East Palo Alto Municipal Code Art. III Rodents

Any and all premises in the city infested with (A) ground squirrels, and/or (B) field mice (Muridae Spp) which are infected with any disease transmissible to human beings are expressly declared to constitute a public nuisance.

(Prior code § 6-10.301)

Whenever any such nuisance shall exist within the city, it shall be the duty of the city health officer to cause such nuisance to at once be abated by eradicating or by controlling or by destroying such rodents, and the reasonable expenses incurred therefor shall be a city charge.

(Prior code § 6-10.302)

It shall be the duty of the health officer, whenever he/she shall deem it necessary, to cause an inspection to be made of any premises within the city for the purpose of ascertaining whether the premises are infected or infested with rodents.

(Prior code § 6-10.303)

The health officer shall have the power and authority to prescribe the methods to be used to eradicate or control or destroy the animal pests, to employ the necessary labor for such work, and to prescribe rules for the qualification of any person who enters his/her employment for such purposes, and to enforce such rules which he/she may establish.

(Prior code § 6-10.304)

The health officer shall have the power and authority to manufacture and sell poison barley and such other materials as are convenient or necessary in destroying ground squirrels or other rodents. All such materials shall be furnished at cost to any person upon satisfactory assurance to the health officer that such person is competent in the handling of such materials.

(Prior code § 6-10.305)

Every person, who shall interfere with the official actions under this article of the health officer, his/her deputy, inspectors and employees, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment in the city jail not exceeding six months or by a fine of not exceeding five hundred dollars ($500.00) or both.

(Prior code § 6-10.306)

The following words and terms as used in this article shall be construed as follows:

"Health officer" means the official designated by the city council or the city manager under the direction of the city council to carry out the functions of rodent control.

"Other rodents" means and includes all gophers, mice and rats.

(Prior code § 6-10.307)