A City Committee Meeting with a Disappointing Outcome

I attended the October 22 meeting of the Beach and Coastal Resources Advisory Committee, my primary interest being the final report on the one-year testing of non-toxic rat bait at Mackle Park. The report from the manufacturer’s representative claimed a 61% reduction in the number of rats at the test site compared with the start of the trial. Then a representative from the city staff reported that ‘we have already contracted for a trial using a different type of bait,’ without waiting for this final report. 

What is it with the city’s attitude here? Residents volunteer their time to sit on these committees, and yet their time is totally ignored and disrespected. No one had bothered to inform the committee members that the city really didn’t care to wait on the result of the ongoing study. Was the decision reached based on product price, ease of application, or something else? What criteria will be used to assess the value of the new test product? No information was forthcoming, so we can guess where this will go.

The city pays an outrageous sum – over $540,000 annually ($1,480 daily) – to a company that uses toxic bait for rodent control that ends up also killing wildlife but has no effect on the net rodent population. 

The meeting began with a cupcake and a photo op for committee members, celebrating “government week,” but ended with what appeared to be a pre-empted and frustrated committee. I thank the Committee members for their time and interest in the issues that come before them, and I hope you’ll receive more respect going forward.