. SO NEXT AS YOU CAN SEE, THIS IS MY OVERVIEW BUT IT REFLECTS WHAT I TRIED TO UNDERSTAND AND I BOSTON IS NO DIFFERENT IN MANY WAYS FROM OTHER CITIES WITH RATS AND ANY PLENTY OF CITIES THESE DAYS WITH RATS AS WITH JUST INTIMATED RATS IN GENERAL AS A SPECIES ON A GLOBAL SCALE THEY ARE INCREASING AND IN SOME CASES VERY DRAMATICALLY AND AS I POINT OUT IN THE NEXT SLIDE THIS ANIMAL WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THE BIOLOGY OF BEHAVIOR THIS ANIMAL WE ALL KNOW WHAT WHAT THE RAT LOOKS LIKE IN BOSTON IN AND AROUND BOSTON BUT IT'S AN INCREDIBLE MAMMAL AND IT SEEMS ITS ALL KINDS OF ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES GOING ITS WAY AND ALSO THERE'S ALL KINDS OF THINGS GOING ITS WAY WITH THE HUMAN POPULATION HOW IT RELATES TO THIS ANIMAL NEXT . SO WE'RE GOING AT THE MEGALOPOLIS STARTING WITH BOSTON AT THE TOP AND WHAT'S CALLED THE MOSS WASH YOU KNOW, MEGALOPOLIS ALL THE WAY DOWN TO WASHINGTON, D.C. AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT EACH ONE OF THESE CITIES RIGHT NOW CURRENTLY AS WE HAVE THIS HEARING ARE EXPECTING AND SEEING HEAVY LOADS OF RAT ACTIVITY AND IT'S NOT JUST MEASURED BY COMPLAINTS. THERE'S LOTS OF DIFFERENT THINGS WE CAN DO TO MEASURE RODENT POPULATIONS. WE'LL NEVER KNOW HOW MANY RATS ARE IN EACH CITY. THAT'S ALMOST EVEN A QUESTION THAT'S NOT IMPORTANT BUT IT'S IMPORTANT AS WE KNOW FROM DIFFERENT METRICS THAT THE POPULATIONS ARE UP AND THEY CONTINUE TO SHOW AN UPWARD TREND NEXT YEAR. SO ARE OUR FOUR MONTHS TOGETHER IN THIS CONSULTING PROJECT ACTUALLY STARTED BEFORE JANUARY 20, 24.  JOHN CONTACTED ME MONTHS BEFORE THAT SAYING YOU KNOW, WE'RE INTERESTED IN A DESIGN, WE'RE INTERESTED IN ARCHITECTURE FOR WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE TO HAVE A VERY PROGRESSIVE, VERY PREVENTIVE, VERY DETAILED PROGRAM FOR MANAGING RATS IN OUR CITY RIGHT. AND THAT IS MY JOB IS AS A CONSULTANT THAT'S WHAT I KEEP IN FRONT OF ME AT ALL TIMES IS WE WANT THIS TO ADDRESS ALL THE ISSUES EVERYONE JUST MENTIONED IN THIS HEARING DURING FEBRUARY WE HAD VIRTUAL MEETINGS WITH THE ESSENTIAL DEPARTMENT TEAM LEADERS ONE AT A TIME. WE WENT THROUGH THOSE THAT CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER SET UP WITH DEREK SILVA IN MARCH.  JUST LAST MONTH I WAS IN BOSTON WITH THE TEAMS AND WE DID FIELD ASSESSMENTS AND I'M GOING TO SHARE JUST A COUPLE OF THOSE PHOTOGRAPHS WITH YOU IN A SECOND. NOT THAT WE I'M HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF PHOTOGRAPHS FROM WORKING ON THE BOSTON RIGHT ACTION PLAN BUT I WANT TO SHOW REPRESENTATIVE CASES AND TALK ABOUT THIS COMPLEXITY THAT'S BEEN BROUGHT UP TODAY AT THE HEARING BECAUSE THAT WORD DESCRIBES IT ALL. AND FINALLY THIS MONTH AS I MENTIONED, I'M PUTTING TOGETHER MY RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONSIDERATIONS AND DESIGN THOUGHTS FOR GOING FORTH NEXT.  SO AS AGAIN WAS MENTIONED THE ESSENTIAL AND I'M USING THAT WORD AND IT WAS MENTIONED SEVERAL TIMES THAT THIS YOU KNOW RATS IN ANY CITY YOU HAVE TO BE COLLABORATIVE YOU HAVE TO ALL WORK TOGETHER. THERE'S ONE MINDSET MAYBE ONE DEPARTMENT THAT'S GOING TO HAVE MORE EMPHASIS THAN ANOTHER AND IT'S GOING TO SWITCH BACK AND FORTH AND BUT ESSENTIAL AGENCIES RIGHT HERE STARTING FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AND WORKING OUR WAY THROUGH, YOU KNOW, ARE ONES THAT ARE PRETTY MUCH GOING TO BE INVOLVED EVERY SINGLE TIME.  AND YOU KNOW, FOR ALL THE YEARS I'VE BEEN TEACHING OUT OF CONTROL I ALWAYS SAY TO EVERYONE, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS ACTUALLY A KINDERGARTEN LESSON WHEN IT COMES TO RAT CONTROL IN CITIES AND THAT IS NO FOOL EQUALS NO RATS. THESE ARE NOT AMAZING ANIMALS AND THAT THEY CAN LIVE WITHOUT FOOD. THEY MUST JUST LIKE US. THEY MUST HAVE THEIR CALORIC INTAKE, THEY MUST HAVE NUTRITIONAL BALANCE, THEY MUST HAVE FOOD FOR ENERGY AND NO FOOD NO RATS. NOW IT'S EASIER SAID THAN DONE. NEVERTHELESS THAT'S CRITICAL OUT OF THE PUBLIC WORKS AND SANITATION. OF COURSE WE HAVE TO HAVE PUBLIC HEALTH AND AGAIN THIS WAS MENTIONED YOU KNOW THESE ANIMALS HAVE THE POTENTIAL AND THAT'S THE KEY WORD THE POTENTIAL TO CARRYING TRANSMIT PATHOGENS TO PEOPLE AND SERVICES AND RESTAURANTS THAN ANYTHING. SO WE HAVE TO WATCH IT AT ALL TIME. WE MUST HAVE INSPECTION SERVICES AT ALL TIMES. AND AS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT JOHN, ALL WORK I FOUND THIS SAME EXACT SENTIMENT WHEN WORKING WITH JOHN IN THE FIELD AND GOING THROUGH MANY MEETINGS ON LINES IS LIKE YOU KNOW, THIS GUY REALLY KNOWS WHAT'S GOING ON. HE IS BOSTON'S DRUG CZAR TRYING TO WRITE. SO THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT WORK JOHN. CERTAINLY PARKS MARKS IS ONE OF THE FAVORITE HOMES OF ALL RATS EVERYWHERE BECAUSE THIS ANIMAL CAME FROM AN AREA OF MONGOLIA WHERE THEY DUG INTO THE GOOD SOIL AS THEIR BURROWS. THAT'S A NATURAL HOME. SO ANY PARK THAT GOES UP IN ANY CITY RATS ARE GOING TO GRAVITATE TOWARDS THAT BOSTON PUBLIC HOUSING IN THIS CASE VERY IMPORTANT DEPARTMENT.  SO IT IS CAPITAL AND COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION AND FINALLY IT'S ALWAYS WATER AND SEWAGE COMMISSION WITHOUT A DOUBT. SECOND TO PARKS. IF YOU COULD INTERVIEW RATS I'D SAY YES.  PARKS AND SEWERS ARE OUR NUMBER ONE INTO AREAS WHERE WE LIKE THE BREED, HAVE OUR FAMILIES AND MOVE OUT FROM THERE NEXT.  SO THAT IS COMPLEXITY.  THIS IS MY DRAWING OF MY CLIPBOARD AND IT ACTUALLY WAS TRANSFERRED INTO A SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATION OF WHICH WE PUBLISHED IN A JOURNAL BUT WE DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH ALL CIRCLE BUT WHAT I'M TRYING TO SHOW HERE IS WHAT WE'RE AT THIS HEARING THERE'S ROUGHLY 30 DIFFERENT COMPONENTS TO THIS LOCAL CHRONIC POPULATION NOW WHETHER WE'RE IN CHINATOWN IN BOSTON OR WHETHER WE'RE IN THE NORTH END OR THERE ARE DOWNTOWN BOSTON WHEN IS A CHRONIC POPULATION THAT KEEPS REAPPEARING AND THE FRUSTRATION THAT I JUST HEARD FROM FOR MANY OF YOU IS TO WHAT DO WE DO? WHAT DO WE DO? THE DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE COMES INTO PLACE RIGHT HERE THIS IS NOT A CASE WHERE WELL WE GET MORE PEST CONTROL PEOPLE OR WE GET MORE PEST CONTROL PRODUCTS OR WE GET MORE AND MORE AND MORE OF SOMETHING.  EVERY CASE EVERY AREA HAS TO BE CAREFULLY ASSESSED AS TO WHAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES ARE IN THOSE AREAS AMONG THESE 30 DIFFERENT PIECES AND PARTS AND WHICH PART GETS THE BIGGEST SLICE OF THE PIE IN ONE CASE BUT THE SMALLEST PIECE OF THE PIE AND ANOTHER AND ALL THE WEIGHTED AREAS OF WHICH WE'VE DEVELOPED MODELS FOR THAT. RIGHT. SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE UP AGAINST AND THAT'S THE JOB AGAIN MY JOB AS A CONSULTANT TO SERVE BOSTON IS TO HOW DO WE PUT THOSE PIECES TOGETHER AND ESPECIALLY GOING FORWARD SO WE HAVE A SUSTAINABLE AND I HAVE TO STRESS THAT THIS THIS HAS TO BE SUSTAINABLE. THIS HAS TO BE NOT JUST WHERE WILL WE BE NEXT YEAR IN FIVE YEARS, WHERE WILL BOSTON BE WITH RATS IN 20 YEARS BECAUSE QUALITY OF LIFE HAS TO BE SUSTAINABLE FOR STARTING AS SOON AS POSSIBLE ON THE RATS IN YOUR CITY NEXT.  SO WITHOUT YOU KNOW I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE YOU THROUGH MANY WORDS SLIDES I'M GOING TO SKIP JUST TO SOME PHOTOS HERE BUT THESE ARE THE AREAS WE FEEL ASSESSED DURING MARCH.  NOW AGAIN I'VE DONE ALSO MY OWN THINGS JOHN O'ROURKE AS MENTIONED I'VE BEEN TO BOSTON ACTUALLY MULTIPLE TIMES OVER THE YEARS FOR RATS FOR ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT REASONS BUT I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH YOU KNOW THE STREETS, THE PARKS, THE BACKGROUNDS AND GOING ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE BIG DIG WITH BRUCE COLEMAN, DR. COLEMAN AND OTHERS.  BUT CERTAINLY WE MET WITH STREET SANITATION. WE RODE WITH THE STREET SANITATION DPW FOLKS TREMENDOUS . GIVE US ALL THE TIME WE NEEDED TO ANSWER ANY QUESTION WE HAD. WE VISITED VARIOUS PARKS BOTH LARGE AND SMALL BOSTON COMMONS AS I'LL SHOW YOU WE HAD TO AND AND I SENT THESE THROUGH TO YOU KNOW CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER I NEED TO SEE SEVERAL COMMERCIAL FOOD SERVING NEIGHBORHOODS IN AREAS THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT AS YOU CAN IMAGINE RESIDENTIAL STREETS AND ALLEYS. THE BOSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY WE WENT TO AND MET WITH VHA FOLKS WE WE I RANDOMLY PICKED RANDOMLY JUST BECAUSE WE COULDN'T GO ON FOREVER BUT NORTH END AND RANDOMLY BOSTON MARKET NEXT SO WE'RE IN THE BOSTON COMMONS EVERYONE KNOWS THAT EVERYONE CAN SPOT IT IT'S JUST A BEAUTIFUL GORGEOUS PARK OF COURSE ONE OF THE COUNTRY'S MOST BEAUTIFUL PARKS AND EAST COAST AND IN FRONT OF US GOING ALL THE WAY THE YOU'LL SEE FRESH NEW VERY LARGE WRAPPERS WITH FRESH DIRT ALL KICKED OUT AND YOU CAN'T SEE IN THE LOWER END BUT WE COULD PROBABLY IN ANOTHER EIGHT BOROUGHS TO WHAT YOU SEE JUST HERE WHEN I TOOK THIS PICTURE THE REASON I STRESS THIS IS THOSE ARE BREEDING BOROUGHS MEANING THOSE IS VERY SPECIFIC FOR THE RATS THAT GOES OUT TO HAVE FAMILIES THIS IS THE TIME WHEN THE RATS REPRODUCE IN GREAT NUMBERS AND SO BOSTON COMMONS ALSO BEING A PARK IT'S NOT THAT ANYONE'S DOING ANYTHING WRONG IN A PARK AND MANAGING IT IT'S JUST THAT THEY'RE PARASITES ON OUR PARKS FOR FOR THE I MENTIONED EARLIER NEXT WE SWITCH TO A NEIGHBORHOOD TIED TO A NEIGHBORHOOD ONE OF THE OLDER NEIGHBORHOODS AS WAS MENTIONED HERE WITH OLDER BUILDINGS AND WHAT HAPPENS AS TIME GOES BY BUT IF WE WALK DOWN THE STREET AND THAT'S THE TEAM RIGHT IN FRONT ME I HUNG BACK TO TAKE SOME PICTURES HERE BUT EVEN THIS ONE STREET THIS ONE SCENE WHERE THE TEAM IS AHEAD OF ME IS A VERY COMPLEX SITUATION WITH RATS. THIS IS NOT ABOUT JUST LIKE WELL OKAY, YOU KNOW THERE'S RATS IN THIS AREA. LET'S PUT OUT SOME PROFESSIONAL LEVEL BAITS OR SOME TRAPS OR WHAT DO WE DO?  WHAT DO WE DO? SO THERE COULD BE 15 INTERRELATED PIECES THAT MAKE UP THE RATS JUST THESE TWO BLOCKS AS TO WHAT DO WE DO SCIENTIFICALLY TO MAKE SURE THESE RATS CAN BE SUSTAINABLY CONTROLLED NOT WITH BAND-AIDS THEY FALL OFF VERY QUICKLY BUT SUSTAINABLE SO THAT PEOPLE SAY I HAVEN'T SEEN A RAT IN MONTHS. THAT'S THAT'S THE GOAL I THINK OF THE DESIGN OF THE RAT NEXT WE WE WE JUST TAKE A RIGHT OFF OF THOSE STREETS THAT I JUST SHOWED WE JUST TAKE A DETOUR INTO ONE OF THE ALLEYS BEHIND SOME OF THOSE VERY TOURISTY NICE STREETS WHERE PEOPLE WOULD LOVE TO SIT AND HAVE DINNER AND WE'RE IN THIS ALLEY RIGHT HERE. THIS IS THIS IS THEIR AND YOU CAN SEE QUITE HONESTLY YOU KNOW AND I SAID TO THE TEAM I SAID YOU KNOW, THIS IS DEPLORABLE BY ANY STANDARD KNOW AND I'VE BEEN IN SOME OF THE WORST RAT INFESTATIONS AROUND THE WORLD AND THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. RIGHT? THIS IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE . BUT YOU KNOW AND THE ALL THOSE CANS THERE'S WRAPPERS ALMOST BETWEEN EVERY ONE OF THOSE BLUE GARBAGE CANS AND IS DOOR LEADING INTO BUSINESSES AND SO FORTH. MORE CONCERNING IS TO THE RIGHT IS A CHILDREN'S PLAYGROUND. SO WE HAVE RATS IN THOSE KIND OF SCENARIOS. THOSE TO ME OF COURSE AND I'M SURE TO JOHN OELRICH AND OTHERS LIKE AND JOHN MENTIONED IT THAT THE NGOS THIS WILL GET IMMEDIATE ATTENTION YOU KNOW BUT IT'S A CASE OF THIS WILL GET BACK TO THE WORD I HEAR EVERYBODY SPEAKING ABOUT AND THAT IS THIS IS ABOUT SANITATION. THIS IS ABOUT GARBAGE AND THIS IS ABOUT COMMERCIAL PROPERTY OWNERS RESPONSIBILITIES AND OWNERSHIP AND TO KNOW WE ARE NOT GOING TO DO NEXT OF COURSE DUMPSTERS GET A LOT OF ATTENTION YOU KNOW, NOT AS MUCH QUITE FRANKLY AS THE PLASTIC CANS LINED UP IN A ROW AS WE JUST SEEN. BUT NEVERTHELESS MOST PEOPLE DO NOT KNOW HOW TO USE DUMPSTERS.  THEY GET OVERUSE, THEY GET ABUSE. THEY PEOPLE JUST THROW TRASH AT THAT BIG OPENING AND OFTEN MISS AND IT ENDS UP ON THE GROUND AND AS YOU CAN SEE ACTUALLY HERE TO THE LEFT WITNESS FOOD SPILLS AND THE RATS WILL COME OUT AND SOMETIMES CAN JUST CLIMB A POLE AND JUMP INTO A DUMPSTER. SO DUMPSTER OLOGY QUITE FRANKLY IS SOMETHING THAT IS VERY, VERY CRITICAL TO ANY CITY INCLUDING AND ESPECIALLY BOSTON AS TO THERE MUST BE A DUMPSTER ALLERGY EFFORT TO RATS AND DUMPSTERS GO HAND IN HAND JUST LIKE I JUST MENTIONED RATS AND PLASTIC BINS GO HAND IN HAND NEXT AND WE JOINED UP WITH THE SEWERS BOSTON WATER AND SEWERS COMMISSION AND AGAIN OUTSTANDING COOPERATION. ANYTHING THAT I PUT FORTH TO THE DEPARTMENT SAID HERE'S WHERE I NEED TO GO. HERE'S THE SEWERS I WANT TO LOOK AT I WANT TO LOOK AT THE SEWERS A SMALL SEWERS, MEDIUM SEWERS. THEY WERE OUTSTANDING JUST LIKE TELL US WHERE YOU WANT TO GO. WE'LL PULL ANY MANHOLE YOU WISH AND WILL PUT THE CAMERA DOWN SO FORTH AND YOU CAN SEE, YOU KNOW, ONE OF OUR PROFESSIONALS WAS JUST OUTSTANDING TO WATCH JUST HOW GOOD THEY ARE PULLING A MANHOLE SO QUICKLY ON ANYONE. I POINTED TO.  