Judge rallies civic leaders for rodent response

Responding to a feature story published in the February 6 edition of this newspaper, Frio County Judge Rochelle Camacho told an assembly of local leaders this week that she wants agencies and local governments to collaborate on addressing living conditions in the community.

The published article based on a study by the Cinch organization reported that Frio County has a higher percentage of homes than the national average with a rodent infestation, a figure that equates to an estimated 2,487 people in 832 residences that have problems with rats and mice.

The report highlighted living conditions in Frio County, noting that the average age of a family home is more than 40 years, making the likelihood of rodents being present more probable because older structures are more susceptible to an incursion.

Pearsall Mayor Ben Briscoe was interviewed for the feature story and said that while he believes personal responsibility plays a part in keeping a home free of rodents, the city continues carrying out a clean-up operation to rid neighborhoods of dilapidated or abandoned structures that may become habitats for vermin.

Judge Camacho said her office received a number of calls in the days following the publication with concerns over the apparent threat of rodent infestations, although neither she nor the organization conducting the study indicated how many rats or mice constitute an infestation.

Mayor Briscoe said last week and at Monday’s meeting that he believes many local residents have seen mice in their homes and that he has taken action in his own home to eliminate mice.

Monday’s special meeting with Judge Camacho was attended by Pct. 2 Commissioner Mario Martinez, Sheriff Peter Salinas, Emergency Management Coordinator Ray Kallio, Mayor Briscoe and Dilley Mayor Mary Ann Obregon, County Attorney Joseph Sindon, Frio Regional Hospital CEO John Hughson, Pearsall Volunteer Fire Department Chief Placido Aguilar and other community leaders, all of whom are on the county’s emergency contact list for disaster response.

“We were bombarded with concerns,” the county judge said of public reaction to the newspaper feature. “Messages were rolling in. Is this an emergency? I think we are all responsible if there is a problem.

“The county was listed in the data for the report, not just Pearsall or Dilley,” the judge added. “Are we working on the same page?”

Camacho said that she had not previously heard many complaints regarding rodents in homes but said that a number of local residents who have applied for assistance in updating their home winterization and weather resistance have been turned down for the benefit because of an apparent cockroach infestation.

“We are appealing those cases,” the county judge said. “We need resources to exterminate roaches. Had I known there was a rodent infestation, I could have jumped on this quicker. I want to do something. I feel you want to do something as well.”

“If it’s a massive health issue, then any of the costs involved in abating a mouse presence are just going to be a band-aid,” Mayor Briscoe said. “Mice in the house are a problem, but I haven’t had a lot of complaints.”

“How do we know which homes it is?” the county judge asked. “Is the problem coming from neighboring properties?”

Kallio said the data used for the report relied on some information dated more than six years and that statistics may have since changed, including the possibility that the number of homes affected by rodents may be higher in 2025.

“This was experimental data,” the emergency management coordinator said. “Is it accurate?”

“We certainly know it exists,” the hospital CEO said of a rodent problem in homes of the economically disadvantaged. “People come in with fleas, people overwhelmed by poverty, but not to any extent that I would say it’s any different from elsewhere.”

“Folks, if you believe you have an infestation, let us know,” Mayor Briscoe said. “I am skeptical that’s it’s a serious infestation, but the citizens need to let us know if they have a problem.”

The Pearsall fire department chief said the complaints he has heard regarding animals and wildlife have largely concerned dogs, cats, and mosquitos.

Judge Camacho asked the county sheriff whether he and his officers have encountered residents in substandard living conditions, and whether any reports to that effect are filed.

“It’s either there or live under a bridge somewhere,” Sheriff Salinas said of some residents’ options when faced with declining economic status and living conditions. “What we are talking about is abandoned structures. I know there are plenty that meet the requirements for demolition.”

“As a county, we need to work on a nuisance ordinance,” Judge Camacho said.

Atty. Sindon said he believes preventive measures against rodents in the home include poison, but said he has reservations about its safety and prefers other means, such as traps, adding that local authorities could distribute traps as a form of public assistance.

Meeting attendees concurred that the aging of Frio County’s housing stock may play a part in lower living conditions for some. The county attorney said he believes housing conditions may have deteriorated in the county, and that dilapidated structures are evident when he campaigns for election.

“There seem to be more abandoned houses in Frio County every four years,” Sindon said. “The number is not going down.”

“I echo Joseph [Sindon] and the sheriff,” CEO Hughson said. “I would not dismiss that we have a rodent problem. The county could do its own study.”

“I have met with the resource coordinators, done home visits, and we continue with the applications [for weatherization assistance],” the county judge said. “Report it, if you see something. We are already looking at this problem. I just did not expect it to hit like this.

“As for the separate entities, can we put something in place?” Judge Camacho asked of local government leaders. “What’s our plan of action? People are going to expect some kind of plan. Health care workers who go out to homes, they are going to see it.”

Comm. Martinez said he believes a countywide approach to improving living conditions will require collaboration.

“The people feel that it’s the city’s problem,” the commissioner said. “We want to change that. People should not hesitate to reach out to us. All the cities are willing to work with the county.”

“We will discuss this more in commissioners’ court,” Judge Camacho said. “We, the emergency contacts, need to work together. We are heartbroken that homes applying for weatherization were denied, but we are working on it. If you know anybody who needs this, we can get the application going.”