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Residents press Lancaster board for action after years of rat complaints at nearby property
Summary
Neighbors described long-running rat infestations centered on one property, said county traps are ineffective because the resident continues to feed animals, and asked the town to pursue stronger enforcement including local law changes; the board said a court hearing is scheduled and legal staff are exploring options.
During public comment at the March 16 Town Board meeting, multiple residents described an ongoing rat infestation they say centers on a nearby property where a resident is leaving out food that attracts rodents.
"She is actively feeding," resident Heidi Young said, describing crates of fresh produce left outside and reporting that county baiting efforts have been ineffective because the food remains available.
Neighbors said they have collected more than 226 petition signatures asking the town to act and described the impact on families: "I've made a $450,000 mistake," said Scott Plauski, who said his children and newly adopted dog cannot safely use the yard because of rodents.
Town staff acknowledged the long-running problem and said current enforcement tools have limits. Code enforcement has documented the property with photographs and issued citations in prior rounds; Erie County has performed baiting and trapping, and the case has an arraignment set for March 19. Officials said legal staff are evaluating ways to strengthen town code enforcement and to close legal loopholes that have allowed the situation to persist.
What the town said it will do: officials said they will follow the court process for the pending case, continue coordinating with Erie County on baiting and public-health responses, and pursue a local law to give code enforcement more authority over exterior property conditions. Staff said any local-law change will require public hearings and a formal adoption process.
Public health and process context: residents said county staff have attempted trapping but that baits are not consumed when someone continues to leave food outside; town staff said the state’s enforcement authority (DEC) may not apply when feeding is not illegal under state rules and that a municipal-level code change is the most likely path to give the town immediate enforcement options.
Next steps: the board asked its legal team to pursue options and said it will schedule public hearings on any proposed local-law changes; the results of the March 19 court hearing could affect enforcement options.
