Poor maintenance has brought rats to Snohomish city park

There has been a growing problem with rats in Snohomish at Ferguson Park and Blackman’s Lake boat launch, so many rats that they are being seen in the daytime.

This problem has been ongoing; rat holes surround the cement slab with a bench on it at the boat launch, food is readily available from people feeding the waterfowl. The problem is now exacerbated by the city parks department removing the trash cans at the boat launch and throughout Hill Park on the lake. The reason they say is due to budget restraints, not enough money to repair the restrooms that were vandalized this winter, not enough money to pay to have the trash cans emptied, due to people filling up the cans with trash from home. In the meantime trash is being dropped on the ground and in the lake. Three portable toilets are placed by the restrooms at Hill Park, renting these toilets costs an estimated $555 a month.

I remember the purchase of a large piece of property for a future park costing some $700,000. Perhaps that money could have been more wisely spent, if the property was sold on today’s market, it would generate more than enough money to pay for the repairs to the damaged facilities in Hill Park, Ferguson Park and Pilchuck Julia parks and might even provide enough money to return the trash cans to park and eliminate the rat infestation.

William Thomas

Snohomish