a. No later than April 1, 2023, the department shall designate, by rule, one or more rat mitigation zones. In designating such zones, the department shall consider the following criteria:
1. The number and percentage of inspections for rat activity for properties within a given sanitation district or community district that resulted in the issuance of an order pursuant to section 151.02 of the New York city health code or an agency referral letter related to rat activity, and the location of such properties within such sanitation or community district;
2. The number and percentage of inspections for rat activity for properties within a given sanitation district or community district that have resulted in the issuance of a notice of violation pursuant to section 3.05 or section 151.02 of the New York city health code, and the location of such properties within such sanitation or community district;
3. The number of rat exterminations at properties within a given sanitation district or community district executed by the department pursuant to section 17-147, following a failure to comply with an order issued pursuant to section 151.02 of the New York city health code, and the location of such properties within such sanitation or community district;
4. The number and nature of 311 requests for service or complaints related to rat activity within any 12-month period within a given sanitation district or community district; and
5. The susceptibility of any properties managed by the department of parks and recreation within a given sanitation district or community district to rat infestation.
b. The department shall periodically review the criteria set forth in subdivision a of this section and may, by rule, and in accordance with such review, eliminate existing rat mitigation zones, change the boundaries of existing rat mitigation zones, or designate new rat mitigation zones.
c. The department may, in conjunction with any action taken pursuant to subdivision a or b of this section, and in consultation with the department of sanitation, review the boundaries of sanitation districts, or sections within sanitation districts, and may establish boundaries of rat mitigation zones that are, in whole or in part, coterminous with sanitation districts, or sections within sanitation districts.
d. The department may, in conjunction with any action taken pursuant to subdivision a or b of this section, consider the availability of resources to implement rat mitigation measures and, in designating rat mitigation zones, eliminating existing rat mitigation zones, or changing the boundaries of existing rat mitigation zones, exercise its discretion to maximize the efficient use of such resources.
e. If the department, following any review of a rat mitigation zone conducted pursuant to subdivision b of this section, determines, in consultation with the department of sanitation, that any rat mitigation measure applicable pursuant to law or rule only within a rat mitigation zone should be continued, then the department need not eliminate or change the boundaries of a rat mitigation zone, even if such review otherwise indicates that such rat mitigation zone should be eliminated, or its boundaries changed.
(L.L. 2022/110, 11/18/2022, eff. 11/18/2022)