Residents urge Mount Clemens to ban ground feeding after rat sightings

Residents told the Mount Clemens City Commission on Monday that a neighbor’s habit of leaving large amounts of birdseed on the ground is attracting pigeons and rats and asked the city to consider an ordinance banning ground feeding.

Edward Calarita of 939 Huntington described catching “nine adult rats and three juvenile rats” in his backyard in the last six days and said neighbors see large nightly deposits of peanuts and grain outside a nearby house. “If you drive by this house at about 11:00 at night, you can see six or seven of them just sitting in that grain pile eating,” Calarita said.

The commission heard the concern during the first public comment period. City Manager Shipman offered to meet with Calarita after the meeting and provide a contact phone number and email so staff could follow up on whether an ordinance is feasible and the timeline for considering it. “We will look into it,” the mayor said in response.

Commissioner Campbell told the room she supports drafting an ordinance to prohibit ground feeding, citing the rat concern. Other commissioners spoke in agreement and urged staff to report back on options and enforcement considerations.

The city did not adopt any ordinance at the meeting; staff committed to follow up with the resident and with commissioners about next steps, timelines and enforcement options. Any formal proposal would return to the commission for introduction and additional public discussion.