AUGUSTA (AP) — A revised bedbug ordinance under consideration by City Council in Maine’s capital city would apply to all rental buildings and would hold tenants who don’t cooperate responsible for the cost of treating the infestation.
The Kennebec Journal reports those changes and others were made to a proposed permanent version of an emergency measure adopted last month after a bedbug infestation at a pair of boarding houses in Augusta. City councilors are expected to discuss the proposal at their informational meeting Thursday.
The proposed changes were discussed when city officials with a group of landlords, property managers, tenant advocates, pest control workers and state health officials. Those changes include applying the rules to all rental buildings. The first version of the ordinance only applied to multi-unit buildings.
The Times Record Sustaining Sponsor
We believe a community must be informed to thrive. bowdoin.edu
Comments are not available on this story. Read more about why we allow commenting on some stories and not on others.
We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others.
We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion.
You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs.
Show less