Mosquitoes and frogs and unsanitary conditions

  by Andy - June 15th, 2009 - 3:57 pm| Uncategorized | 10 comments

For three years, residents on Bonnabrook Drive say they have been complaining to Metro Inspectors.

Metro Inspectors have been to the house multiple times. But at the end of the day, as far as the women of Bonnabrook Drive are concerned, not much has changed.

Sure the high grass has been cut. And yes, there are less varmints sneaking in open windows.  And the junk is now confined to the back yard.  But according to residents, the biggest problem is the above ground pool that is filled with stagnating water that breeds mosquitoes.

Natalie Meador lives next door to the pool. She holds her baby son in her arms and points to a multitude of red mosquito bites all over the child’s body.

There are red dots on the baby’s legs, arms, chest and his neck.  The kid looks like he has the measles.

Mrs. Meador is relatively calm considering the fact her baby looks like a connect the dot illustration.

“He got bit twice last year to the point his eye swelled shut,” she says with quiet consternation.

Joanne Ross is not nearly as calm.

Waving an umbrella around like the Penguin in the 1960’s Bat Man tv show, she tells me that the home owner should be held accountable, and that accountability needs to start immediately.

“You don’t want to know what I think,” she says responding to my question of “what do you think?”

“I would have set the thing on fire a long time ago,” she says a slight snarl amplifying in her throat. “That pool is disgusting,” she says gnashing her teeth.

“You look like you want to jump that fence,” I say half joking.

“I do,” she responds. “I would love to tear that pool down.”

The women tell me they have been complaining to the city for years, and little gets done.

On this particular day, Metro Health Inspector John Pico is on the scene.

Pico and his partner look serious. Their truck is equipped with a large spray nozzle and he has a dip stick ready to take measurements.

There is just one huge problem; the pool is in the back yard behind a gate that is locked.

Can’t you cut it off? I ask.

No, Pico says, his jaw ferociously gnashing a wad of gum.

Can you jump the fence? I ask?

No, Pico says, wondering where I am going with this line of messed up questioning.

“I came out last month,” Pico says trying to convince me that he is doing what he can do.

He tells me about the pots in the front yard filled with water that he treated with larvacide.

I am pleased to hear this, but according to the women of Bonnabrook the pool is ground zero for Mosquito infestation that drives neighbors crazy and keeps children from playing in the back yard.

Pico tells me the absentee owner has been cited into environmental court in Mid July.

For the residents of Bonnabrook Drive, that means another month of kids itching, and adults scratching and everyone growing irritated at the perceived lack of concern for what the women of Bonnabrook Drive consider a serious health hazard.

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Brian Todd is the public information officer for the metro health dept. He sent me this letter to update me on the extent of the effort put forth by Health Department inspectors.

Andy,

What follows are actions the health department has taken in response to complaints about Bonnabrook drive. Our records show the property is owned by Robert H….. Mr. H is deceased. There is a question if Mrs. H lives in the house. Two health department staff have responded to complaints. The first is Monica Reyes, a health department general sanitation inspector. The second is John Pico, a member of the health department’s pest management staff.

Ms. Reyes responded to a complaint on April 24th about stagnant water in a swimming pool and high grass at  Bonnabrook Drive. Ms. Reyes could not access the fenced backyard because the gate was locked. She could see stagnant water in the pool and she noticed high grass. The health department mailed a 10 day notice to cut the grass and eliminate the stagnant water to the homeowner following the inspection.

Ms. Reyes conducted another inspection of the property following a different complaint about junk and debris in the yard on May 4th. She found trash in the yard and the pool problem had not been fixed. Monica Reyes issued a second 10 day notice to clean up the trash and a reminder that the stagnant water needed to be eliminated.

She re-inspected the property May 20th. She found the grass had been cut and about 75 percent of the trash removed. The pool problem had not been addressed. She issued another 10 day notice about the pool and the trash that was left.

She conducted another follow up inspection on June 9th. The trash and pool problem had not been addressed.

The homeowner has been cited to environmental court. The court date is July 15th.

John Pico, a member of the health department pest management staff, responded to complaints about mosquitoes at  Bonnabrook Drive on May 7th. He was aware of the pool situation. He conducted an inspection of the front yard and found flower pots and other containers with stagnant water which is an indicator of a mosquito breeding area. He dumped out the water and applied larvacide where possible. He could not access the fenced backyard because the gate was locked.

Mr. Pico will return to the property June 11th. If the homeowner is at home and will unlock the gate, then john will apply larvicide in the pool to kill any mosquito larvae.

June 15th, 2009 Posted by Andy | Uncategorized | 10 comments