Wildenhain suggests tax break for residents coping with rodents

07/13/2021

PAWTUCKET – Residents who say they are not seeing the results they need when it comes to the city’s response to rodent problems are asking the city for some kind of tax incentive if they need to contract in person to resolve the problem.

Councilor Mark Wildenhain said last week that he had approved voters’ motion to bring the matter to the full council.

A local resident said he was looking at a bill between $ 4,000 and $ 5,000 for a combination of initial rat control measures and an annual program, Wildenhain said.

Councilor Tim Rudd, who also commented on an update to the council from William Vieira, director of zoning and code enforcement, said it appears city officials have lost the situation and are trying to catch up now that the city is “ready” Overrun. “He questioned the delay in renewing contracts for urban redevelopment services, saying it was a” major quality of life issue “and a major expense for residents.

Wildenhain said based on his earlier suggestion, he expected the zone officials to keep a list of all the addresses where bait boxes had previously been placed and the boxes would be automatically refilled. At his request, the council sent a letter to Vieira asking if this was the case.
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Vieira said in his June 30 letter to the council that his department had too few staff to bait all of the crates independently and would therefore “bring back two previously contracted pest control suppliers,” A&D Pest Control and Falcon Pest services.

A&D began returning to town on June 28, and Falcon returned the week of July 4 “to bait the boxes and alleviate the current pest problem,” wrote Vieira.

All inquiries, he said, should be directed to Kelley Gilligan in Zoning at kgilligan@pawtucketri.com or 401-728-0500, ext. 291. Each situation can then be documented and processed, he said.