To see if the town will adopt a mosquito control ordinance such that owners or persons in control of any piece of property shall, at all times, maintain the outside premises free of any standing water in any barrel, tire, tub, swimming pool cover, ornamental pool, or any other artificial water receptacle, or shall treat and maintain such receptacle in a manner as to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes, or act on anything relative thereto. (As Petitioned)
What it means: A petitioned Warrant Article is requesting that the Town institute an Ordinance that requires homeowners to keep properties free of standing water, as a way of preventing mosquitoes from breeding.
Those in favor say: Keeping properties as dry as possible is the best and least expensive way of preventing issues with mosquitoes, and avoids the use of mosquito sprays that are costly and potentially harmful to the health of children.
Those against say: This would be difficult to enforce. Homeowners deserve privacy – who would be put in charge of determining if homeowners were complying? Neighbors would be tattling on neighbors. There was a concern about how the Ordinance if approved would affect the use of rain barrels.
Fiscal impact: There is no taxpayer cost associated with this Article.