AND SO IF WE LOOK INTO THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU CAN SEE ONCE YOU GET INTO A SEWER I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE GET INTO SEWERS BUT I ACTUALLY STARTED MY CAREER IN SEWERS SAVING MONEY FOR COLLEGE. I WORKED IN SEWERS GOING AFTER RATS. THAT WAS MY VERY FIRST JOB AND FROM THERE I WENT BACK TO SCHOOL. BUT YOU CAN SEE OUR FRIEND RIGHT THERE IN THE LEFT OLD SEWERS OF BOSTON OR OLD SEWERS OF CITY.  THEY'RE PRONE BECAUSE THE RATS AS I NEED TO GO BELOW GROUND TO EXIST AND WHETHER IT BE THE PARK BOROUGH OR WHETHER IT BE IN A SEWER AND THIS KIND OF THING THAT WHOLE WALL WHERE I TOOK THIS PICTURE AS YOU GO DOWN YOU'LL SEE A RAT HEADS POPPING OUT OF THE BRICK AND THEN AS YOU WALK BY THEY PULL BACK INTO THE NEST THEIR NEST IN THAT WALL BEHIND THE BRICK THEY DIG OUT A TUNNEL JUST LIKE THEY DO IN PARTS NEXT RESIDENTIAL JUST THIS IS A RANDOMLY SELECTED SLIDE OF THE MANY, MANY SLIDES I TOOK OF BOSTON RESIDENTIAL AREAS. IT'S VERY NICE. IT'S VERY PEACEFUL, VERY IT'S VERY CLEAN IN THIS SPOT. BUT IF YOU GO NOT TOO FAR AWAY IT ALL DEPENDS ON HOW PEOPLE WILL TAKE OUT THEIR TRASH AND UNDERSTAND THROUGH EDUCATION WHICH A WORD THAT WAS JUST MENTIONED SEVERAL TIMES ABSOLUTELY MUST HAVE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND OUTREACH PROGRAMS AND COMMUNITY MEETINGS AS TO THE IMPORTANCE OF IF WE WISH FOR THIS PROPERTY TO REMAIN RAT FREE AND THAT IS DEFINITELY THE GOAL. IT STARTS WITH LET'S TALK LET'S TALK ABOUT EDUCATION AND LET'S TALK ABOUT THE SIMPLE WORDS HOW DO WE TAKE OUT THE TRASH?  IT ALMOST SOUNDS INSULTING TO HAVE A MEETING LIKE THAT BUT MOST PEOPLE TAKE OUT THE TRASH BUT 25% DO NOT KNOW HOW TO TAKE OUT THE TRASH AS CRAZY AS THAT SOUNDS. NEXT IS NOT FAR AWAY AND THIS IS THESE ARE RAPPERS COMPLETELY FRESH, COMPLETELY DIGGING OUT. THAT'S THE FRONT OF A RESIDENCE AND AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE BIKES, CHILDREN LIVE IN THAT RESIDENCE AND THE RATS ARE URINATING, THEY'RE DEFECATING, THEY'RE ACTIVE THERE AND SO FORTH HAS TO BE CORRECTED. AND AGAIN WITH OUR TEAM AS WE WORK TOGETHER IT'S LIKE THIS IS PRIORITY ONE. LET'S GET LET'S GET SOMETHING GOING HERE AND TAKE CARE OF THIS NEXT AS I'M WRAPPING UP OF COURSE THIS IS YOU KNOW, ANOTHER PLAYGROUND ALWAYS CATCHES MY EYE IF YOU CATCH EVERYBODY'S EYE NEXT TO A SCHOOL KIND OF BUILDING AND THOSE AREAS THAT ONE MUST HAVE STAY RAT FREE, STAY RAT FREE AND THAT HAS TO COME WITH SURVEILLANCE ON A REGULAR BASIS. SOMEONE IS PASSING THROUGH.  THERE IS A RAT EXPERT MAKING SURE AND IN MY ESTATE AND SO FORTH IT STAYS RAT FREE AND THERE'S NO CONDUCIVE CONDITIONS TO DRAW THE RATS TO THOSE AREAS NEXT WESTERN HOUSING AUTHORITY WE SPENT THE DAY WITH THE BURGEONING HOUSING AUTHORITY GOING THROUGH AND UNDERSTANDING AND LISTENING TO THEIR ISSUES AND CONCERNS AND FRUSTRATIONS AND THESE KINDS OF THINGS AND LOOKING FOR TIPS AS THINGS WE COULD DO WITH YOU KNOW, AGAIN WHETHER BE ENFORCING HOUSING AUTHORITY OR ANY OTHER PROPERTY IN ANY OF THE CITY IS HOW DO WE TAKE CARE OF WHAT'S IMMEDIATELY IN FRONT OF US.  SOMETIMES IT ONLY TAKES ONE HOUSE ON A BLOCK OR ONE APARTMENT IN AN APARTMENT BUILDING TO SPOIL IT FOR EVERYONE.  YOU CAN HAVE ONE BLOCK ON A HOUSE AND TEN AND A TEN OF SPOTLESS YOU KNOW. BUT THEN ONE RIGHT AROUND THE BLOCK THAT'S NOT IT WILL RUIN IT FOR THE BLOCK OF TEN SPOTLESS HOUSES. SIMILARLY IN AN APARTMENT IT WOULD TAKE ONE RESIDENT ONE APARTMENT TO MAKE THAT WHOLE AREA LOOK LIKE IT'S FILLED WITH RATS. IF THE GARBAGE IS AVAILABLE NEXT. AND FINALLY YOU KNOW, BEFORE I JUST MENTION TWO QUICK POINTS WE WE WENT TO THE BOSTON PUBLIC MARKET AND YOU KNOW, WE LOOKED AROUND IS AN AREA AS YOU CAN SEE WITH ALL THE TENTS EXTENDING ON COMPLETELY DOWN THE WHARF DOWN INTO THE BACK IT'S A IT'S A RATS DREAM WHEN ALL THE FOOD GETS PUT OUT AND THE SMELL OF FISH AND MEAT AND AND CHICKEN AND COOKING ON THE WEEKENDS AS THE SPRAYING COMES OUT OF COURSE RATS ARE GOING TO EMERGE FROM SEWERS. THEY'RE GOING TO EMERGE FROM PARK AREAS, THEY'RE GOING TO FALL THEY KNOW SOMETIMES BLOCKS TO GET TO THOSE FOOD SMELLS AND PEOPLE WILL SAY WELL IT LOOKS LIKE THE PUBLIC MARKET HAD RED PROBLEMS. WELL, IT DOESN'T MEAN THEY'RE LIVING THERE BUT CERTAINLY WHENEVER WE DO A LOT OF FOOD PREP INTO THE OPEN AIR, WHETHER IT BE A PICNIC IN A PARK OR WHETHER IT BE SOMETHING THIS EXTENT THERE'S BILLIONS AND BILLIONS OF FOOD MOLECULES WASTING DOWN TO THE GROUND OF WHICH THE RATS IN SOME BURROW SOMEWHERE THEY'RE ALL GOING TO FOLLOW THAT NEXT DURING HIS VISIT IT WAS FASCINATING TO ME AS A SCIENTIST THAT YOU KNOW, THESE EFFORTS OUT OF BOSTON THAT THERE'S A PILOT GOING ON ON A RAT PROOF WHAT A BASKET.  SO I TOOK THESE PICTURES AND I WAS JUST MY FIRST WIFE, IF YOU WILL, AS TO WOW.  SO LET'S LET'S LOOK AT THIS PILOT, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S THE KIND OF THING AND BOSTON'S NOT THE ONLY ONE THINKING ABOUT THIS KINDS OF PEOPLE ARE SAYING WE NEED TO DESIGN A RAT PROOF LITTLE BASKET.  TO ME THAT IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT COULD BE DONE. YOU KNOW, IN ADDITION TO PEOPLE'S TRASH RESIDENTIAL TRASH COMMERCIAL TRASH DUMPSTERS IN EVERY CITY ITSELF HAS A RESPONSIBILITY NOT TO PUT OUT LITTLE BASKETS THAT RATS CAN ACCESS ALL NIGHT LONG AND WITHOUT GOING TO ANYBODY'S RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY OR, ANY RESTAURANTS, PROPERTY NOTHING IF WE HAVE LITTER BASKETS WHERE PEOPLE ARE PUTTING IN THEIR LITTER ESPECIALLY IF THEY'RE NOT COLLECTED TILL THE NEXT MORNING.  SO SO THIS PROJECT THIS PILOT KUDOS TO THE CITY OF BOSTON THIS IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL. YOU KNOW AND I UNDERSTAND THE PILOT IS GOING TO BE ONGOING AND STUFF BUT I SEE THE PERSON USING THE FOOT PEDAL THERE TO OPEN IT UP AND WHAT HAVE YOU. THAT WAS I THINK A FAIRLY NEW WOULD HAVE BEEN WE WERE LOOKING AT BUT I WALKED AWAY THINKING YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MY FIRST BLUSH WITHOUT PUTTING IT IN A LABORATORY AND TESTING IT THAT'S DAUNTING, AGGRESSIVE AND GOOD THINKING ON THE CITY. AND FINALLY NEXT SO I'M GOING TO STOP HERE. I DO WANT TO MENTION THAT THIS TOO I SEE THROUGHOUT BOSTON AND THESE ARE FOR THOSE OF YOU I THINK EVERYBODY MIGHT KNOW BUT JUST IN CASE THOSE ARE BAIT STATIONS THEY ARE CALLED BASE STATIONS.  THOSE ARE TAMPER RESISTANT THAT PEOPLE CAN'T GET INTO THEM WITHOUT A KEY NOR CAN A DOG OR RACCOON AND WHAT HAVE YOU. BUT THERE'S POISONS IN THOSE.  THIS WOULD NEVER IN MY OPINION BE NECESSARY LIKE THIS. AND WHAT I PICKED UP AS THEY LEFT WAS I SAID THIS SOMEWHAT OF IT IT SEEMS TO ME A DEPENDENCY AND THIS WILL BE IN A REPORT OF PEOPLE I THINK IN BOSTON THIS IS THE CORRECTIVE ACTION FOR HOW TO CONTROL THE RATS IN BOSTON IT'S CERTAINLY IS NOT IT CERTAINLY IS NOT. THIS IS A CONSIDER THIS ONE OF THOSE BAND-AIDS I MENTIONED CAN BAITS BE USED HERE AND THERE TO HELP WITH A SITUATION BEFORE ALL THE IPM THAT YOU KNOW COUNCILOR FLYNN MENTIONED INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT YES THEY HAVE THEIR PLACE BUT THIS IF THE PERSON WHO ORDERED THIS AND PURCHASED THIS IS BECAUSE HAD A LOT OF RATS THEY DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF RATS UNLESS THEY HAD A LOT OF FOOD AVAILABLE TO THOSE RATS. AND SO I'D LIKE TO SEE WHATEVER THE MONIES THAT WERE SPENT ON THIS WHICH QUITE FRANKLY HAD TO BE SIGNIFICANT HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS THAT MONEY COULD BE REDIRECT AS TO WHAT KIND OF GARBAGE RECEPTACLES I NEED TO PURCHASE IT WE NEED TO PURCHASE SO I JUST WANT TO LEAVE YOU WITH THE IMPRESSION THAT THIS WOULD NEVER BE THE APPROACH I RECOMMEND EVEN THOUGH AGAIN I RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF TOOLS HERE AND THERE. BUT THIS WAS IN PLACE OF AND THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE NEXT . AND WITH THAT I'LL STOP YOU KNOW I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS OR OR ANYTHING THAT WILL BE A FINAL REPORT ALSO ISSUED TO THE CITY OF BOSTON. YOU KNOW THAT AGAIN, THIS IS THE MONTH WHERE I'M OBLIGATED TO FINISH THAT REPORT AND GET IT IN BUT I JUST WANTED TO GIVE THAT OVERVIEW SO I'LL I'LL STOP HERE AND TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.  THANK YOU SO MUCH, DR. CORRIGAN FOR THAT INFORMATIVE PRESENTATION. FOR NOW I WILL GO TO THE LEAD CO-SPONSORS FOR QUESTIONS AND THEN GO TO COUNCILORS AND ORDER OF ARRIVAL.  I JUST WANT TO MENTION THAT WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY COUNCILOR MORRELL AND I DO WANT TO QUICKLY READ AN ABSENCE LETTER FROM COUNCILOR JULIA MEJIA BEFORE WE GO TO COUNCILOR FLYNN FOR HIS QUESTIONS.  DEAR CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS I AM WRITING TO INFORM YOU OF THE POSSIBILITY THAT I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO ATTEND TODAY'S CITY COUNCIL HEARING ON THIS DOCKET. WHILE I LOOK FORWARD TO PARTICIPATING IN THIS HEARING,  I HAVE ENCOUNTERED SCHEDULING CONFLICTS THAT MAY PREVENT MY ATTENDANCE IN THE EVENT I CANNOT MAKE IT. I WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND MY APPRECIATION TO COUNCILOR FLYNN FOR HIS LEADERSHIP IN ADDRESSING AN ISSUE THAT IMPACTS THE ENTIRE CITY OF BOSTON. PLEASE KNOW THAT I AM FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS ORDINANCE AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN OFFICE OF PEST AND I WANT TO ENSURE THAT THIS IS RECORDED SINCERELY JULIE MCGEER BOSTON CITY COUNCILOR AT LARGE. WITH THAT I WILL GO TO COUNCILOR FLYNN FOR ANY QUESTIONS HE MAY HAVE FOR THE PANEL OR DR. CORRIGAN.  THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. AGAIN, THANK YOU TO THE PANEL. THANK YOU TO DR. CORRIGAN AS WELL WHO HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH RECENTLY CHIEF IRISH WHAT ARE THE BARRIERS THAT MIGHT MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO ESTABLISH AN OFFICE OF PEST CONTROL AND HOW CAN WE POSSIBLY REMOVE THOSE BARRIERS?  I THINK FOR ME I WOULD SAY THAT WE HAVE AN OFFICE PEST CONTROL. I THINK WE CAN PROBABLY DO SOME WORK TO AS COMMISSIONER TO RIO MENTIONED HOW DO WE AMPLIFY THAT? HOW DO WE TAKE IN THE WHATEVER RECOMMENDATIONS ARE COMING FROM DR. CORRIGAN?  HOW DO WE IMPLEMENT BEST PRACTICES AND AN ELEVATED ENSURE THAT EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS THAT THIS IS OUR LEAD BUT THIS ALSO NEEDS TO BE A COORDINATED APPROACH ACROSS CITY AGENCIES AND QUITE FRANKLY WE'RE ALREADY SEEING THE EFFECTS OF OF OF THAT. THESE CONVERSATIONS WE'RE HAVING WE'RE SEEING A GREAT PARTNERSHIP. I THINK CURRENTLY IT IS A GROUP OF US WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, JOHN'S TEAM OTHERS ARE WORKING ON I THINK IS THE DE FILIPPO PINO PARK IN THE NORTH END. SO WE'RE SEEING GREAT COORDINATION ALREADY BUT WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO GET BETTER.  BUT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION I THINK WE ALREADY HAVE THAT OFFICE BUT I AGREE WITH YOU THAT WE WE CAN ELEVATE AND WE CAN AMPLIFY THE WORK OF THAT OFFICE AND IMPROVE COORDINATION . THANK YOU. I THINK THAT WAS MY MY GOAL AND COUNCILOR BRADEN'S AS WELL IN TALKING ABOUT AN ADDRESS ON THIS ISSUE FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS IS HOW DO OFFICES DEPARTMENTS COORDINATE AND COMMUNICATE AND ENSURING THAT WE'RE NOT DUPLICATING EFFORTS BUT WE'RE STREAMLINING APPROACHES AND PROVIDING THE BEST QUALITY OF LIFE TO RESIDENTS ACROSS THE CITY? THAT'S THAT'S OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY. IT'S A MAJOR HEALTH EMERGENCY. IT'S A PUBLIC SAFETY EMERGENCY IN MY OPINION AS WELL. IT COULD CONTRIBUTES TO HIGH ASTHMA RATES ESPECIALLY FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR AND PEOPLE LIVING IN PUBLIC HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS.  I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO HAVE A STANDALONE CITY OF BOSTON DEPARTMENT ON PEST CONTROL AND I DO THINK JOHN O'ROURKE IS DOING A VERY GOOD JOB BUT I THINK WE NEED TO ELEVATE THIS ISSUE. IT'S THAT IMPORTANT TO THE RESIDENTS OF BOSTON. IT'S PROBABLY THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE I RECEIVE CALLS ON OR EMAILS ON OR TEXT OR VISITING VISITING RESIDENTS TALKING ABOUT THIS ISSUE THROUGHOUT THE CITY.  I'M GOING TO STOP HERE AND GIVE MY COLLEAGUES AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS AS WELL. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR TO FLYNN COUNCILOR BREADON DISCLOSURES AND MY CHAIR.  COUNCIL PRESIDENT LOUIJEUNE HAS A TIME LIMITATION. SHE'D LIKE TO GO BEFORE ME . THAT'S OKAY. COUNCIL LOUIJEUNE YOU KNOW HAVE A FLOOR AND JUST SO EVERYBODY KNOWS I'M GIVING EVERYONE 5 MINUTES FOR THE QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. I THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. AND THANK YOU, COUNCILOR THE COUNCIL OF CITY. I APPRECIATE YOU DEFERRING TO ME SO I CAN MAKE MY NEXT BUT MY TWO QUESTIONS REALLY I HAVE A FEW BUT JUST WHAT I WANT TO PUT ON THE TABLE HOW WE LEVERAGE THE TECHNOLOGIES THAT WE HAVE SUCH AS GPS TRACKING OF RIGHT RAT SIGHTINGS TO PREDICT AND PREVENT RODENT MIGRATION BEFORE THEY ESCALATE. