Residents smell a rat in Park's
pest-control practices, and tell council

Grosse Pointe Park residents Nancy Gutierrez and Patricia Rivera waited through an entire city council meeting to tell the city administration they believe it poisoned their pets.

Gutierrez said two dogs recently died after ingesting commercial-grade rat poison, and four more were sickened. Among the dead was her pet Ralphie, and Rivera’s dog Cha Cha is one of the sick. The two said the city’s Department of Public Works carelessly distributed this substance in the Lakepointe alley near their homes.

Gutierrez further claimed workers did not let residents and veterinarians know about the poison's distribution.

“You put signs up when you’re going to collect leaves,” Gutierrez said, drawing applause. “Why can’t you tell us you put poison in the alley, however you put it?”

Rivera said she talked to Pat Thomas, supervisor of the DPW, who first told her it was not the city’s rat poison being used. He said employees would not dump poison into rat holes, even though Rivera says her husband witnessed this.

Rivera also said Thomas told her and Gutierrez different versions of where the city’s rat traps were located near their neighborhood.

Chief David Hiller, director of the Department of Public Safety, is investigating the matter. He said Thomas denied dumping rat poison or bait in the area except one year ago with the property owner present.

Also, there were no city traps found in the alley immediately near their homes. All city rat traps in that area had been accounted for, retrieved and none found to be damaged.

Several audience members suggested posting flyers or making announcements when traps are placed by the city. Councilman Gregory Theokas proposed a resident-led task force to address rat infestation in the Park and suggested Councilman James Robson be their liaison.

“In (Ralphie’s) honor…I think it’s important to move forward so this tragedy does not happen again,” he said. “We have to make things right. I think … things are going to be made right.”

After the meeting, Gutierrez did not have as much enthusiasm on the matter as Robson or Theokas. She said the city had been stonewalling her ever since she called to see what kind of rat bait they used. But she hopes her and her neighbors’ issues will be better addressed after a number of residents voiced their concerns to the city.

In other business, the council:

• Heard from representatives from DTE Energy gave a presentation and answered questions on power outages in the Park.
• Heard a Whittier Street resident on her and others' efforts to make a neighbor replace a chimney that she called “a nuisance.”  

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