Dear Friends,
I think we can all agree that rodent problems are more than an annoyance -- they're a public health nuisance. That's why I authored, and this week succeeded in passing, an ordinance that imposes new, aggressive requirements to combat the rodent population.
Currently, the City of Chicago's Municipal Code only requires rodent abatement inside a building that is to be demolished. However, we all know rodents live in the ground. Excavation activity invariably disturbs underground rodent nests, sending rats into neighboring yards.
I have been working for months with the Departments of Buildings and Streets and Sanitation to draft an ordinance aimed at mitigating this issue.
The new ordinance, which was passed at Wednesday's City Council meeting and which will become law this spring, mandates that anyone obtaining a permit for new construction must have on-site rodent abatement from the time excavation begins until all excavation is complete and the foundation is laid, or risk heavy fines, citations and stop-work orders from the City.
The Department of Streets and Sanitation has been at war with rodents for years and this ordinance provides the Department the ammunition necessary to bring the fight to the source and eliminate rodent issues before they arise, at no cost to the Chicago taxpayer.
Everyone, from residents to small business owners, shares the responsibility to address rodent concerns by implementing abatement measures. It follows, too, that developers should be held to the same standard of accountability and be an active participant in the efforts to rid our City of rodents.
Please continue to call 3-1-1 or my office at 773-348-9500 to request rodent abatement when the need arises, and we can work towards reducing the rodent population in our neighborhood.
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