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE CAPTURE THEM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. SO TO PREVENT THINK WHAT DR. CORRIGAN WAS TALKING ABOUT HOW IT JUST TAKES ONE HOUSE ON THE STREET SO HOW CAN WE BETTER IDENTIFY THAT ONE HOUSE AND AND TRY TO TRACK THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO WITH THE MY PILOT AND JP WITH THE FERTILITY PILOT AND JP TO TRY TO PREVENT IT FROM FURTHER SPREAD. AND HOW WILL THIS ENABLE US TO HAVE TARGETED INTERVENTIONS IN SPECIFIC NEIGHBORHOODS AND HAVE WE IDENTIFIED PATTERNS OF INFESTATION LINKED TO PARTICULAR PROPERTIES OR AREAS SUGGESTING THAT CERTAIN LOCATIONS OR MANAGEMENT PRACTICES CONTRIBUTE MORE SIGNIFICANTLY TO THE PROBLEM?  THANKS FOR THE QUESTION COUNCIL . WE DO HAVE WE DO HAVE A CURRENT SYSTEM WHERE WE'RE COLLECTING THE DATA, COLLECTING THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING 311 COMPLAINTS OUR REACTION TO IT BUT WE HAVEN'T COMPLETED HOW WE'RE GOING TO USE THAT TO PREDICT THE WORK. SO THAT IS IN THE FUTURE THE LIKE THE GPS IT'S A GIS MAPPING OF MULTIPLE DATA SOURCES AND SO WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT THOSE DATA SOURCES TO SEE HOW WE CAN BEST USE THAT TO BE MORE PROACTIVE IN THE WORK. OKAY. AND IS THERE ANYTHING ABOUT PARTICULAR PROPERTIES OR MANAGEMENT PRACTICES THAT QUESTION LIKE I ABLE TO GLEAN ANYTHING FROM LIKE WHERE YOU SEE INFESTATIONS HAPPENING? I KNOW LIKE FOR THE PILOT THAT WE'RE DOING IN VINE STREET AND AND AND IN MELBOURNE IN ROXBURY THERE ARE CERTAIN ACTORS IN VIRTUALLY SOME OF OUR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE SORT OF ARE WORKING WITH AND HANDHOLDING TO GET BETTER BUT ARE THERE AREAS WHERE YOU SEE SO I WOULD SAY DENSITY AND TRASH MANAGEMENT AND IN AREAS WHERE THERE'S LESS ABILITY TO CONTAIN THE TRASH SO THAT IF THE TRASH IS ABLE TO BECOME A FOOD SOURCE FOR RODENTS AND DENSITY SO MORE SO ALONG LINES LIKE ACTORS WHO SHOULD BE IF THEY AREN'T ALREADY ON THE PROBLEM PROPERTIES TASK FORCE.  I'M SORRY I MISUNDERSTOOD THE QUESTION. SO ARE YOU SAYING THAT CERTAIN IS THERE A WAY TO ADDRESS PROPERTY OWNERS THAT ARE TROUBLED? YES WE DO IT THROUGH THE ENFORCEMENT COORDINATION WITH OUR VIOLATION.  IT'S IN CODE ENFORCEMENT LIKE WE DID AT MOUNT PLEASANT.  THE COMBINATION OF PARKS DEPARTMENT DEALING WITH THE ISSUES IN THE PARKS IS THE WRITING OUR VIOLATIONS WHICH ARE NOT PUNITIVE BUT REMEDIAL THAT END UP IN HOUSING COURT ALONG WITH PUNITIVE CODE ENFORCEMENT TICKETS I THINK IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY AND GET THAT I GUESS THE QUESTION WAS MORE SO LIKE IS THERE A PATTERN THAT YOU CAN SEE AND AM I SAYING LIKE IN EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD IS GOING TO BE THE CDC OR IN EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD IT'S GOING TO BE LIKE BUT IS THERE A PARTICULAR TYPE OF ACTOR AND I GUESS YOUR RESPONSE IS THAT IT DEPENDS ON DENSITY AND TRASH MANAGEMENT AND THOSE WHO ARE ON THE PROBLEMS PROPERTY TASK ON THE PUBLIC PROPERTIES LIST ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE THE ONES THAT HAVE THE TRASH DO ONGOING ISSUES. YEAH, SO IT'S SORT OF LIKE IS THERE A CORRELATION THERE? I WOULD SAY OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD SOMETIMES STUDENT HOUSING OR AREAS WHERE WE HAVE ABSENTEE LANDLORDS OKAY BECOME CHALLENGING. AND THEN LASTLY THEY KNOW THAT THERE ARE WE HAVE A DEVELOPING NEIGHBORHOOD SPECIFIC INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT PLANS ARE WHAT ARE THE NEW AND INNOVATIVE METHODS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AS WE DEVELOP THOSE INTEGRATED PLANS?  WELL IT'S IT'S LOOKING AT INDIVIDUAL NEEDS OF EACH NEIGHBORHOOD. SO EACH NEIGHBORHOOD ESPECIALLY AROUND TRASH TRASH PICKUP TRASH STORAGE DENSITY, STUFF LIKE THAT. AND THEN HOW DO WE DO EDUCATION RESPONSIVE WHAT TECHNIQUES WE CAN USE IF THERE'S MORE PARKS, IS THERE MORE ASSISTANCE THAT OUR STAFF CAN DO AROUND EDUCATION TREATMENT USING OUR CARBON MONOXIDE DRY ICE, STUFF LIKE THAT? OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, JOHN. THANK YOU TO THE PANEL THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUE COUNCILOR BRAYTON FOR ALLOWING ME THAT PROCEDURE. THANK YOU. CAN I JUST ADD ALSO THAT I KNOW WE'RE ALSO PLANNING TO TO TO USE DATA TO COLLECT MORE DATA TRACKING SO AS TO TO GET AN INDICATION OF IT IS A POPULATION RISE AND I KNOW WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH A GROUP OF STUDENTS FROM MIT WHO ARE COLLECTING DATA ON A PROJECT TO HOPEFULLY DO SOME PREDICTIVE ANALYSIS ON WHERE WE CAN EXPECT TO SEE A GROWTH ENROLLED IN POPULATION. AWESOME. THANK YOU.  THANK YOU. COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE COUNCILOR BREADON.  THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR AND ALL.  THERE'S A LOT TO UNPACK.  I THINK THE WHOLE ISSUE ABOUT CONTAINERIZATION AND RECEPTACLES THAT HAVE GOT LIDS ATTACHED AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS A REALLY IMPORTANT PIECE OF THE PUZZLE UNTIL MY NEIGHBORS YOUNG PEOPLE MOVED IN SEPTEMBER PLACE HAD RATS TRASH LOTS OF WE LEFT THEM TOOLS THEY WENT AND GOT THEY WENT AND BOUGHT NEW BINS. THEY SENT THE BILL TO THEIR LANDLORD AND WE THOUGHT RIGHT WE'RE GOOD SHIP OUT. A FEW WEEKS AGO A YOUNG WOMAN CALLED US OVER THE RATS HAD EATEN RIGHT THROUGH THE NEW BIN SO THEY PUT THE NEW BIN WITH THE HOLE IN IT SIDE AND CALLED THE LANDLORD. THE LANDLORD GOT THEM A NEW BIN, ANOTHER NEW BIN AND WE WENT BACK THREE DAYS LATER AND THE RATS ARE EVEN THROUGH THE SECOND YOU'VE BEEN LIKE THEY JUST IT'S REALLY CHALLENGING EVEN FOR FOLKS WHO ARE TRYING TO DO THE BEST THEY CAN AND THEY'RE REALLY ON BOARD WITH THIS THAT I DON'T NO RAT PROOF BINS I DON'T THINK THERE'S SUCH A THING AS A RATS WRAPPER OF BIN BUT THAT'S JUST ONE OF THE CHALLENGES FOR FOLKS WHO ARE REALLY TRYING TO DO THE RIGHT THING. I THINK ONE ISSUE WE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT IS JUST THE WHOLE ISSUE OF DOG FECES AND HOW YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S PART OF THE ISSUE MAYBE AROUND PARKS IS THAT YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT THIS LIKE GOURMET RAT FOOD AND DOG AND I DON'T KNOW AGAIN HOW HOW ARE WE APPROACHING THIS IN TERMS OF EDUCATION FOR OUR DOG OWNERS ACROSS THE CITY AS WE WORKING WITH THOSE GROUPS WE DO WE WE FLIER WE WE SHARE INFORMATION DIGITAL INFORMATION AROUND YOU KNOW IT'S IT'S SOMETHING THAT MOST FOLKS DON'T THINK ABOUT CLEANING UP AFTER THEIR DOGS ENFORCEMENT IS DIFFICULT WITH WITH DOGS IF YOU DON'T CLEAN UP AFTER YOUR DOG IT DIFFICULT TO BE THERE AND CATCH SOMEBODY WHO WHO DOES IT SO REPORTING IT TO 311 MAKING SURE THAT IF YOU IF YOU SEE IT'S AN ISSUE REPORTING IT SO PUBLIC WORKS CLEANUP AFTER IT THERE ARE ORGANIZATIONS OUT THERE THERE'S ONE IN THE NORTH END ROUGH THAT WE'RE WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING WITH SHARING INFORMATION YOU KNOW THEY HAD A LITTLE BIT OF A RAT ISSUE SO COORDINATING WITH COMMUNITY GROUPS, SHARING WHATEVER INFORMATION WE HAVE. YEAH I THINK YOU KNOW YOU'RE USING YOUR 311 DATA TO FIND OUT WHERE THE HOTSPOTS ARE. I'M JUST WONDERING LIKE I THINK IN ALLSTON BRIGHTON AT THIS POINT PEOPLE JUST SAID OH WHAT'S THE POINT LIKE IT'S THE DON'T EVEN REPORT IT ANYMORE BECAUSE IT HAS TO BE PRETTY BAD BEFORE YOU GET A CALL BECAUSE IT'S JUST THEY JUST ALMOST THINK WHAT'S THE POINT LIKE THIS IS PART OF THE REALITY OF LIVING IN ALLSTON BRIGHTON LIKE I JUST DON'T KNOW IN TERMS OF WRAP REPORTS FROM OWLS TO BRIGHTON, WHAT ARE YOU FINDING BECAUSE I KNOW IT IS A PERVASIVE PROBLEM. ALLSTON BRIGHTON IS A CHALLENGING NEIGHBORHOOD BUT EVERY SINGLE 311 COMPLAINT WROTE AN ACTIVITY SHOULD BE RESPONDED WITHIN 24 TO 48 HOURS AND A FULL INSPECTION WE WRITE A VIOLATION IF IT'S IF IT'S SOMEBODY COMPLAINED ABOUT A NEIGHBOR AND THERE'S AN INFESTATION PROPERTY OWNERS ARE REQUIRED TO CORRECT THAT AND AND RID THE PROPERTY OF RODENTS BUT WE PROVIDE WHATEVER ASSISTANCE WE CAN BUT EVERY 311 CALL SHOULD BE RESPONDED TO WITHIN 48 HOURS. YEAH. UM, I'M JUST WONDERING ABOUT HOW THE EFFICACY OF THE THE THE CONTRACEPTIVE BE IT IS THAT IS THAT THERE ONLY EVIDENCE THAT THAT'S A GOOD A GOOD TOOL TO HAVE SO I WOULD SAY THAT THE EVIDENCE IS THE PRODUCT WORKS FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN IN CLOSED POPULATIONS BUT IN AN URBAN OPEN POPULATION OF RODENTS IT'S CHALLENGING.  WE HAVEN'T HAD MUCH SUCCESS. DR. CORRIGAN IF HE'S STILL ON COULD COULD SPEAK TO DIFFERENT AREAS IN THE COUNTRY. WE STILL ON YEAH YES AND I JUST REALIZED I DIDN'T START MY VIDEO SO I'M SO SORRY FOR STAYING IN THE DARK. HOWEVER.  HOWEVER, WHAT JOHN JUST MENTIONED IS TRUE.  I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE CONTRACEPTIVE APPROACH FOR RATS WITH THAT PRODUCT. IN FACT WE WERE ONE OF THE FIRST TO TRY TO TEST IT IN NEW YORK CITY SUBWAYS YEARS AGO. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THOSE TWO WORDS JOHN JUST SAID IS OPEN AND CLOSED IN CITIES AS I SHOWED WITH THAT CHART WITH ALL THE CIRCLES IN GENERAL CIRCLES CAN REPRESENT A DIFFERENT SATELLITE AND EVEN A MAIN COLONY OF RATS. AND SO THEREIN LIES THE CHALLENGE IF IF YOU HAD ONLY ONE CIRCLE AND YOU USE THE CONTRACEPTIVE WITHIN THAT CIRCLE, THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT ANY OF THE RATS THAT INGESTED THE CONTRACEPTIVE ACCORDING TO THE LABEL HAS TO BE MULTIPLE TIMES THOSE RATS AND THAT CIRCLE THEY THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO REPRODUCE IN A LONG BASIS.  HOWEVER SOMETIMES YOU KNOW RATS WHEN THE REPRODUCTIVE CHAIN SLOWS DOWN SPACE OPENS UP LIKE ALL OF A SUDDEN OUR HOTEL HAS A VACANCY SIGN UP AND RAT FROM OUTSIDE THOSE CIRCLES THEN SAY WELL LIFE IS BETTER. WHERE ARE THOSE RATS WHERE THOSE RATS WERE? AND SO IT'S IT'S DIFFICULT IF YOU COULD GET THE ENTIRE CITY AND ALL AREAS AROUND THAT AREA ON A CONTRACEPTIVE PROGRAM WHICH PROBABLY AREN'T AT LEAST IN THEORY YOU COULD DO IT BUT IT'D BE VERY EXPENSIVE, VERY LABOR INTENSIVE AND I THINK WE WOULD NEED SOME RESEARCH TO SHOW YOU ACTUALLY CAN BE DONE WHICH WE DO NOT STILL HAVE FROM THE MANUFACTURERS ANY EMPIRICAL SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN FOR A REFEREE JOURNAL DATA THAT SHOWS A REDUCED RAT POPULATION IN CITIES WE DO NOT HAVE ANY SUCH RESEARCH UM I THINK THE OTHER ISSUE IS YOU KNOW IN YEARS GONE BY DOGS RUNNING AROUND, CATS RUNNING AROUND EVERYBODY HAD THEIR ANIMALS OUTSIDE AND THEY DIDN'T RATS HAD NATURAL PREDATORS. I THINK I WAS VERY HOPEFUL ABOUT COYOTES BUT THEY DON'T SEEM TO HAVE GOT THE MEMO AND AND THE HAWKS YOU KNOW THE RAPTORS AND THE OWLS AND HAWKS THEY TEND TO GET POISONED SO THAT'S DIFFICULT.  I JUST DON'T KNOW. ARE THERE ANY NATURAL PREDATORS ? I KNOW DURING THE BIG DIG THAT THEY BROUGHT IN RED TAILED HAWKS INTO THE LIKE I'M ASSUMING OR IS THAT AN URBAN AN URBAN LEGEND THAT THE BRIGHT RED TAPE RED TAILED HAWKS IN AND THAT IT HELP TO ADDRESS THE RAT POPULATION BUT ALSO REDUCED PIGEON POPULATION? I'M NOT SURE IF THEY BROUGHT THEM IN. I KNOW THAT THERE WAS A PROGRAM TO BRING THE POPULATION BACK. I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS TIED TO THE BIG DIG. OKAY. YEAH.  ALL RIGHT. I'M DONE TALKING ABOUT ALL THE ANIMALS.  THANK YOU. I KNOW AT SOME POINT WE'LL GET TO THE URBAN MYTH OF THE SKUNKS THIS POSSUM. BUT THAT'S OKAY.  WHO IS NEXT? COUNCILOR MURPHY.  AND THANK YOU, DR. CORGAN.  I DID GOOGLE YOU BECAUSE I WANTED TO SEE WHAT DOES A RAT ALL THE JUST LOOK LIKE.  BUT NOW HERE YOU ARE ON THE SCREEN I CAN SEE YOU. SO THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR INFORMATION THERE IN SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT MY COLLEAGUES BROUGHT UP ALREADY KIND OF TIE INTO THAT QUESTION OF WHAT AND I KNOW I'VE HEARD IT AGAIN FROM ALL THREE OF YOU SEPARATELY BUT WE HAVE TO WORK ON THIS TOGETHER.  IT'S ACROSS ALL DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS BUT YOU KNOW AND IT'S NOT ABOUT FINGER POINTING OR BLAMING BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY LIKE WHO IS RESPONSIBLE AND WE'VE HAD TRASH HEARINGS AND OTHER HEARINGS ABOUT DUMPSTERS AND TRASH COLLECTION AND TALKED ABOUT YOU KNOW, THE LANDLORDS WITH THE ABSENTEE LANDLORD AND COUNCIL . BREADON GAVE THAT GOOD EXAMPLE OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, TENANTS WHO ARE TRYING TO DO THE RIGHT THING, LANDLORDS WHO ARE SUPPORTING THAT.  