Park your car on garbage collection day in Arnold and you risk getting it towed

The rat infestation in Arnold is so bad now that it could result in your car getting towed.

City officials have been trying get the problem under control by cutting down on garbage that litters properties, streets and alleys. They say that rats are attracted to garbage that’s left out in plastic bags along the alleys instead of being placed in garbage cans.

Rodents can tear the bags easily to scrounge for food scraps, and garbage ends up scattered, making the situation even worse.

Getting the garbage picked up on schedule is a key part of the solution, but Arnold officials say garbage trucks often can’t get access because of people parking in the alleys.

“Don’t park in alleyways, or your vehicle will be moved to another location and you’ll have to pay for that,” police Chief Josh Stanga said.

Councilwoman Deb Vernon also advised residents that they have to put their garbage out along the alley or street for it to be picked up.

“The sanitation engineers are not allowed to go on private property to pick up garbage,” she said, “So, if you have your garbage cans in the driveway and not in the alley, it’s not going to get picked up.”

Also, Vernon said, residents should not let their neighbors get away with not disposing of their garbage properly or maintaining their property.

“If you see neighbors are not taking care of their garbage, call code (office),” Vernon advised. “If your neighbors have fruit trees and the fruit has fallen and is just rotting on the ground, call code.”

Another part of the problem is abandoned properties that are deteriorating and provide a place for rats to nest and breed, which residents have complained about.

Mayor Shannon Santucci said one big obstacle is how long it takes to go through the process to demolish such properties.

“We are scheduled for 41 properties to be torn down, and we’re on our third,” Santucci said.

But she emphasized that the blighted properties and the rat problem did not occur in just a few weeks or months.

“Just remember this isn’t something new; it has been going on for years and years,” Santucci said.