Kennett City council approves $7,810.86 vector-control contract for mosquito spraying

The Kennett City Council approved a $7,810.86 contract with the city’s vector-control contractor to provide mosquito control this season, including ground truck applications, larviciding and multiple aerial spray runs.

Council discussed the scope of the agreement, which the presenter said covers both ground and aerial treatments. The presenter described a typical four-step approach: larviciding in catch basins, briquette/ingot treatments, liquid larviciding from trucks, and adulticide (adult mosquito) spraying. He said the contractor plans up to four aircraft runs during the season and that the city attempts to schedule a run close to July 4; scheduling may vary because neighboring jurisdictions also request aircraft services.

Council members asked how often aircraft runs would occur and whether the quoted price covers the full set of services. The presenter said the city previously paid more and that the new preliminary price is lower than earlier proposals; he also described transition to a Mississippi-based aircraft vendor with modern GPS and flow-control systems.

Decision: The council voted to approve the vector-control contract at $7,810.86 by voice vote. The contract amount and services were described verbally during debate; council asked staff to add language specifying aircraft-run costs if additional runs beyond the planned four are required.

The presenter emphasized that mosquito control requires multiple techniques and chemical rotations to avoid resistance and that some species (for example, Culex) are the primary disease carriers the program tracks. The city’s public-works or health liaison will follow up on scheduling details and cost per additional aircraft run.