SO AT THE END OF THE DAY IN SOME OF THE SLIDES YOU SHOWED, DR. CORRIGAN WERE YOU KNOW YOU CAN HAVE AN APARTMENT BUILDING OF THREE OR 20 AND 19 OF THEM CAN BE DOING THE RIGHT THING BUT IF THAT ONE PERSON DOESN'T SO IS IT THE LANDLORD WHO IS ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE IS THERE YOU TALKED ABOUT THE DOGS AND YOU KNOW, LAST YEAR COUNCILOR FLAHERTY OFTEN TALKED ABOUT THE PIECES OF DOGS WORTH YOU KNOW, THE BEST FOOD FOR OUR RATS AND KEEPING IT ALIVE. AND YOU MENTIONED RUFF SO I'M JUMPING AROUND A LITTLE HERE BUT I THINK THAT'S A GOOD AVENUE TO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OUTREACH AND INFORMATION WE HAVE SO MANY DOG I'M A DOG OWNER I GO TO THE PARK SOMETIMES WE GO IN THE BACKYARD BUT SO MANY DIFFERENT DOG WALKING ORGANIZATIONS OR CHARLESTOWN DOGS THERE'S JUST SO MANY DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS OUT THERE THAT MAYBE COULD HELP PUT THAT INFORMATION OUT THERE TOO BECAUSE IF YOU'RE A DOG OWNER YOU'RE ALSO LIVING HERE IN THE CITY PROBABLY ALSO HAVE RAT ISSUES. AND I KNOW I'VE SAID BEFORE THAT MY DOG WINSTON DIED FROM RAT POISONING THAT THE NEIGHBOR WAS TRYING TO DO THE RIGHT THING WITH THE TRASH BARRELS AND THE POISON AND SO IT'S IT'S A BALANCE HERE. SO HOW DO WE WHAT DO WE DO? AND IT'S NOT ABOUT BLAMING BUT AT SOME POINT IN THIS GAME OF TRYING TO GET AHEAD OF THE RATS ARE LIKE WHAT IS OUR OP ED? WHAT IS OUR WHAT CAN WE DO AND WHAT KIND OF LEGISLATION? I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT TRASH TIME PICKUP THEY HAVE TO HAVE TRASH STORED DURING THE DAY BUT THEY CAN BRING IT TO THE STREET AND BAG SO IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE POLICY CHANGES WE CAN MAKE ON THE COUNCIL THAT WOULD HELP SUPPORT SOME OF THESE IDEAS YOU GUYS HAVE?  I CAN CERTAINLY TAKE THE QUESTION ABOUT OWNERSHIP AND COUNCILOR . WE CERTAINLY SEE IDEAS WILLING AND ABLE TO TAKE THAT OWNERSHIP AROUND CONVENING THE DEPARTMENTS ON THEIR JOHN'S LEADERSHIP AND CERTAINLY WITH CHIEFS SUPPORT MY OWN AND IN THE MAYOR'S SUPPORT ULTIMATELY AND I'M GUESSING THAT ON THAT CALL TO ACTION FOR THE COUNCIL WHERE WE CAN COUNT ON YOU TOO FOR THAT EDUCATION AWARENESS RAISING COMPONENT AND SUPPORT OF THE OFFICE.  SO I THINK WE CAN WE ARE WILLING, ABLE AND HAPPY TO FULFILL THAT ROLE.  YEAH I HOPE DOES THAT ANSWER IT? YEAH. I THINK ALSO THOUGH WITH LIKE YOU HAVE THE ROLE AND I APPRECIATE THAT BUT THEN IF IT'S THE LANDLORD IS DOING THE RIGHT THING BUT THERE IS A TENANT WHO IS IN AND WE'VE HAD MANY HEARINGS WHICH ARE IMPORTANT ABOUT YOU KNOW TENANT RIGHTS UNRELATED TO RATS AT ALL RIGHT. AND MAKING SURE THAT TENANTS HAVE RIGHTS BUT AT THE SAME TIME THERE'S RESPONSIBILITIES TOO FOR EVERY RESIDENT IN THE CITY. SO HOW DO WE DIFFERENTIATE LIKE IS IT A FINE AND WE KNOW THAT FOR MANY PEOPLE WHO CAN AFFORD IT THAT'S JUST THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS SO THE FINE DOESN'T STOP IT AT ALL REALLY. SO NOT FOR EVERYONE BUT FOR SOME. SO YEAH AND THE CHIEF MENTIONED THE INVOLVEMENT OF THESE HOUSING DIVISION WHICH IS COMPLEMENTARY AND I WOULD SAY COMPLEMENTARY AND PARALLEL TO THE WORK THE ENVIRONMENTAL DIVISION IS DOING. SO THOSE FOLKS WILL HAVE WILL RECEIVE WHETHER IT BE A LANDLORD OR A TENANT COMPLAIN MOSTLY A TENANT COMPLAINT AROUND THIS TYPE OF CONDITION INSIDE THE BUILDING WE CAN GO LAY EYES ON IT AND DETERMINE WHERE THE SITUATION IS COMING FROM SO WHETHER IT BE THERE'S A CLEANLINESS ASPECT THAT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN CARE OF BY THE TENANT OR THERE IS THE SITUATION WAS MORE STRUCTURAL AROUND THE PROPERTY OR THE UNIT THAT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN CARE OF BY THE LANDLORD OR SOMETIMES THE SOURCE IS OUTSIDE AND THEN YOU KNOW WE'LL COORDINATE SO ONE THING I WANTED TO ALSO SAY IN ANSWERING YOUR QUESTION WAS WE ARE CERTAINLY EAGER TO SEE WHAT RECOMMENDATIONS ARE COMING OUT OF DR. CORRIGAN'S WORK HERE BECAUSE THERE'S PROBABLY GOING TO BE A NEED FOR MULTIPLE AGENCIES. ALSO AWARENESS RAISING TO FOLLOW ON THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS. SO WE'RE PLANNING TO USE THAT AS OUR ROADMAP MOVING FORWARD. SO JUST TWO THINGS THAT HAVE TO CHIME IN JUST BECAUSE I STARTED MY CAREER AS A HOUSING INSPECTOR AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE ALWAYS LIKE TRIED TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE UNDERSTOOD THAT ALTHOUGH THE HOUSING CODE HAS MOST RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE LANDLORD, THERE ARE THINGS IN THE CODE WHERE WE CAN HOLD A TENANT OR OCCUPANT RESPONSIBLE FOR HOUSEKEEPING AND THINGS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO PEST INFESTATION. SO THAT IS A TOOL THAT WE HAVE AND ALSO GOING BACK TO THE OTHER PART OF YOUR QUESTION IS WE NEED TO YEAH WE DON'T WE SHOULDN'T POINT THE FINGER AT EACH OTHER.  WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE WORK BETTER TOGETHER AND HOW WOULD YOU SEE PROGRESS IN THAT REGARD.  I SEE THE PARKS DEPARTMENT NOW ASKING JOHN FOR ADVICE ON WHAT TYPE OF TRASH BARRELS TO BUY RIGHT AND PUBLIC WORKS NOW THEY'RE INCLUDING ICE-T IN THE CONVERSATIONS AROUND TRASH COLLECTION CONTRACTS. SO WHERE ARE SEEING THOSE THINGS TAKE EFFECT? ONE LAST QUICK THING WE ENCOURAGE RESIDENTS TO CALL 311 WHAT SHOULD WE DO? LIKE SHOULD WE CALL JOHN DIRECTLY OR IS THERE A SOMETHING THE COUNCILOR SHOULD DO OUR OFFICES THAT WOULD BE MORE STREAMLINED TOO?  I KNOW WE HAVE WE ALL HAVE YOUR NUMBER AND YOU'RE AMAZING AND YOU'LL PICK UP AT ANY TIME BUT WONDERING IF THERE'S SOME SORT OF FLOWCHART THAT WE SHOULD BE FOLLOWING JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE IS AWARE WE'RE NOT PUTTING MORE WORK ON JOHN DIRECTLY OR THE BEST WAY FOR US TO TRACK CASES IS A311 CASE NUMBER. SO I WOULD SAY I RECOMMEND REPORTING AT 311 SO THAT WE CAN CREATE THE CASE AND THEN FOLLOW UP WITH A PHONE CALL OR AN EMAIL WITH THAT CASE NUMBER INFORMATION. YEAH. AND I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO ADD AND COUNCILOR BREADON MENTIONED THIS EARLIER THERE SOME FOLKS DON'T USE 311 AS MUCH AS OTHER FOLKS IN OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS. SO FOR EQUITY SAKE JOHN'S TEAM IS ALSO PROACTIVE AND IN IDENTIFYING ISSUES AND THEY ACTUALLY I THINK CREATE SOME OF YOUR OWN THREE IN ONE CASES THAT ARE SO CREATED AS WELL CALL IT.  YEAH I THINK SO MYSELF AND OTHER COLLEAGUES TO CALL 311 FOR THEM IF THEY KNOW THEY HAVEN'T REPORTED IT. YEAH THANKS AND OUR INSPECTORS CREATE 311 CASES EVERY DAY OH YEAH WHEN WE'RE OUT THERE WHEN WE DO AN INSPECTION IT'S THE THE COMPLAINT ADDRESS AND THEN WE DO A COUPLE ADDRESSES TO THE RIGHT INTO THE LEFT AND NOT TO BELABOR IT AND YOU SPOKE TO THIS BUT TO MAKE IT A LITTLE MORE EXPLICIT THE PROACTIVE MODELING THAT THE STUDENTS ARE WORKING ON. COUNCILOR BREADON YOU ASKED ABOUT IT THEY ARE WEIGHING THAT DATA SO THAT IT ACCOUNTS FOR THE INEQUITIES JUST BASED ON HOW THE USAGE OF 311 AND THEY'RE TAKING IN DATA SOURCES IN THAT MODEL FROM WATER, SEWER AND A COUPLE OTHER SOURCES SO THAT WE CAN GET A MORE COMPLETE PICTURE THAN WE WOULD FROM SIMPLE IT'S 311 CASE COUNT.  THANK YOU, JOE. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR MURPHY, COUNCILOR WEBER AND THEN WORLD . THANK YOU, CHAIR DR. CORRIGAN IT SOUNDS LIKE IF WE TAKE NOTHING ELSE FROM TODAY IT'S THAT THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO HANDLE RODENTS IS TO DEPRIVE THEM OF FOOD.  YES, THAT THAT IS THE BOTTOM BOTTOM LINE NUMBER ONE ARE ADDRESSES. YOU KNOW THEY MUST HAVE FOOD. SO AND YOU KNOW, JUST BY WAY OF AN EXAMPLE LOOKING AT ANOTHER LARGE CITY OF ANY SORT ALONG THE EAST COAST IS ABOUT 22 DIFFERENT FOODS NOT NOT CELERY VERSUS TOMATO VERSUS MEATS, 22 DIFFERENT SOURCES OF HOW RATS GET THEIR FOOD IN A CITY LIKE BOSTON AND SO AGAIN I WANT TO STRESS THAT THAT HAS TO BE ORGANIZED AND PRIORITIZED AND IDENTIFIED AS TO OKAY, THERE'S 22 BUT IF WE WAIT THEM AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AND PREDICT THE MODELING AS AN EXAMPLE WHICH IS A GOOD WAY TO DO IT IS WHAT IS 80% OF THEIR FOOD AND IS IT DUMPSTERS? IS IT PLASTIC BINS? YOU KNOW HOW IS THAT AND HOW CAN WE INTERVENE ON THAT?  BUT YES, IT'S FOOD AND IT'S YEAH AND THEN ARE YOU SAYING THAT YOU KNOW, THE CONTRACEPTIVE OF POISON TRAPS I DON'T KNOW LIKE OUR WE SHOULD WE EVEN BE LOOKING AT THAT OR IS IT SHOULD WE PUT ALL OF OUR ENERGY INTO THE FOOD ISSUE.  WELL YOU KNOW, I'M ALL FOR PILOTS OF COURSE AS A SCIENTIST I THINK EVERYTHING'S WORTHY OF BEING TESTED AND PUT THROUGH ITS PACES AND WHAT HAVE YOU. SO I WOULD SAY SHOULD YOU ABANDON THAT PILOT OR WHATEVER YOU DO WITH CONTRACEPTIVES? I WOULD SAY NO, NO TO THAT. BUT HOWEVER IT MUST BE CAREFULLY DESIGNED SO YOU ACTUALLY HAVE CONTROL AS TO ARE THE METRICS CORRECT FOR BEING ABLE TO MEASURE EFFICACY SAY JUST PICK A SMALL SMALL AREA OF FOUR SQUARE BLOCKS OR SOMETHING AND MEASURE THAT AND BUT BUT THAT'S RESEARCH AND DISCOVERY AND THAT SHOULD COME FROM A COMPANY YOU KNOW WHERE DOES THE DATA PLEASE SUPPORT US GIVE US THE DATA SO OR PROVE IT TO US THAT THIS PRODUCT WORKS LIKE ALMOST EVERY PHARMACEUTICAL HAS TO DO TO EPA AND FDA AND SO FORTH. SO WHAT I WOULD SAY THIS AS PART TWO TO THAT ANSWER IS I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IN MY REPORT FOR SURE THERE'S A HEAVIER FOCUSES ON INNOVATIVE WAYS TO LOOK AT TRASH IN BOSTON AND THAT WAS PART OF MY PRIMARY REASON FOR MAKING SURE I SPENT TIME WITH YOUR SANITATION EXPERTS AND GOING AROUND AND SEEING IT MYSELF AND WALKING THE STREETS MYSELF AND LOOKING AT THAT. ARE THERE IMPROVEMENTS THAT CAN BE MADE TO DETER THE RATS OR EVEN GETTING TO THE GARBAGE IN BOSTON THE ANSWER IS YES. OKAY. YEAH. SO MOST PEOPLE HERE IN THE CITY DISPOSE OF THEIR TRASH IN PLASTIC TRASH BINS SO I GUESS BACK TO YOU. DR. CORRIGAN, IS THAT AN EFFECTIVE TOOL FOR KEEPING THE RATS AWAY FROM THE FOOD IS THAT IF EVERYONE PUTS THEIR TRASH IN A PLASTIC BIN, HAVE WE DONE OUR JOB OR YOU KNOW OR IS THERE AN ISSUE WITH THE PLASTIC BINS BECAUSE THE RATS THROUGH THEM THEY YOU KNOW, HOW DOES THAT WORK IN OTHER CITIES? AND THEN EVEN IF WE DO THAT, IS THERE STILL ANOTHER ISSUE WITH FOOD THAT WE'RE NOT? I THINK IF EVERYONE PUTS THEIR TRASH IN PLASTIC BINS WELL PLASTIC IS THE KEY WORD FOR SURE AND IT'S NOT SO MUCH PLASTIC BUT IT'S THE QUALITY OF THE PLASTIC. IT'S THE DENSITY OF THE PLASTIC . IT'S THE MATRIX OF THE PLASTIC. SO RIGHT AWAY YOU END UP IN THOSE DROP DOWN BOXES AGAIN. SO CERTAIN TYPES OF PLASTIC AND I'LL USE THE GENERAL TERM OF HIGH DENSITY PLASTIC AND VERY THICK PLASTIC RATS CAN'T REALLY GET THROUGH AND SO THERE ARE APPROVED PLASTIC CONTAINERS FOR RATS. ONE THING'S FOR SURE AND MOST LANDLORDS FOR EXAMPLE WHEN THEY THINK ABOUT I NEED NO TRASH CAN SAVE FOR THE APARTMENT BUILDING THEY'RE NOT THINKING THAT YOU SHOULD BUY ANYTHING THAT'S REALLY DURABLE.  THEY THINK IT'S JUST A TRASH CAN AND TRASH IS SLOPPY AND EVERYBODY KNOWS WHY YOU SPEND MUCH MONEY ON A TRASH BIN SO YOU GET ONLINE, YOU'LL SEE YOU CAN GET TRASH BINS FOR 3995 OR YOU CAN GET THEM FOR 139 95 IT'S 139 95 IF YOU LIVE IN THE RAT AFFLICTED CITY THAT'S THE CHOICE YOU WANT. AND IF YOU GO A STEP FURTHER THAN THAT THERE IS A RAT PROOF GARBAGE CAN THERE. ABSOLUTELY IS AND IT'S CALLED STAINLESS STEEL WITH A STAINLESS STEEL LID WITH A BUNGEE CORD AND IT'S KEPT CLEAN AND IT'S KEPT ORGANIZED THAT IS RAT PROOF THE RATS WILL NOT AND CANNOT GET THROUGH METAL.  MR WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO SEE ACROSS THE CITY IN TERMS OF LIKE THE QUALITY OF OUR YOU KNOW, THE TRASH BINS WE'RE USING? I WOULD SAY IT'S A VARIETY OF OF DIFFERENT THE MOST EFFECTIVE ONES WE SEE LIKE DR. CORRIGAN SO THE THE 96 GALLON TOTES HIGH DENSITY PLASTIC HAS A BAR ON IT WHERE THE GARBAGE TRUCK CAN PICK INTO IT SO WE'RE NOT THROWING THE BARRELS THAT THE COVERS ARE ATTACHED SO WE'RE NOT LOSING COVERS. I FIND THOSE TO BE REALLY THE MOST EFFECTIVE METAL BARRELS ARE GREAT BUT THEY TEND TO GET KIND OF BEAT UP THE GARBAGE MEN THEY'RE THROWING THEM.  THEY MIGHT GET DENTED IF THE THE LID DOESN'T FIT TIGHTLY,  YOU KNOW THEN THEN THERE'S ACCESS TO THE FOOD.  OKAY. YEAH. SO I GUESS IF SOMEBODY AT HOME HAS A HOLE IN THE BOTTOM OF THEIR PLASTIC BIN THEY SHOULD REPLACE THEM. THEY SHOULD REPLACE IT. YEAH. YEAH. UM, AND I GUESS I JUST I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH OF ONE SECOND. YEAH, I GUESS SO. DR. CORRIGAN IS THERE I ASSUME AS LONG AS THERE'S BEEN CITIES THERE'S BEEN URBAN RAT ISSUES BUT YOU KNOW, YOU SHOWED US THE MAP OF THE, YOU KNOW, EASTERN NORTHEAST CORRIDOR IS THERE WHAT IS GOING ON NOW THAT'S FUELING THIS? YOU KNOW, IS THAT CLIMATE CHANGE OR IS THE KIND OF FOOD WE EAT OR IS WE JUST LAZIER THAN ROMANS WERE? I YOU KNOW, I WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS DRIVING THIS?  SO AMONG ALL OF US SCIENTISTS THAT STUDY THIS KIND OF THING, IT'S IT'S HARD TO GET TO A YOU KNOW, ONE GUILTY, YOU KNOW, BIG SMOKING GUN. HOWEVER, CLIMATE CHANGE IS IMPACTING THIS AND IN FACT I'M ONE OF AN AUTHOR ON SCIENTIFIC PAPER THAT WE WERE ABLE TO SHOW YOU SOME CITIES AROUND THE WORLD THAT THE GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE DEFINITELY IS CONTRIBUTING TO THIS. IT'S NOT THE ONLY FACTOR BUT BECAUSE THE MILD WINTER IS A REPEATING THEMSELVES FOR THE LAST DECADE WE'VE HAD A WOMAN'S DECADE IN ALL OF HISTORY. WE'VE BEEN KEEPING WEATHER RECORDS AND SO TWO OF THE RATS CLIMBING THE RATS DO NOT HIBERNATE SO THEY USED TO SHUT IT ALL DOWN WHEN WE HAD COLD WINTERS IN BOSTON IN NEW YORK AND D.C. AND SO FORTH THEY WOULD STOP ALL REPRODUCTIVE ACTIVITIES.  