City clarifies mosquito spray product and increases pool enforcement after recent incidents

City staff told the Defiance City Council on June 24 that the municipality uses Merus, a product from Clark Chemicals, for mosquito spraying and described its active ingredient and certification status. Staff also reported increased enforcement at the Kingsbury pool after several incidents of vandalism and disorder.

"We use a product called Merus by Clark Chemicals, and Merus is actually a certified organic compound," City staff member Mister Mack said. Mack described the active compound as a pyrethrin derived from chrysanthemum flowers and said the product is certified for use even where organic crops are grown.

Mack also reported multiple recent incidents at city recreation facilities, including the Kingsbury pool and splash pad. He said head lifeguards have authority to eject or ban individuals for the season and that the city plans to have a school resource officer at the pool in the evenings to monitor activity. "We have had the police get called out there, and we're actually going to have, you know, 1 of our school resource officers there in the evening a lot now," Mack said.

City officials emphasized they want parks and pools to be family-friendly spaces and encouraged public civility. The council did not vote on new regulations at the meeting; staff described current enforcement authorities being exercised.