Boston city council members moved forward with a proposal to create an Office of Pest Control or bring on a “rat czar” during their meeting on Wednesday.
The proposal was introduced by council president Ed Flynn and drew support from other council members following a spike in 311 pest complaints throughout the last several years.
“It’s an important quality of life issue. It’s had an impact on almost every neighborhood in the city,” Flynn said.
City pest control complaints grew from about 4,300 in 2021 to more than 5,000 in 2022.
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An East Boston resident on Wednesday told NBC10 Boston there was even a rat inside her home on Thanksgiving.
“It was terrifying,” East Boston resident Natalia Bruneau said. “We have a baby and we have a 4-year-old, and we were pretty scared to be in our own house.”
New York City recently appointed its first-ever rat czar to tackle its own pest problems.
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The proposal for an Office of Pest Control was referred to the City Council Committee on City Services and Innovation Technology.
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