IT WAS JUST TOO COLD TO HAVE BABIES AND THEY WOULD DIE. SO NOW WE HAVE MILD WINTERS WHERE JUST ENOUGH IS ALLOWING THEM TO EKE OUT SAY ONE MORE LITTER WELL ONE MORE LITTER WHEN YOU DO LOGARITHMIC GROWTH AMONG RODENTS ACROSS ALL CITIES YOU'RE GOING TO END UP WITH TREMENDOUS RAT POPULATIONS EXPLODING. AND SECONDLY TOO, THIS IS THERE'S MORE PEOPLE MOVING INTO CITIES. CITIES ARE BECOMING MORE DENSE WITH WITH PEOPLE AND AS WE KNOW EVERY ONE OF US IN THIS AREA FOR EXAMPLE, WE ALL GENERATE ABOUT ON AVERAGE ú5 OF TRASH EVERY 24 HOURS, 30% OF WHICH IS FOOD TRASH. AND SO THERE'S MORE PEOPLE,  THERE'S MORE FOOD TRASH, THERE'S THERE'S MORE DENSITY OF THE PEOPLE AND WE END UP WITH IT'S ALL IN THE RATS BENEFIT AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE PLAYING INTO THIS. THANK YOU, DR. CORRIGAN. YOU'RE WELCOME.  THANK YOU. COUNCILOR WEBER I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS I JUST WANTED TO FOLLOW UP ON AND THIS HAS BEEN A GREAT CONVERSATION AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR AGAIN YOUR WORK AND YOUR EXPERTISE. DR. CORRIGAN I'M EXTREMELY FASCINATED BY THIS CONCEPT OF CONTRACEPTION.  DOCTOR YOU MENTIONED IT WOULD BE COSTLY, EXTREMELY COSTLY TO SET UP A LEVEL OR PROGRAM THAT IS SUCCESSFUL.  SO HAVE THERE BEEN ESTIMATES OF HOW MUCH IT WOULD COST TO DO CITYWIDE FOR IT TO TRULY BE SUCCESSFUL THE WAY IN WHICH IT NEEDS TO BE? WELL, TWO THINGS. ONE IS I GUESS I SHOULD THINK IN TERMS OF WHAT'S RELATIVE TO A CITY'S BUDGET FOR THIS PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE AND MAYBE TO THAT POINT IT WOULD NOT BE SO EXTREMELY EXORBITANT AS I STATED. HOWEVER, AS FAR AS I KNOW I'VE NEVER SEEN ANY STUDIES THAT PROPOSE WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO DO THAT A CITY LEVEL I SUPPOSE YOU'D BE ABLE TO FROM SCIENTISTS WITH THIS WITH THIS PRODUCT TO PUT SOME HYPOTHETICAL SITUATION.  LET'S JUST TAKE CHINATOWN IN BOSTON AND LET'S JUST SAY WE WISH TO PUT ALL OF CHINATOWN ON THIS CONTRACEPTIVE WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF CHINATOWN AND TO DO IT RIGHT ACCORDING TO THOSE APPLICATION OF WHAT THE FEMALE RATS MUST CONSUME AND RE CONSUME SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE COURSE THROUGH ALL OF THE FEMALE RATS TO BE INFERTILE,  WHAT WOULD THAT COST? I WOULD THINK THAT CAN BE CALCULATED. I MYSELF HAVE NEVER DONE THAT. YOU KNOW WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN THROUGH THE BASIC STAGES OF HOW WOULD WE HOW WOULD WE CONTROL WHO'S GOING TO BE DRINKING THE PRODUCT OR EATING THE PRODUCT OR NOT WHICH IN ITSELF YOU KNOW, BEFORE YOU GET THE COURSE ESTIMATES YOU HAVE TO GET THROUGH THOSE DIFFICULT QUESTIONS OF THAT OPEN POPULATION.  AND I'D ALSO LIKE TO ADD THAT, YOU KNOW, IF THERE ARE RATS THAT ARE INFERTILE BECAUSE OF THIS PRODUCT, HOW DO WE ADDRESS THAT IF SOMEONE SEES A RAT IN THEIR ALLEYWAY OR NEXT TO THE SCHOOL OR OR INSIDE A RESTAURANT OR SOMETHING? HOW DO WE ADDRESS THE FACT THAT DON'T WORRY THAT RAT CANNOT REPRODUCE BUT IT STILL COULD BE CARRYING FLEAS AND TICKS AND LICE AND MITES AND IN ITS FECES COULD STILL BE PATHOGENIC BACTERIA AND VIRUSES.  HOW DO WE DEAL WITH THAT PARTICULAR ISSUE IN SAYING JUST WAIT ANOTHER COUPLE OF MONTHS AND THINGS WILL BE BETTER? IT'S I DON'T KNOW IT'S A CONCEPT HARD FOR ME TO GET MY HEAD AROUND. YEAH, THANK YOU FOR THAT ANSWER AND I'M SO HAPPY THAT THE TOPIC OF CLIMATE CHANGE WAS BROUGHT UP. THERE'S ALWAYS AN ENVIRONMENTAL LAYER TO ALL OF THIS AND A WARMING CLIMATE IS RIPENING THE CONDITIONS FOR NOT JUST RATS BUT ALL PAST BEDBUGS. WE SAW WHAT HAPPENED IN PARIS AND COCKROACHES AND I DO APPRECIATE THE WORK AGAIN THAT'S BEING DONE BUT I DO THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE A MORE PROACTIVE APPROACH TO ALL OF THIS UNDERSTANDING THAT WE'RE JUST GOING TO KEEP PRODUCING MORE WASTE AND IT'S GOING TO GET WARMER AND I JUST THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A CALAMITY OF EVENTS THAT THAT LEAD US TO.  I HOPE NOT. THAT LEADS US TO POTENTIALLY WHAT HAPPENED IN PARIS.  I APPRECIATE COUNCILOR WEBBER'S POINT ABOUT PLASTIC CONTAINERS IN THE NORTH END.  WE UNFORTUNATELY DON'T HAVE ANY PLACE TO PUT THOSE THOSE PLASTIC CONTAINERS AND SO I KNOW THAT WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT AND DENNIS ROACH AS WELL BUT TALKED A LOT ABOUT SOME OF THE CREATIVE THINGS THAT WE COULD DO TO LIMIT THE FOOD SOURCES, THE 22 SOURCES THAT THAT YOU DISCUSSED I'VE SPOKEN AD NAUSEUM ABOUT WHAT JAPAN DOES, WHICH IS THE METAL NETTING IT LOOKS BLUE BUT IT'S ACTUALLY METAL AND THE RATS CAN'T CHEW THROUGH THEM AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING I HOPE THAT WE CAN CAN CAN CONSIDER TRASH CONTRACTS ARE UP THIS YEAR AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'VE FLAGGED FOR FOR DENNIS AND THE ADMINISTRATION JUST TO TRY TO BEGIN AS MUCH CREATIVITY IN THAT TO LIMIT THE WASTE AND TRASH ON OUR STREETS UM I THINK THE OTHER THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO GO THROUGH WAS JUST OPERATING FROM THE SAME SET OF DATA AND FACTS AND WE TALKED ABOUT 311 AND WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT THE STUDENTS IN BOSTON WATER AND SEWER AND WHAT THEY ARE WHAT SORT OF INFORMATION THEY'RE GATHERING. AND SO FROM 311 UNLESS YOU ALL HAVE DATA FROM THREE ON ONE THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE, I WENT INTO THE OPEN SOURCE DATA PORTAL JUST TO PULL SOME FACTS AND FIGURES UNLESS YOU WANTED TO PRESENT THEM YOURSELF. I DON'T WANT TO REPRESENT NO NO I DON'T I DON'T HAVE 311 DATA WITH ME SO OKAY SO I'LL I'LL GO THROUGH THEM VERY QUICKLY AND FOLKS CAN FIND THIS ONLINE IF YOU JUST GOOGLE 311 SERVICE REQUESTS SO ACCORDING TO THE OPEN SOURCE DATA IN 2024 OUT OF 78,000 CASES THERE'S ONLY 350 TICKETS THAT HAD THE WORD RAT ASSOCIATED WITH IT WHICH REPRESENTS LESS THAN 1% 2.4% OF OF TICKETS AND ACCORDING TO OUR OWN STANDARDS WE WERE ON TIME FOR ALL OF THEM EXCEPT FOR ONE WHICH WAS LATER LABELED OVERDUE OPEN IN JANUARY AND CLOSED IN MARCH AND THEN IN 2023 OUT OF 350 CASES THERE WERE SIX 1687 CASES WITH THE WORD RAT ASSOCIATED WITH IT WHICH IS AGAIN LESS THAN 1% IT'S AT 0.4% AND 20 OF THOSE CASES WERE CATEGORIZED AS OVERDUE.  AND SO GIVEN THAT WE HAVE THIS INFORMATION AND PEOPLE I KNOW FOLKS DON'T CALL 311 NOT EVERYBODY CALLS 311 BUT THERE'S A PROACTIVE APPROACH TO GET MORE DATA. CAN YOU JUST EXPAND ON THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE? I APOLOGIZE IF I MISSED THIS BUT WHAT THE STUDENTS ARE GATHERING HOW THEY'RE GATHERING IT, THE SOURCES THAT THEY'RE WORKING WITH LIKE BOSTON WATER AND SEWER JUST SO I UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT DATA IS BEING FILTERED IN TO YOUR RESPECTIVE DEPARTMENTS SO YOU SHOULD GO. YEAH. SO THE I DON'T I DON'T KNOW THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF DATA. I KNOW THAT 311 IS DATA WE'RE WORKING ON BOSTON WATER AND SURE THERE ARE CERTAIN SEWERS THAT SUPPORT WROTE AN ACTIVITY AND SO CURRENTLY WE'RE LOOKING AT GETTING THEM THAT DATA SO THAT THEY COULD COME UP WITH THE PREDICTIVE MODELS. SO AS FAR AS I KNOW RIGHT NOW IT'S MAINLY 311 DATA MAINLY THROUGH AND WHEN DO YOU EXPECT THAT WE WOULD GET A REPORT ON THAT OR AN ASSESSMENT OR WILL THERE BE SOMETHING THAT WE COULD REVIEW ANNUALLY?  YEAH I DON'T I DON'T HAVE I CAN GET BACK TO YOU WITH THAT ANSWER. OKAY GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND DOCTOR DR. CORRIGAN, YOU HAD MENTIONED THE REPORT IS ALMOST COMPLETE. DO YOU HAVE AN ANTICIPATED DATE OF WHEN THAT FINAL REPORT WILL BE DONE SO THAT IT CAN BE SUBMITTED TO THE COMMITTEE AND MAKE SURE THAT IT'S A PART OF THE PUBLIC RECORD? YES.  SO APRIL WAS THE TARGET DATE FOR ME TO FINISH THAT REPORT AND THAT'S WHERE I AM. BUT I WOULD LIKE TO GET THAT TO YOU FOR GET IT OFF MY DESK ALSO QUITE HONESTLY NO. BUT AT YOU KNOW, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. BUT APRIL WAS THE TARGET MONTH FOR THAT.  THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND SWITCHING TO BUDGET THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE IN THE WORKFLOW THAT WAS HELPFUL. THAT WAS GOING TO BE ONE OF MY QUESTIONS WHAT IS THE OPERATING EXPENSE IN THE AGGREGATE FOR PEST CONTROL AND RAT ABATEMENT ? SO HOW MUCH ARE WE SPENDING ON THIS PARTICULAR TOPIC RIGHT NOW? DO WE HAVE A NUMBER FOR THAT? I DON'T HAVE THAT NUMBER. I CAN GET BACK TO.  WOULD THAT HAVE A BALLPARK OF HOW MUCH WE'RE SPENDING ON PERSONNEL SERVICES CONTRACTS? I DON'T OKAY.  YEAH, WE'LL CERTAINLY GET YOU THAT NUMBER BUT WE CAN PROBABLY GET YOU A BETTER NUMBER IF WE TALK JUST ABOUT RODENT CONTROL . PEST CONTROL WILL BE SPREAD ACROSS DIFFERENT ENTITIES SO IT'D BE A LITTLE HARDER TO GIVE YOU WE CAN GIVE YOU A BALLPARK NUMBER ON THAT BUT THERE ARE MULTIPLE AGENCIES THAT ARE ALSO DOING JUST GENERAL PEST CONTROL . OKAY I CAN SAY THE HEAD COUNT OF THE DIVISION IS 20 PEOPLE. WE GOT 16 OF THEM BEING INSPECTORS. NO, NO, NO. 14 THANK YOU. 14 OF THEM BEING INSPECTORS FIVE AT MEN AND ONE OBVIOUSLY THE DIRECTOR I WANT TO SAY THE BALLPARK ON BAIT AND EQUIPMENT IS AROUND BETWEEN 150 AND 200,000 AT MOST. BUT I DON'T WANT TO KNOW EASILY FOR BAIT AND EQUIPMENT. IT'S SOMEWHERE AROUND 15,000 I WOULD SAY YEARLY FOR PURCHASE OF OF ACTUAL PEST CONTROL PRODUCTS.  YEAH BUT I'M NOT SURE ABOUT STAFFING AND SALARIES. YEAH BUT THE HEAD COUNT YOU HAVE IT. OKAY THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND IN TERMS OF CONTRACTS OR CONSULTING SERVICES, WHAT IS THE WHAT IS THE OVERALL LINE ITEM? HOW MUCH WAS BUDGETED FOR THIS YEAR FOR THE CONSULTATION WITH DR. CORRIGAN AND WHAT'S BUDGETED FOR NEXT YEAR?  DO YOU HAVE NOW FOR THE CONSULTATION WITH DR. CORRIGAN I BELIEVE IS ABOUT 20,000 ROUGHLY BUT WE CAN FOLLOW UP WITH MORE ACCURATE DATA AND IS IT IN THIS YEAR IT'S FOR THIS YEAR'S BUDGET. YES. OKAY GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH.  OKAY. I THINK WE'LL GO FOR A SECOND ROUND. I THINK COUNCILOR FLYNN WANTS TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIFIC ABOUT THE LANGUAGE SO WE CAN DO THAT AND DO ANOTHER ANOTHER ROUND OF QUESTIONS. BUT I AGAIN I APPRECIATE THE ANSWERS TO TO MY QUESTIONS AND I'LL PASS IT OVER TO COUNCILOR FLYNN FOR HIS SECOND ROUND. THANK YOU COUNCILOR CARTER SO I KNOW WE HAVE 14 INSPECTORS AT THESE 14 INSPECTORS THAT ARE DESIGNATED FOR PEST CONTROLS EXCLUSIVELY SO THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH INSPECTORS THEY ALL DO THEY'RE ALL LICENSED TO DO PEST CONTROL.  THEY ALL HAVE THEIR CORE PESTICIDE LICENSED THROUGH THE STATE AND THEY THEY ALL DO PEST CONTROL INSPECTIONS. WE HAVE THREE SHIFTS THE SHIFT THAT STARTS AT 4 A.M. AND 6 A.M. DO THE MAJORITY OF THE ACTUAL PEST CONTROL AS I SAID, THE MAIN FUNCTION IS THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE STATE SANITARY CODE SO THAT'S INSPECTIONS AND WRITING VIOLATIONS EXCLUSIVELY ON PEST CONTROL RELATED ISSUES, EXCLUSIVELY ON SANITATION ISSUES.  SO WHAT ARE WHAT ARE SOME OF THE OTHER DUTIES BESIDES PEST CONTROL? SO IT WOULD BE RODENT COMPLAINT . IT'S TRASH COMPLAINTS THAT MENTION RODENTS AND THEN I THINK THAT DETERMINES IF IT DOESN'T MENTION RODENTS IT MIGHT BE DEFERRED TO CODE ENFORCEMENT 14 INSPECTORS HOW MANY OF THE INSPECTORS WORK IN THE WEEKENDS?  WE DON'T HAVE STAFFING ON THE WEEKENDS.  WHAT TIME DOES THE SHIFT END ON FRIDAY. SO WE HAVE INSPECTORS THAT START AT 4 A.M. AND WE HAVE INSPECTORS TOTAL FOR PM.  WE HAVE ONE INSPECTOR THAT WORKS FOUR DAYS A WEEK MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY AND HE FINISHES THURSDAY AT 545. AND SO LAST YEAR WE ALSO HAVE ON CALL INSPECTOR AT ALL TIMES SO WE DO HAVE A RECORD OF THE INSPECTOR AVAILABLE 24 HOURS A DAY I UNDERSTAND FOR A MINUTE BUT BASICALLY FROM 4 P.M. ON FRIDAY TILL MONDAY MORNING WE DON'T WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE ANYONE IN THE CITY DOING PEST CONTROL WORK UNLESS IT'S AN EMERGENCY AND WE NEED THE ON CALL INSPECTOR WELL THAT'S THAT'S WHY AND I'M SEEKING TO HAVE A STANDALONE CITY OF BOSTON DEPARTMENT WEEKENDS A CRITICAL THAT'S WHEN A LOT OF PEOPLE GO TO RESTAURANTS THAT'S WHEN A LOT OF PEOPLE GO TO BARS OR TAVERNS AND PEOPLE GET OFF WORK AND THERE'S A LOT OF PARTIES IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD TO BE HONEST WITH YOU WHERE PEOPLE ARE OUT IN THEIR BACKYARDS, YOUNG PEOPLE CONTRIBUTING TO THESE QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES 14 INSPECTORS. BUT WE WE NEED INSPECTORS ON THE WEEKENDS. THAT'S A CRITICAL TIME.  THAT'S THAT'S I THINK THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT TIME TO HAVE INSPECTORS IS ON THE WEEKENDS SATURDAY MORNING, SATURDAY AFTERNOON, FRIDAY NIGHT, SUNDAY MORNING, SUNDAY NIGHT THAT'S WHEN A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE HOME FROM WORK FROM THE WORK WEEK AND THEY'RE THERE GATHERING AS A GROUP AT THEIR HOUSE, THE GATHERING AS A GROUP AT A RESTAURANT.  THAT'S THAT'S MY FOCUS IS TO STREAMLINE THIS TO COORDINATE THIS BUT BUT BUT I I'LL STOP THERE JUST READING IN GOING OVER THIS ORDINANCE ITSELF, IS THERE ANYTHING IN HERE THAT YOU HAVE SIGNIFICANT CONCERNS WITH OR IS NOT ACCURATE?  THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE I, I DON'T HAVE PULL UP IN FRONT OF ME RIGHT NOW. I DO WANT TO SAY I THINK A THAT'S A GREAT POINT WE GOT ON THE WEEKENDS THAT WE WILL DEFINITELY TAKE A LOOK AT THE ONLY THING THAT I CAN RECALL FROM MY LAST READING IS JUST THE FACT OF STANDING UP A BRAND NEW OFFICE IS THE ONLY THING THAT THAT IS PROBLEMATIC TO ME IN TERMS OF DO WE NEED TO DO THINGS WE DO THINGS TO IMPROVE A CURRENT OFFICE OPEN TO ALL OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND TO ALL OF YOUR FEEDBACK AS?  WELL, AS THE FEEDBACK FROM DR. COVINGTON ON THIS ISSUE I FOCUS ON EVERY BUDGET SEASON.  IN EVERY BUDGET SEASON I ASK ARE WE GOING TO GET INSPECTORS FOR THE WEEKENDS IN?  I GET DIFFERENT ANSWERS DEPENDING ON WHO I SPEAK WITH. BUT MY MY POINT IS IF YOU ARE SAYING, CHIEF, THAT YOU'RE NOT HEADING IN THIS DIRECTION WHERE WE'RE WE'RE NOT GOING TO ESTABLISH A STANDALONE CITY OF BOSTON DEPARTMENT I UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT BUT ON THE OTHER HAND WE CAN'T SAY THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE INSPECTIONS AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO PEST CONTROL ON THE WEEKENDS.  THESE ARE QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES.  THESE ARE PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUES. THESE ARE PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUES . WE HAVE TO BE OUT THERE SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, 24 HOURS A DAY MAKE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS. WE CAN'T GIVE UP AN HOUR ANY TIME DURING THE WEEK.  SO I'M SOMEWHAT FRUSTRATED NOT AT YOU YOU GUYS. I'M JUST FRUSTRATED AT THE SYSTEM WHERE WE DON'T HAVE A PEST CONTROL TAKING PLACE ON THE WEEKENDS SATURDAYS, SUNDAYS . I'M ALSO DISCOURAGED ABOUT MY NEIGHBORHOOD IN CHINATOWN WHERE PEOPLE STILL TAKE OUT GARBAGE AND AS DR. CORRIGAN SAID THERE'S A SPECIFIC WAY TO TAKE OUT GARBAGE AND THE WAY YOU TAKE OUT GARBAGE IS NOT YOU TAKE OUT YOU DON'T TAKE OUT THE GARBAGE BAG AND PLACE IT ON KNEELAND STREET.  BUT MY MY CONSTITUENTS IN CHINATOWN DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE BARRELS. THEY THEY THEY ARE APARTMENTS JUST ARE NOT CONDUCIVE FOR BARRELS SO THEY END UP TAKING THE GARBAGE OUT IN A BIG AND I'M NOT BLAMING THEM BUT WE NEED TO DO BETTER THAN THAT THIS IS A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE. DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE HIGHEST RATE OF ASTHMA IS IN BOSTON?  IT'S IN CHINATOWN AND I WORK WITH THE CITY COUNCIL NOW MAYOR WU ON THIS ISSUE AND THERE'S IT HAS THE HIGHEST RATE OF ASTHMA FOR DIFFERENT FOR MANY REASONS INCLUDING PEST CONTROL, INCLUDING THE HIGHWAY SYSTEM AND THE IN OTHER AREAS AND OTHER ISSUES BUT NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE CLOSE TO DOWNTOWN BOSTON DESERVE SPECIFIC ATTENTION FROM CITY OFFICIALS FROM CITY GOVERNMENT ON QUALITY LIFE ISSUES INCLUDING PEST CONTROL INCLUDING TRASH PICKUP . SO AGAIN, IF WE'RE NOT GOING TO ESTABLISH A STANDALONE CITY OF BOSTON DEPARTMENT AND I DISAGREE WITH THAT BUT HOW ARE WE GOING TO ADDRESS QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES IN CHINATOWN OR BRIGHTON IF WE DON'T ESTABLISH THIS DEPARTMENT? WILL THINGS IMPROVE IN THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS SO EVERYONE KNOWS WHERE I STAND ON THIS BUT ON THIS ISSUE I WANT TO SEE A CITY DEPARTMENT ON THIS AND I KNOW IT'S GOING TO TAKE TIME. I'M GOING TO CONTINUE ADVOCATING FOR IT. BUT WHAT IMPROVEMENTS ARE WE GOING TO MAKE, CHIEF, AS IT RELATES TO THIS CITY BUDGET ON PEST CONTROL INSPECTIONS INSPECTORS IN THROUGHOUT THE CITY, 14 THROUGHOUT THE WORKWEEK, IT'S JUST NOT GOING TO CUT IT IN MY OPINION. WHAT IS THIS CITY BUDGET GOING TO LOOK LIKE AS WE ADDRESS PEST CONTROLS IN THE BUDGET?  AND THANKS FOR THAT QUESTION,  COUNCILOR . AS I MENTIONED AND AS WITH DEMONSTRATED HERE TODAY WE'VE BEEN WORKING FOR A FEW MONTHS NOW TO DEVELOP A PLAN WHICH WE'RE GOING TO CALL THE BOSTON RODENT ACTION PLAN. WE ARE EXPECTING TO REPORT IN A FEW WEEKS THAT WILL HELP INFORM ALL OF US AS TO WHAT CHANGES WE NEED TO MAKE IN ORDER TO OUTPUT BEFORE THE WEEK AND GET THEIR REPORT BEFORE. I DON'T WANT TO GIVE A BLANKET REQUEST AND SAY THAT WE NEED SOMETHING. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE WHATEVER WE'RE ASKING FOR WE'RE BEING JUDICIOUS IN AND WE'RE ALSO DOING THE BEST THAT WE CAN WITH OUR CURRENT RIGHT. I UNDERSTAND AND I RESPECT YOUR POSITION, CHIEF AND I RESPECT THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING BUT MY JOB IS ADVOCATING FOR MY CONSTITUENTS AND I TAKE THAT VERY SERIOUSLY. I JUST CAN'T CONTINUE WHAT I JUST CAN'T ALLOWING WHAT'S TAKING PLACE IN CHINATOWN WHERE WE DON'T HAVE A AN ENHANCED FOCUS ON QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES, AN ENHANCED FOCUS ON PEST CONTROL IN CHINATOWN. THAT'S WHY PEOPLE ELECTED ME . THEY WANT ME TO FOCUS ON THESE NUTS AND BOLTS ISSUES AND TAKING GARBAGE DOWN ON DOWN TO NEON STREET AS EXTREME AND A BAG AND THEN AS YOU ARE THERE OFTEN CHIEF AND AND THE SEAGULLS COME IN HOUR LATER AND THEN THE BAG IS COMPLETELY RIPPED OPEN. IT'S A RECIPE FOR DISASTER. I NEED TO I NEED A COMMITMENT DURING THIS BUDGET THAT WE'RE GOING TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE AND IN CHINATOWN BUT ALSO COUNCIL READINESS CONCERNS AND COUNCIL COLETTA HAS CONCERNS AND COUNCILOR WEBER HAVE WE ALL DELIVERED THE THE 14 INSPECTORS IS CONCERNING TO ME . WHY SO MANY WHY SO FEW INSPECTORS IN A MAJOR CITY LIKE BOSTON?  WELL, FIRST OFF, SAY THOSE 14 INSPECTORS ARE JUST ON THE ROAD AND CONTROL TEAM. WE HAVE OTHER INSPECTORS IN ADDITION TO THAT WHO ARE DEALING WITH RODENT CONTROL AND PEST CONTROL THROUGHOUT THE CITY. THEY'RE IN DIFFERENT DIVISIONS. THEY'RE NOT JUST SOLELY FOCUSED ON MOTOR CONTROL BUT VOLUME CONTROL AS A PART OF THEIR DUTIES. FOR EXAMPLE, I MENTIONED OUR HEALTH DIVISION INSPECTORS WHO DEAL WITH ALL THE FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS A HUGE PART OF THEIR JOB IS TO MAKE SURE IS PEST CONTROL IN THOSE ESTABLISHMENTS AND ESTABLISHMENTS ARE CLOSED WHENEVER WE FIND THAT IS AN ISSUE THAT HAS NOT BEEN ADEQUATELY ADDRESSED.  THERE'S JUST AS TO GIVE YOU ANOTHER EXAMPLE SO WE DON'T ONLY HAVE 14 INSPECTORS, WE HAVE 14 INSPECTORS WHO ARE ALSO LICENSED PEST CONTROL APPLICATORS WHO ALSO DO BAITING AND TREATMENT AS WELL AS OTHER THINGS.  AND THEN AND THEN ON THE WHEN SOMEONE GETS BACK WHEN THE TEAM GETS BACK ON MONDAY, HOW MANY COMPLAINTS ARE THERE IN THE 311 SYSTEM THAT THAT THAT THEY THEN HAVE TO DEAL WITH STARTING MONDAY MORNING AND TRYING TO CATCH UP WITH THE WORKLOAD THAT'S BEEN ONGOING FOR 72 HOURS MAYBE SO I'LL DEFER TO JOHN ON THAT. BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT IN THE PAST SEVERAL BUDGETS WE HAVE COME BEFORE THIS BODY AND WE HAVE ASKED FOR INCREASED INVESTMENT IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES TEAM AND YOU HAVE GIVEN US WHAT WE'VE ASKED FOR. BUT I'M JOHN. CAN YOU TAKE THE REST OF THE QUESTION SO THE AMOUNT OF COMPLAINTS THAT COME IN IT'S SEASONAL COUNCILOR I WOULD SAY THAT FROM MAY TO SEPTEMBER THAT WE START TO SEE COMPLAINTS INCREASE.  I WOULD SAY THAT THERE IS MORE COMPLAINTS ON A MONDAY BECAUSE THREE DAYS WE HAVEN'T ANSWERED COMPLAINTS BUT BUT IT'S MANAGEABLE.  OKAY I UNDERSTAND.  I MEAN I CAN CONTINUE I DON'T WANT TO MONOPOLIZE THE TIME WHEN MY COLLEAGUES ARE HERE. THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU.  COUNCILOR FLYNN, I WAS GIVING YOU EXTRA TIME SAYING THAT YOU ARE THE SPONSOR.  COUNCILOR BRITTON THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I JUST TO GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF , YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT SCOPE, DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE CITY HAVE THEIR OWN INTEGRATED PLUS PLAN FROM PEST MANAGEMENT WHATEVER.  SO I KNOW THE THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS HAS A SUPERINTENDENT CIRCULAR ON ON THE INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT PLAN I KNOW THAT AND ANOTHER ANECDOTE LIKE I KNOW I WAS AT THE JACKSON MANOR AT AT A WRITERS GROUP ONE NIGHT AND I WAS UP IN THE CAFETERIA SPACE AND THERE WAS IT WASN'T A RAT RACE FOR THE MOST RACE BUT IT WAS LOT OF THE LITTLE FELLOWS RUNNING AROUND. SO I KNOW IT'S A REALITY IN OUR SCHOOLS THAT SO THEN ALSO YOU KNOW, PROPERTY MANAGEMENT HAS PUT OUT BIDS FOR PUBLIC WORKS HAS BEEN SO YOU KNOW HOW HOW HOW DOES THAT INTEGRATE WITH YOUR YOUR WORK AS WELL LIKE IS IT VERY PIECEMEAL OR IS IT A COHERENT SORT OF STRATEGY ACROSS THE CITY FOR PEST MANAGEMENT, INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT THAT WE SORT OF KNOW WHERE THE RESOURCES ARE AND WHERE THE GAPS ARE?  SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON WITH THE BOSTON WROTE AN ACTION PLAN.  WE SUPPORT THOSE AGENCIES QUALITY CONTROL MOST OF THEIR PEST CONTROL IS CONTRACTED WITH OUTSIDE PEST CONTROL COMPANIES SO WE REVIEW IF WE HAVE AN ISSUE AT A SCHOOL WE WOULD SHOW UP, CHECK THE LOGBOOK, ADDRESS ANY ISSUES. WE'RE WORKING WITH BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS ON DIFFERENT RAT ISSUES WHERE WE USE OUR CARBON MONOXIDE MACHINES TO TREAT ON TOP OF WHAT THEIR CONTRACTED SERVICES ARE. BUT I THINK THAT THIS BOSTON WROTE AN ACTION PLAN IS LOOKING AT ALL THE DEPARTMENTS HOW WE CAN SHARE DATA AND HOW WE CAN SUPPORT EACH OTHER TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE. YEAH. I ALSO WANTED TO ASK YOU BUT LIKE IN AUSTIN IN HAVE A LOT OF CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION AND I KNOW RESIDENTS WILL TELL YOU THAT YOU KNOW WHEN THIS DEMOLITION LIKE DONE IN THE AUSTIN LABS PROJECT DONE ON WEST OR NOW WHEN THAT CAME DOWN LIKE EVERYBODY REPORTED A BIG SPIKE IN RODENT ACTIVITY ACROSS LIKE WHAT'S THE SORT OF GOLD STANDARD FOR YOU KNOW BAITING AND AND I KNOW YOU WORK WITH BOSTON WATER AND SEWER ON THIS ONE BUT YOU KNOW WHAT'S A REASONABLE TIME AHEAD OF HEAD OF A DEMOLITION TO DO BAITING AND HOW LONG AFTERWARDS AND WHAT SORT OF AN AREA SHOULD WE BE COVERING SO FOR A DEMO PERMIT WE HAVE A COMMUNITY SANITATION THAT COMES TO OUR OFFICE WHERE THEY HAVE TO HAVE A PEST CONTROL REPORT IN ORDER TO TO GET THE PERMIT AND THEN THAT WILL TRIGGER AN INSPECTION BY ONE OF MY INSPECTORS WHO WILL GO OUT, INSPECT THE SITE FOR WROTE AN ACTIVITY, MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S MONITORING STATIONS AROUND THE PERIMETER OF THE SITE.  SO TO DO THAT AHEAD OF THE DEMOLITION OR YOU ASSESS WHETHER THERE'S ANY RODENT LIKE I THINK IT'S A GIVEN THAT THERE'S RODENT ACTIVITY THERE. THE DO YOU ASSESS DO YOU LOOK FOR DROPPINGS AND WHATEVER DECEIVES THIS RODENT ACTIVITY AND BURROWS BUT REQUIRED TO GIVE A PEST CONTROL SO THE PROPERTY BEEN SERVICED ORDERED TO ACQUIRE THE PERMIT TO DEMOLISH YEAH YEAH SURE.  OKAY. AND THE PERIMETER AROUND THAT SORT OF RADIUS AROUND THE RIGHT SO THE THE THERE IS ALSO A COMMISSION IS BULLETIN WHICH CAN HOLD CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES ACCOUNTABLE FOR PEST CONTROL THAT IS DISPERSED FROM A SITE IF WE COULD PROVE IT UP TO 300 FEET OKAY THEN WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT DRY ICE AND THE LAST TIME WE HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS IN COUNCIL YOU SAID THAT THERE WAS A YOU HAD TO GET A PERMIT AND BUILD A LIQUOR DRIVE TO ROCKLAND TO PICK UP YOUR DRY ICE SO YOU'LL TO HAPPEN AND THEY OPEN AT 9:00 AND YOUR SHIFT STARTS AT FOUR IN THE MORNING. DO WE HAVE TO SORT THAT OUT? NO, THE SITUATION IS THE SAME THE THE THE WAY SOLVED THAT WAS THE PURCHASE OF THE MACHINES WE DEAL WITH CARBON MONOXIDE NOT THE CARBON DIOXIDE WHICH IS THE DRY ICE.  IT'S MORE COST EFFECTIVE THAN IT. IT'S BASICALLY THE SAME EFFECT DIFFERENT GAS BUT HAS THE SAME SUCCESS AND EFFECT TO DRY ICE. YOU CAN'T LOSE USED CLOSE TO BUILDINGS CAN YOU?  SAME IS IT THE SAME WITH THE WITH CARBON MONOXIDE CORRECT.  IF IF THE BUILDING IS OCCUPIED IF THE BUILDING IF YOU CAN CONFIRM THAT THE BUILDING IS UNOCCUPIED THEN YOU CAN YOU CAN TREAT THE THE BURROWS. WE ARE ALSO INVESTING IN A TANK CARBON DIOXIDE WHICH YOU CAN CONTROL THE PSA AND YOU CAN USE THAT RIGHT UP AGAINST THE FOUNDATION OF AN OCCUPIED BUILDING SINCE JULY.  HOW MANY CARBON CARBON HOW MANY MACHINES DO YOU SO CURRENTLY WE HAVE TO BORROW OUR X MACHINES WHICH ARE LARGER MACHINES ON WHEELS AND THEN A ONE HANDHELD IT'S CALLED THE CHEETAH. SO THREE MACHINES IT'S HARD ENOUGH I THINK SO WITH THE CURRENT WORK THAT WE HAVE SO MOST OF THE PEST CONTROL ALL THE PEST CONTROL THAT WE DO IS PUBLIC HIGHWAYS, PUBLIC SEWERS, PUBLIC PARKS.  