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Berwyn approves intergovernmental agreement with health district for rodent abatement, to be reviewed in six months
Summary
The Berwyn City Council unanimously approved an intergovernmental agreement with the Berwyn Health District outlining roles and responsibilities for a citywide rodent-abatement program and set a six-month review of the agreement.
The Berwyn City Council on a unanimous voice vote approved an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with the Berwyn Health District that defines both agencies' roles in a citywide rodent-abatement program and directs a formal reassessment in six months.
Amber, a mayor's office staff member who has been coordinating the effort, told the council the agreement assigns the health district responsibility for inspections and oversight of food-service businesses, will require the district to hire a dedicated employee, and formalizes regular communication with the city's building and business-licensing departments. "The health district taking responsibility for all food industry businesses is huge," Amber said, noting the change will free city staff to focus on other abatement tasks.
The IGA also references recent council actions requiring food-service establishments to contract for rodent control products and says the city is continuing to evaluate a single, consolidated "rodent harboring" ordinance with stricter penalties. Amber said the city remains on track to roll out a feral-cat program this spring and called for coordinated funding and enforcement across taxing bodies.
An alderman who spoke before the motion said the health district's current monetary contribution is small and urged the district to reassess funding in six months so that the plan is adequately supported. The motion submitted to the council asked the corporate authorities to execute the agreement and set a six-month review; the motion carried unanimously.
Council recorded the motion as placed on its way to passage and authorized the necessary signatures. The council did not record line-by-line amendments to the IGA during the meeting. The IGA will be reviewed at the council's designated meeting approximately six months after adoption, as directed.
The action follows several months of work by an ad hoc rat-abatement committee and recent city hiring to support the program. Council members and staff emphasized the need for cross-agency cooperation and for the health district to match operational commitments with funding.
The council's vote brought the item to final passage; staff will present the six-month reassessment to the council when available.
