BY TIM BONFIELD
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Citizen complaints about rats in Cincinnati have dropped 15 percent in five years. But there were still 699 complaints last year -- and that's too many for Councilman Charlie Winburn.
Today, Mr. Winburn is expected to introduce a motion to step up the city's rat control efforts, a complaint-driven program that has been running the same way with about the same amount of city spending for the past several years.
"I want to see a more aggressive initiative on rats, even if we have to increase or double our funding," Mr. Winburn said. "By the year 2000, if we can cut our citizen complaints in half, I will be satisfied."
Persistent problem
According to the Cincinnati Health Department, rat control is a never-ending problem for all cities, but there are no signs that it's a growing problem here.
"Could the city benefit from an increased emphasis on rat control? Well, sure," said Health Commissioner Malcolm Adcock. "The question will be are there other, more pressing issues?"
The health department recently issued reports noting that it faces rising costs for treating uninsured patients in the city's health clinics and home health services; a loss of fees it used to collect for inspecting landfills; and uncertainty over federal support for the city's lead-paint abatement program.
Since 1993, the Health Department has received an average of 760 rat complaints a year. It spent about $104,000 last year on rat control, including responding to complaints, inspecting properties and putting out rat baits.
Before Mr. Winburn raised the issue, there were no plans to ask for more money, Dr. Adcock said.
Proactive effort
Mr. Winburn said he became more interested in the rat issue after getting involved this summer in complaints about rats found in the basement of a no-kill animal shelter in Evanston. In researching the issue, he learned that Councilman Walter Beckjord called for a citywide effort to bait sewers back in 1978 -- but the plan died over disputes about whether the poison to be used was environmentally safe.
Mr. Winburn said he wants the city to consider launching a similar "proactive" effort.