AND THAT BRINGS ME TO THE OTHER CONVERSATION ABOUT JUST AND PRIVATE SPACES LIKE I KNOW I DID A SITE VISIT AND THERE WAS NOBODY FROM INSPECTION SERVICES WITH ME BUT WE DID A SITE VISIT UP ON CHESTNUT HILL. I HAVE A CONDOMINIUM CALL A GROUP HAD SPENT $30,000 ON TRYING TO THEY HAD TO DIG UP THEIR PATIOS AND THIS IS CRAZY AND IT'S JUST NOT ON END AND THEY THOUGHT THE WHOLE THING WAS UNDER CONTROL AND THEN JUST BANG HOME THEY'LL START ALL OVER AGAIN. SO AND THERE WAS A RESTAURANT NEXT CLOSE BY LIKE FROM YOU TO ME AND IT HAD GREASE AND FOOD WASN'T BEING DISPOSED OF AND THAT WAS THE PROBLEM AND IT JUST NEVER YOU COULD NEVER GET ON TOP THE RAT ISSUE AS LONG AS THAT RESTAURANT CONTINUED TO BE A REALLY GOOD SOURCE OF NUTRITION FOR THE RODENTS.  SO I DON'T KNOW IT WAS IT'S IT'S I WHEN WHEN WHEN A PRIVATE CITIZENS HAVE TO PUT OUT SO MUCH MONEY TO TO TRY AND ADDRESS A RODENT PROBLEM THAT'S THAT SORT OF UNCONTROLLABLE BECAUSE A RESTAURANT NEXT DOOR IS NOT DOING THEIR JOB IS THERE ANY RECOURSE TO THAT LIKE DOES THEY DO THEY HAVE ANY RECOURSE TO STOP THAT SITUATION LIKE I KNOW SO THE RECOURSE WOULD BE REPORTED TO TO US WE WOULD OUT TO AN INSPECTION WE IF IT WAS A RESTAURANT WE WERE INVOLVED THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT RIGHT VIOLATIONS THAT IT'S A VIOLATION TO HAVE GREASE ON THE GROUND TO NOT MAINTAIN THE GREASE TRAPS TO NOT MAINTAIN YOUR TRASH. WE WOULD ADDRESS FOOD SOURCE AND PROVIDE WHATEVER ASSISTANCE WE COULD. AND CAN I ADD BECAUSE I'M SHOCKED AND THIS IS ON US THAT WE HAVEN'T YET TALKED ABOUT THE SITE CLEANLINESS PROGRAM THAT YOUR DIVISION IS RUNNING. I'LL LET YOU TALK ABOUT IT BUT IT IS SOMETHING I THINK ALL OF US CAN COLLABORATE IN GROWING IN INCREASING OF THAT PROGRAM. SO ESSENTIALLY IF YOU HAVE A DUMPSTER WHETHER YOU'RE A FOOD ESTABLISHMENT OR A LARGE BUILDING CONDOMINIUMS, WHATEVER IT IS, IF YOU HAVE A DUMPSTER YOU ARE REQUIRED TO REGISTER WITH A ISDA AS PART OF THE SITE CLEANLINESS PROGRAM WHICH THEN ALLOWS JOHN'S TEAM TO GET EYES ON THAT ON THAT ON THAT DUMPSTER AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR AND MAKE SURE IT'S BEING PROPERLY SECURED AND ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO HAVE DONE IN THOSE DUMPSTERS TO PREVENT RODENT INFESTATION. SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO SAY MORE ABOUT IT BUT WE CAN USE HELP WITH AWARENESS RAISING ABOUT THIS REQUIREMENT TO AGAIN INCREASE THE UPTAKE. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO ADD RIGHT.  AND SO WE'VE INVESTED IN THAT PROGRAM. WE'VE HIRED A ADMIN TO JUST WORK ON THAT PROGRAM REGISTERING IT, REGISTERING THE DUMPSTERS. YES, IT'S CALLED THE SITE CLEANLINESS LICENSE THE BRIGHT GREEN LICENSE THAT YOU SEE.  AND SO WE'RE WORKING ON GETTING MORE RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS INTO THAT IN BRIGHTON WHICH WOULD IT WOULD REQUIRE A YEARLY INSPECTION SO THAT WE COULD GET EYES ON THE DUMPSTERS TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE COVERED , THAT THEY HAVE DUMPSTER PLUGS, THAT THEY'RE IN GOOD SHAPE.  WE ALSO NEED TO WORK WITH THE MANAGEMENT COMPANIES AND THE AND THE DUMPSTER COMPANIES AS WELL LIKE THERE WAS A DUMPSTER OUTSIDE SENIOR CENTER THE SENIOR CENTER IN BRIGHTON WHICH IS A CITY OWNED PROPERTY WAS GETTING TICKETS BECAUSE THE DUMPSTER HAD A HOLE IN THE RATS RUNNING NIGHT. SO YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S A HARD IT'S A TOUGH ONE. WE HAVE A LOT TO DO RIGHT AND THE SITE CLEANLINESS THE LAST THING I'LL SAY IS IS THAT IT DID DOES GIVE US THE ABILITY TO GIVE LARGE FINES SO CODE ENFORCEMENT THE ENFORCEMENT AGENCY FOR THE SAKE OF THIS PROGRAM WE MANAGED TO LICENSE BUT THAT IS A $2,000 A DAY THAT COULD BE ISSUE.  OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MADAM CHAIR . THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR BRETT AND COUNCILOR WEBER.  THANK YOU MR IF I FELT LIKE THERE WAS RATS INFESTING A DUMPSTER, HOW LONG WOULD IT BE? YOU ALREADY ANSWERED THIS QUESTION BUT HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE TO DO AN INSPECTION? WOULD YOU EXPECT LIKE RESPONSE OF A311 COMPLAINT? CORRECT WITHIN 48 HOURS. OKAY.  I GUESS. AND FOR DR. CORRIGAN, I ASSUME YOU HAD SEEN THE NEW YORK HAS A RATS ARE RIGHT IN NEW YORK CITY. CORRECT AND I I GUESS WHAT'S YOUR EVALUATION ON HOW HOW IT'S WORKING IS IT HOW IS IT DIFFERENT IN NEW YORK FROM BEFORE THE RATS ARE TO I GUESS IT'S BEEN IN FOR LESS THAN A YEAR BUT WHAT'S YOUR ASSESSMENT ? MY ASSESSMENT IS THE RATS ARE IS A VERY CRITICAL POSITION AND AS A POSITION SHE WORKS UNDERNEATH OF COURSE THE MAYOR'S OFFICE DIRECTLY AND IT'S BEEN MY OBSERVATIONS AND MEETING WITH THE RATS ARE IT'S BEEN ESSENTIAL IT'S BEEN HIGHLY EFFECTIVE.  IT'S POINTING THE COMPASS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.  YOU KNOW WITH A BIG CITY LIKE NEW YORK CITY IT'S SAME AS BOSTON. IT'S ABOUT GETTING EVERYONE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THEY ALL HAVE A PLAY IN RAT MANAGEMENT IN THE CITY AND GETTING EVERYONE TO COLLABORATE AND ALSO GETTING EVERYONE EVERY DEPARTMENT FOR EXAMPLE IS GOING TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF RESPONSIBILITY OR ASSIGNMENT USE THAT WORD AS WELL. AND SO YOU NEED SOMEONE TO, YOU KNOW, MEET ISSUE THOSE RESPONSIBILITIES DIVIDE THEM UP, SIT AROUND THE TABLE, EVERYBODY GETS THEIR SHARE OF WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR THE RATS AND THEN THE REDS ARE IS THE ONE OF COURSE UNDERNEATH THE INFLUENCE OF THE MAYOR'S OFFICE TO TRACK THAT TO MONITOR TO ENCOURAGE TO MEASURE AND THEN TO REPORT, YOU KNOW, ON A REGULAR MEETING MONTHLY IN CASE AS TO PROGRESS. SO I KNOW IT'S A LONG ANSWER BUT IF SOMEONE SAID TO ME IS A RED CZAR CRITICAL FOR CITY RAT MANAGEMENT, THE ANSWER IS YES. AND I GUESS WHAT'S YOUR ANALYSIS ON IT NOW? YOU KNOW, I GUESS WILL THIS BE ADDRESSED IN THE REPORT? DO YOU HAVE ANY OPINIONS ABOUT WHAT KINDS OF RESOURCES AS YOU KNOW WE'VE INVESTED IN COMBATING THE PROBLEM AND YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S ENOUGH NOT NEAR ENOUGH GETTING CLOSE TO ENOUGH THAT'S YOU KNOW, THE ONE OF THE $60,000 QUESTIONS FOR THE REPORT AND THOSE ARE THE KIND OF METRICS AND MEASUREMENTS AND COMMENTS, YOU KNOW, CONSIDERATIONS THAT'S WHERE A CONSULTANT TYPICALLY USES FOR A CITY IS TO THE FOLLOWING SHOULD BE CONSIDERED HERE ARE THE BENEFITS HERE COULD BE SOME DRAWBACKS SO FORTH AND SO ON. YOU KNOW EVERYTHING AS YOU ALL KNOW BETTER THAN I EVERYTHING COMES WITH THE PLUSES AND MINUSES USUALLY ATTACHED TO IT AND IT'S ALWAYS A DIFFICULT WRESTLE A LITTLE BIT WITH LIMITED BUDGETS AND CITY BUDGETS AND SO FORTH AND POSITIONS. BUT YES, AS I HAVE GONE THROUGH THIS PROCESS WITH YOU GUYS FOR FOUR MONTHS, I DO OF COURSE SEE THINGS WHERE TO USE YOU KNOW COUNCILOR YOU KNOW FLYNN'S COMMENT IS ENHANCEMENT SEVERAL ENHANCEMENTS ACROSS THE BOARD ACROSS DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS THAT COULD BE MADE THAT'S GOING TO HELP IN THAT REGARD AND I THINK SOME OF THEM WON'T BE THAT HEAVY A LIFT AND OTHERS MAY IN FACT BE A HEAVY LIFT. BUT I WOULD SAY THAT BOSTON DOES HAVE A SERIOUS PROBLEM LIKE THE OTHER CITIES ALONG THE EAST COAST. AND SO AND I ALSO THINK THAT'S GOING TO INCREASE FOR ALL THESE CITIES AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE ADDRESS THOSE ADEQUATELY IN TERMS OF ENHANCEMENTS.  OKAY. I THANK YOU, JEFF. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR WEBER, I JUST HAVE A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS. HOW MANY INSPECTORS HAVE WE ADDED OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS FOR THIS PARTICULAR SECTION OF ICE?  SO ADDITIONAL POSITIONS ONE WE DID HAVE A VACANCY AND WE ADDED ONE ADDITIONAL INSPECTORS SO FOR A WHILE WE WERE AT 12, WE ARE NOW AT 14. OKAY. AND HOW MANY CASES DO ANY OF THEM HAVE AT ANY GIVEN TIME? IS THERE AN AVERAGE IT SHOULD BE UNDER TEN ON ANY GIVEN DAY. OKAY. AND THEN THE AVERAGE TIME THAT YOU WOULD SAY TO RESOLVE THESE CASES IS 24 TO 48 HOURS DEPENDING DEPENDING ON SEASON. BUT 48 HOURS SHOULD BE THE LONGEST. OKAY.  DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER INSPECTORS WITH A NICE DAY WORKING ON THE WEEKENDS THAT ARE NOT ON CALL WITH BUILDING INSPECTORS ON CALL THEY'RE ALL ON CALL. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH.  AND THEN JUST GETTING INTO THE LANGUAGE A LITTLE BIT MORE AND GETTING SPECIFIC ABOUT WHERE THE ADMINISTRATION IS IS AT FOR FOR THIS PARTICULAR ORDINANCE. SO LOOKING AT SECTION ONE, IF YOU CAN JUST LET US KNOW WHAT YOU ALL ARE DOING ALREADY, WHAT YOUR EXISTING EFFORTS ARE FOR. THERE'S THERE'S THREE MAIN POINTS IN SECTION ONE AND I'LL I'LL DO THEM ONE BY ONE JUST BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE IT IN FRONT OF YOU IF THAT'S OKAY.  THERE NEEDS TO BE A DEDICATED OFFICE TO TO COORDINATE MULTI DEPARTMENT EFFORTS TO REDUCING RAT AND PEST POPULATIONS. SO TALK ABOUT HOW YOU'RE ALREADY COORDINATING CITY DEPARTMENTS JUST GENERALLY IF YOU CAN GIVE LIKE THE ELEVATOR PITCH I GUESS OR THE SUMMARY OF WHAT YOU'RE ALREADY DOING IF IF THE ANSWER IS WE ARE ALREADY DOING THIS SO WE CAN START THERE SO ARE YOU COORDINATING MULTI DEPARTMENT EFFORTS TO REDUCING RAT AND PEST POPULATIONS?  YEAH I THINK THAT WE ARE AT THE EARLY STAGE OF DOING MORE WITH THAT.  THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN COORDINATION BETWEEN JOHNS TEAM AND OTHER AGENCIES BUT WE RECOGNIZE THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE IMPROVED AND THAT'S A PART OF WHAT WE'RE PLANNING TO ACCOMPLISH WITH THE ROLL IN ACTION PLAN AND CONVENING DEPARTMENTS AND TALKING ABOUT THIS AS A JOINT EFFORT ALONG WITH OUR CONSULTANT. IS THERE A SET MEETING THAT TAKES PLACE WITHIN THE DEPARTMENTS LIKE A SET CADENCE TO TO REVIEW WHAT THE CASES ARE, WHAT THE WORK IS? I KNOW THAT CLIMATE RESILIENCE THERE THERE'S A SET TASK FORCE OR CONSORTIUM OF OF INDIVIDUALS WITHIN THE CITY THAT MEET REGULARLY. SO ARE YOU ALL MEETING REGULARLY SO WE MEET WITHIN MY DEPARTMENT REGULARLY BUT I THINK WHAT WHAT WE'RE ENVISIONING IS AT THE COMPLETION OF DR. CORRIGAN'S WORK HE WILL GIVE US THE RECOMMENDATION AND FROM THAT POINT OUR WORK WILL START WITH THE REGULAR MEETING AROUND ROAD AND CONTROL GROUP.  AND THEN THE SECOND POINT IS TO THIS OFFICE WHAT TO DEVELOP OVERALL PEST CONTROL STRATEGY. SO HOW ARE YOU ALL ALREADY ADDRESSING THIS AND WHATEVER EXISTING EFFORTS ARE UNDERWAY?  SO YEAH THAT'S THE BOSTON ROAD AN ACTION PLAN. WE ALSO HAVE THE WORK WITH THE M.I.T. STUDENTS AND WE'RE CONSTANTLY LOOKING AT NEW TECHNOLOGY THAT WE WERE THE FIRST IN THE NATION TO USE DRY ICE FOR PEST CONTROL WHEN DRY ICE WAS REGULATED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND DIFFERENT DIFFICULT TO GET WE WE SWITCHED AND FOUND NEW TECHNOLOGY TO ADDRESS THAT AND IN JULY WE WILL BE ADOPTING THE TANK CO2 WHICH WILL ALLOW US TO TREAT MORE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES CLOSE TO THE BUILDING SO AND THEN THE THIRD POINT IS CONDUCTING OUTREACH TO RESIDENTS ON RODENT MITIGATION METHODS. HOW ARE YOU ALL DOING THIS ALREADY?  SO WE WE I, I REGULARLY GO TO NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETINGS NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS. WE HAVE A DIRECTOR OF PUBLICITY AT H.D. THAT HAS SOCIAL WE PRODUCED VIDEOS IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGES I THINK WE HAVE VIETNAMESE, SPANISH AND ENGLISH ALL OF OUR EDUCATION MATERIAL IS IN SIX LANGUAGES. WE DO LITTER DROPS IN NEIGHBORHOODS DURING NEIGHBORHOOD WALKTHROUGHS. WE'VE DONE IT. WE PROBABLY DO 1 TO 2 A WEEK OF NEIGHBORHOOD WALKTHROUGHS WHERE WE TAKE A GROUP OF CONSTITUENTS THAT ARE DEALING WITH ROTTEN ISSUES. WE GO OUT, WILL WALK THE NEIGHBORHOOD, ALLOW THEM TO POINT TO AREAS OF CONCERN, TALK TO THEM ABOUT BEST STRATEGIES AROUND DEALING WITH PEST CONTROL AND THEN ENGAGING THE PUBLIC WHILE WE'RE OUT THERE. THANK YOU FOR THOSE ANSWERS. IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE IN RESPONSE TO THIS ORDINANCE THAT YOU ALL WANT TO EITHER ACCEPT OR REJECT JUST SPEAK PUBLICLY ABOUT BEFORE THE COMPLETION OF THE REPORT GIVING YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO KNOW LIKE I SAID EARLIER, I THINK MOST OF THE THE GOALS THAT THE ORDINANCE IS TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH WE AGREE WITH OKAY, THAT'S IT FOR ME OR . ARE WE GOOD CO-SPONSOR OR SPONSOR OR DO I HAVE ANOTHER?  MADAM CHAIR, MAY I ASK DR. CORRIGAN ONE OR TWO QUESTIONS? DR. CORRIGAN YES.  THANK YOU DR. CORRIGAN FOR FOR BEING HERE FOR THE IMPORTANT WORK YOU'RE DOING WITH THE CITY OF BOSTON WITH THE RESIDENTS OF BOSTON.  SO I KNOW WE HIGHLIGHTED SOMEWHAT THE SOMEWHAT THE OFFICE OF PEST CONTROL IN NEW YORK CITY.  YOU SPOKE ABOUT IT AS WELL.  CAN IT CAN A MAJOR CITY LIKE BOSTON HAVE TO ADDRESS THIS TYPE OF QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUE FIVE DAYS A WEEK OR DO WE NEED TO BE OUT THERE SEVEN DAYS A WEEK?  I DEFINITELY AGREE THAT RODENT CONTROL AND RODENTS THEY ARE 24 SEVEN 365. NO MISTAKE ABOUT THAT.  SO IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO HAVE A COMPLETE PROGRAM IF THERE'S NOT SOME TYPE OF WEEKEND YOU KNOW, ASSIGNED PERSON TO ROAD AN EMERGENCY.  