Niagara Falls Mayor Robert Restaino and Niagara County Legislators Chris Mckimmie and Chris Voccio will host a community forum on Sept. 18 with local residents to discuss the ongoing rat problem in the city’s LaSalle neighborhood. Several government agencies will also be present to discuss rat mitigation efforts.
The forum will begin at 6 p.m. and be held at the LaSalle Public Library, 8728 Buffalo Ave.
“Addressing the rat issue requires collaboration from every level of government, multiple government agencies and every single resident,” said Restaino. “The goal of this forum is to hear everyone’s point of view, discuss what has been done and what needs to be done, and ultimately conclude with a plan going forward.”
Mckimmie said that Niagara County Health Department staff from the Environmental Health Division and the Healthy Neighborhoods Program would be present along with Falls DPW and Code Enforcement staff.
“There have already been significant resources deployed to rat mitigation, but clearly the problem remains, and we need to get at the root causes and what can be done,” he said. “I have talked with many residents throughout LaSalle who have different thoughts on this issue so this forum is the time to put everything out there and reach some consensus.
Voccio added that one of the many items to be discussed is the state DEC’s response to concerns raised about what impact the Covanta plant could be having on the rat issue.
“We are only going to get the rat problem under control by addressing all the things that help the rat population flourish,” he said. “An extermination effort is just a band-aid without accompanying actions that involve strong code enforcement and individual responsibility.”
Those who cannot attend to the forum but would like to share their thoughts and opinions are encouraged to send an email to christopher.mckimmie@niagaracounty.com.