Chapter 4.16 — RODENTS

Any and all premises in the County of San Mateo infested with (1) ground squirrels, and/or (2) field mice (Muridae Spp) which are infected with any disease transmissible to human beings are hereby expressly declared to constitute a public nuisance.

(Prior code § 4130.0; Ord. 461, 08/04/37; Ord. 1058, 05/18/54)

Whenever any such nuisance shall exist within the County of San Mateo, it shall be the duty of the County Agricultural Commissioner to cause said nuisance to be at once abated by eradicating or by controlling or by destroying said rodents, and the reasonable expenses incurred therefore shall be a County charge.

(Prior code § 4130.1; Ord. 461, 08/04/37)

It shall be the duty of said commissioner, whenever he shall deem it necessary, to cause an inspection to be made of any premises within the County of San Mateo for the purpose of ascertaining whether said premises are infected or infested with rodents.

(Prior code § 4130.2; Ord. 461, 08/04/37)

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

(Prior code § 4130.3; Ord. 461, 08/04/37)

The commissioner 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 said commissioner that such materials are to be used on premises within the County of San Mateo for the purpose of controlling or destroying or eradicating said animal pests.

(Prior code § 4130.4; Ord. 461, 08/04/37)

Every Person who shall interfere with the official actions under this chapter of the said commissioner, his deputy, inspectors, and employees, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment in the County jail not exceeding six months or by a fine of not exceeding Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) or both.

(Prior code § 4130.5; Ord. 461, 08/04/37)

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

(a)

"Commissioner" shall mean the County Agricultural Commissioner.

(b)

"Other rodents" shall include all gophers, mice and rats.

(Prior code § 4130.6; Ord. 461, 08/04/37)