ALL RIGHT. SO TO THAT POINT IDEALISTICALLY AGAIN MANY TIMES DEPENDING ON BUDGETS BUT IF SOMEONE WAS TO ASK ME AS A CONSULTANT SHOULD THERE BE SOMEONE OR SOME INSPECTOR OR SOMEONE RESPONSIBLE FOR THOSE WEEKEND MOMENTS THAT YOU OUTLINED AND SCENARIOS THAT YOU OUTLINE? COUNCILOR I WOULD SAY YES.  I DO WANT TO ADD BEFORE THE NEXT QUESTION OF THE NEW YORK CITY PROGRAM THE PEST CONTROL SERVICES PROGRAM IN NEW YORK CITY IS ACTUALLY HOUSED WITHIN ANOTHER AGENCY AND THAT IS THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. IT'S A DIVISION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH.  THE RATS ARE PERSON IS OUT OF THE MAYOR'S OFFICE SPECIFICALLY AND IS THE ONLY PERSON WITHIN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AS A DIRECTOR OF HER. HER TITLE IS DIRECTOR OF RAT MITIGATION FOR NEW YORK CITY AND SO SHE'S THE ONE THAT GETS ALL THE AGENCIES TOGETHER INCLUDING THAT THE PRIMARY AGENCY IS THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND WITHIN THEM AS AN AGENCY THEY HAVE A PEST CONTROL SERVICES DIVISION BUT THERE IS NO OFFICE OF THE PEST CONTROL AS AN INDEPENDENT AGENCY ANSWERABLE TO THE MAYOR.  THANK YOU, DR. CORRIGAN. YES.  WOULD FIRST CITY SUCH AS BOSTON DR. CORRIGAN WHAT SHOULD WHAT SHOULD OUR NUMBER BE IN TERMS OF PEST CONTROL LICENSED PROFESSIONALS WE HAVE OBVIOUSLY 14. BUT A MAJOR CITY OF BOSTON WHAT SHOULD THAT NUMBER BE IF IF YOU HAD TO ESTIMATE?  I WOULD PROBABLY NEED TO THINK ABOUT THAT COUNCILOR VERY CAREFULLY AND PUT ALL MY PARTICULAR FACTORS IN AND PER CAPITA AND FOR SIZE AND THERE'S A LOT OF DECISIONS THAT WOULD GO INTO ANSWERING.  IT SEEMS LIKE A SIMPLE QUESTION THAT I COULD GIVE A NUMBER TO BUT NOT WITHOUT CAREFUL THOUGHT AND MATCHING IT UP TO ALL THE OTHER FACTORS THAT I CONSIDER. BUT I WOULD CERTAINLY MAKE MYSELF A NOTE AS TO IN MY REPORT I WOULD GIVE SOME TYPE OF RESPONSE TO THAT QUESTION. IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION. I AGREE. BUT I WOULD I WOULD FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE TO TO ACTUALLY STATE A NUMBER RIGHT HERE.  THANK YOU, DR. FOR YOUR RESPONSE. AND JUST JUST FINALLY AS A DISTRICT CITY COUNCILOR , I GET MOST OF MY OR A GOOD PERCENTAGE OF MY CONSTITUENT REQUESTS ON THE WEEKENDS FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES,  NUTS AND BOLTS ISSUES, NOISE COMPLAINTS, PARTIES, PARKING ENFORCEMENT, TRAFFIC, PEST CONTROL AND ON A FRIDAY NIGHT OR SATURDAY NIGHT I MIGHT BE HOME WITH MY WIFE WATCHING TELEVISION AND IF THERE IS A PARTY SOMEWHERE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTS ARE CALLING AND THEN RESIDENTS THE NEXT MORNING ARE ALSO CALLING ABOUT PEST CONTROL ISSUES AND THAT SAME AREA IMMEDIATE AREA BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT AN OUTDOOR COOKOUT UNREGULATED COOKOUT HAD. SO THAT'S WHERE I'M COMING FROM AS A DISTRICT CITY COUNCILOR IS THESE NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES ISSUES NUTS AND BOLTS ISSUES.  WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUDGET AND LIKE ALL DISTRICT COUNCILS I NEED TO DO MY DUE DILIGENCE AND ADVOCATE FOR MY DISTRICT ON THESE QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES AND WHETHER IT'S IN SOUTH BOSTON OR IT'S AND I ALREADY RECEIVE TEXTS FROM RESIDENTS IN ANDREW SQUARE TELLING ME THAT WHAT I ALREADY KNOW BECAUSE I'M DOWN THERE ALMOST EVERY DAY THAT PEST CONTROL IS A MAJOR PROBLEM IN EVERY SQUARE AS WELL. SOUTH BOSTON, SOUTH END DOWNTOWN BOSTON. BUT I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE PANEL FOR BEING HERE. I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU DR. CORRIGAN, FOR BEING HERE AS WELL. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR, ON A TALK WITH YOU, MY COLLEAGUES AND TO THE SPONSOR AS WELL. BREADON THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCILOR FLYNN.  I'LL GIVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COUNCILOR BRUTON OR COUNCILOR WEBER IF THEY HAVE ANY DEPARTING REMARKS AND THEN WE'LL GO TO PUBLIC TESTIMONY.  ONE BIG THING WE BUMP INTO AND I'M SURE YOU GUYS BUMP INTO IT AS WELL IS JUST BEING ABLE TO HAVE RESPONSIVE MANAGEMENT COMPANIES LIKE YOU HAVE A PROBLEM, THERE'S A DUMPSTER THAT NEEDS ATTENTION AND THERE'S RODENT PROBLEMS ABSENTEE LANDLORDS WE DON'T KNOW WHO THEY ARE OR WHERE THEY ARE A LOT OF THE TIME WITH STUDENT HOUSING AND THEN THE MANAGEMENT COMPANIES AGAIN ARE ONEROUS ON ONYX INACCESSIBLE OR UNRESPONSIVE WHEN YOU DO GET A HOLD OF THEM LIKE DO YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS HOW WE MIGHT BE BETTER ABLE TO HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE? SO I THINK A VIOLATION PROCESS ALTHOUGH IT TAKES A WHILE EVENTUALLY WE GET YOU KNOW IT'S DIFFERENT THAN CODE ENFORCEMENT WHERE THEY'RE GOING BASED ON ASSESSMENT. WE DO TITLE SEARCHES IF WE DON'T GET GOOD INFORMATION OR GOOD SERVICE WITH THE VIOLATION . SO EVENTUALLY WE WILL GET THE THE CORRECT OWNER OF THE PROPERTY WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE. WE TRY TO WORK WITH MANAGEMENT COMPANIES. THEY'RE REQUIRED TO HAVE THEIR INFORMATION IN THE HALLWAY POSTED. WE WILL REACH OUT TO THEM. SOME INSPECTORS SHOW UP AT THEIR OFFICE BUT DIFFERENT THAN CODE ENFORCEMENT TICKET OUR VIOLATION PROCESS IF IT IS SENT BACK AND WE DON'T GET GOOD SERVICE EITHER BY CONSTABLE OR PRIORITY MAIL, OUR LEGAL DIVISION WILL DO A TITLE SEARCH AND WE WILL GET THE CORRECT OWNERSHIP PACKET.  THANK YOU. AND THEN I'VE ALSO HEARD PEOPLE AND DO IT YOURSELF SORT OF CARBON MONOXIDE EFFORT BY PEOPLE USING THE TAILPIPES OF THEIR TRUCKS AND BACKING THEM UP TO RODENT HOLES. I DON'T KNOW. IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU APPROVE OF ? I WOULD RECOMMEND USING YOUR CAR TO TREAT IF YOU HAVE A ROAD AN ISSUE I KNOW IT'S A SERVICE THAT YOU CAN LAUNCH A PEST CONTROL COMPANIES USE THESE MACHINES YOU KNOW YOU CAN REACH OUT TO US IF IF THERE IS ASSISTANCE THAT WE CAN PROVIDE WE DO TRY TO PROVIDE ESPECIALLY WITH THOSE MACHINES BUT IT IS A SERVICE THAT I WOULD RECOMMEND YOU HIRING SPECIAL LICENSE PROFESSIONAL YEAH I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY GOOD A GOOD UH GOOD ADVICE. THANK YOU SO MUCH ALL FOR BEING HERE THIS AFTERNOON AND THANK YOU.  THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR BURTON, COUNCILWOMAN RO.  OH, MY GOODNESS. SORRY . COUNCIL MEMBER. I APOLOGIZE. OH, NO, I JUST I I JUST LIKE THE COUNCIL OF REGIONS THINKING ABOUT CREATIVE THINKING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND, UM, IT'S I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING MORE. THANK YOU, CHAIR.  THANK YOU. WE'LL MOVE TO PUBLIC TESTIMONY . WE HAVE ONE PERSON SIGNED UP. COULD YOU PLEASE STAY AND LISTEN TO OUR OUR UM,  INDIVIDUAL THAT SIGNED UP I BELIEVE IT IS UH, RICHARD MINE KEY.  PLEASE REMEMBER TO STATE YOUR NAME NEIGHBORHOOD AND ORGANIZATION AFFILIATION. PLEASE SPEAK INTO THE MICROPHONE AND KEEP YOUR COMMENTS TO 2 MINUTES. THANK YOU. YES. THANK YOU, COUNCILORS MY NAME IS RICKY MIKE. YEAH. I'M AN AWESOME BRYAN RESIDENT AND ALSO THE CREATOR OF THE RAP CITY ARTS FESTIVAL, A LOCAL GRASSROOTS FESTIVAL THAT CELEBRATES LOCAL ARTISTS, BANDS AND PERFORMERS AND WHAT WE LOCALLY CALL IS RAT CITY.  SO TO CALL YOURSELF AN AUSTIN ROUTER SAY YOU LIVE IN RAT CITY MEANS YOU LIKE TO ADD HUMOR TO A SITUATION THAT HAS PLAGUED YOU NOT DUE TO THE RATS FAULT BUT MANY TIMES TO THE FAULT OF A LANDLORD OR PROPERTY MANAGER. WHEN I HAD A RAT DIE IN THE WALL OF MY APARTMENT MY LANDLORD DIDN'T REMOVE IT BUT GAVE ME A FREE MONTH'S RENT AND TOLD ME THE SMELL WILL NATURALLY GO AWAY SO MANY OF OUR NEIGHBORS FACE RIGHT ISSUES IN THEIR LIVING SPACES BUT BECAUSE THEY ARE RENTERS THEY NEED TO RELY ON MANAGEMENT COMPANIES AND PROPERTY OWNERS AND MANY TIMES THE ISSUE IS HARDLY ADDRESSED. I THINK ABOUT THE FAMILY THAT RENTS AND ALSO IN BRIGHTON NOT BEING ABLE TO HOST DINNER IN THEIR KITCHEN BECAUSE A RAT DIED IN THEIR STOVE OR THE FRIENDS THAT CAN'T USE THEIR BACKYARD FOR A BIRTHDAY PARTY BECAUSE A RAT DEN MOVED IN. RATS TAKE AWAY THE SENSE OF SAFETY WE HAVE IN OUR HOMES AND THEY TAKE AWAY THE ABILITY TO ENJOY OUR HOMES. BUT I DON'T BELIEVE THEY'RE THE ONLY ONES TO BLAME. THAT IS WHY I SUPPORT THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN OFFICE OF PEST CONTROL FOR THE CITY OF BOSTON.  THIS OFFICE SHOULD BE GIVEN THE POWER AND AGENCY OVER NOT JUST CATCHING RATS AND PESTS BUT HOLDING THOSE ACCOUNTABLE TOO THAT ALLOW PEST TO PROLIFERATE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. THIS OFFICE SHOULD HAVE THE AGENCY TO ADDRESS THE LACK OF MANAGEMENT FROM PROPERTY MANAGERS AND LANDLORDS WHO FROM THEIR MALFEASANCE ALLOWED THEIR TENANTS TO EXPERIENCE THIS RAT ISSUE WITHOUT ANY POWER TO ADDRESS IT.  SO PLEASE LET THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THIS OFFICE BE A MOMENT OF EMPOWERMENT FOR SO MANY OF OUR NEIGHBORS. SO AS THE FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR OF THE RAT CITY ARTS FESTIVAL, I FULLY SUPPORT THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE OFFICE OF PEST CONTROL AND WELCOME A RAT CZAR INTO OUR CITY. I ALSO WANT TO INVITE ALL OF YOU TO THE EVENTS OF THE CITY ARTS FESTIVAL ON AUGUST 1ST WILL BE HOSTING A RAT WALK IN AUSTIN TO SEE THE LOCAL HOT SPOTS AND RAT DENS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND ON AUGUST 2ND WILL BE HOSTING A GOLDEN HOUR CONCERT FOR OUR ELDERLY AND OLDER NEIGHBORS TO ENJOY SOME MUSIC.  AND FINALLY ON AUGUST 3RD WILL BE HOSTING OUR THIRD ANNUAL RAT CITY ARTS FESTIVAL IN AUSTIN OR AS WHAT WE LIKE TO CALL IT RAT CITY. THANK YOU EVERYONE.  THANK YOU SO MUCH, RICHARD AND THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO IN THE CREATION OF THE RAT CITY ARTS FESTIVAL, THE FAMED RAT CITY ARTS FESTIVAL DO WE HAVE ANYBODY VIRTUALLY FOR SMART?  OKAY, I THINK THIS WILL CONCLUDE THIS HEARING. I LOOK FORWARD TO ADDITIONAL CONVERSATIONS RECEIVING THAT REPORT. I'M SORRY , DID YOU HAVE PUBLIC TESTIMONY? OKAY. PLEASE COME DOWN TO THE MIC. WE HAVE ONE MORE IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND. PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME NEIGHBORHOOD AND AFFILIATION IF YOU HAVE ONE FOR THE RECORD PLEASE KEEP THE 2 MINUTES. YES. HELLO. MY NAME IS SAMUEL PIERCE.  I LIVE IN DORCHESTER AND I'M ACTUALLY HERE ON BEHALF OF LOS ALAMITOS AND THE REASON WHY I ACTUALLY CAME HERE FOR THIS MEETING IS BECAUSE I THINK THAT THE RAT PROBLEM IS ACTUALLY A PROBLEM ACROSS THE CITY AND I THINK SOME OF IT IS COMPOUNDED BY SOME OF OUR CONSTRUCTION ISSUES. SO FOR EXAMPLE WHEN THEY COME AND THEY SHAKE UP THE FOUNDATION IN SOME OF THE BUILDINGS, I THINK THAT THAT CERTAINLY DISPLACES THE RATS. AND SO I THINK OF THIS BOOK CALLED MRS. FRISBEE AND THE RATS IN THEM HOW THERE'S LIKE THIS WHOLE OTHER WORLD THAT THEY'RE OBVIOUSLY LIVING IN. AND I THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT SOME OF THE SOLUTIONS COULD BE VERY SIMPLE WHICH IS THAT THE TRASH COLLECTION IS NOT THE SAME ALL OVER THE CITY. SOME PEOPLE CAN JUST PUT THEIR BAGS ON THE STREET AND THEY DON'T HAVE PLASTIC CONTAINERS WHERE THEY ARE ESSENTIALLY SAFE FROM RATS AND VERMIN. AND SO I THINK THAT WE ARE PERPETUATING THE PROBLEM IF WE DON'T SIMPLY SAY THAT THE RULES APPLY TO EVERYONE. SO WE DO HAVE SOME SIMPLE SOLUTIONS OBVIOUSLY NOW WE HAVE COMPOSTING. WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, ALL THESE RECYCLING AND TRASH BINS.  WHY DON'T WE USE THEM? AND SO I THINK THAT THAT SOME OF THESE SIMPLE SOLUTIONS AS WELL AS REALLY SHOWCASING THE ARTISTIC SIDE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE READING THE BOOK ABOUT MRS. FRAZEE AND THE RATS AND THEM GOING TO THE BRIGHTON PLAY ABOUT THE ARTS LOOKING AT THE NUTCRACKER AND THE RAT KING MIGHT GET PEOPLE THINKING ABOUT THAT. BUT THEN WE ALSO HAVE TO HAVE DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT THE FOUNDATION. SO FOR EXAMPLE FLOODING AND THE WAY THAT RATS ARE ABLE TO GET INTO BUILDINGS ARE CONNECTED BECAUSE VERY SOON WE'RE GOING TO BE SPENDING BILLIONS OF DOLLARS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE STOP THE CITY FROM FLOODING. SO I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN USE A HOLISTIC APPROACH.  I'M VERY HAPPY TO SEE WE HAVE THE EXPERT PANEL THAT WE HAVE THANK YOU OBVIOUSLY COMMISSIONER IRISH FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO FOR OUR CITY AND THANK YOU TO THE COUNCILORS OBVIOUSLY CHER WEBER AND CHAIR COLETTA AND CHAIR FLYNN AND OBVIOUSLY COUNCILOR BREEDEN FOR BEING HERE. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH SAM. SO I DO LOOK FORWARD TO RECEIVING RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THIS REPORT. I THINK THERE ARE MORE CONVERSATIONS TO BE HAD WHEN IT COMES TO THIS DOCKET.  I WILL CONFER WITH THE LEAD SPONSOR AND SPONSORS AND DISCUSS WHAT TO DO NEXT. BUT FOR THE TIME BEING I THINK WE'VE WE'VE HIT THE LIMIT ON OUR CONVERSATION. I WANT TO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND PROVIDING SUCH THOROUGH ANSWERS. THIS HEARING ON DOCKET 0262 IS OFFICIALLY ADJOURNED. THANKS EVERYBODY