Louisburg, KS Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)

Section 8-501 defines rat harborage as any condition sheltering rats and rat-stoppage as closing every opening a rat could use to enter a structure. Section 8-502 sets the baseline duty: all buildings and structures within present or future city boundaries must be rat-stopped and rat-free. Section 8-503 starts the process with written notice from the Governing Body giving the owner 15 days, or a written extension, to complete the work. Section 8-504 lets the city rat-stop the building itself if the owner misses the deadline, at the owner's expense; the City Clerk bills the owner, and if the bill goes unpaid for 60 days, the amount is certified to the City Treasurer and a lien is placed against the property.

Section 8-505 makes it unlawful to remove existing rat-stoppage without restoring it or to leave new openings unsealed. Section 8-506 covers active infestations: once notified of rat infestation, an owner has five days to institute eradication measures before the city can act and bill the owner the same way. Section 8-507 targets conditions that attract rats, including a ban on accumulating garbage or trash that provides food or harborage, and a requirement that stored lumber, boxes, barrels, bricks, and similar material be kept on open racks elevated at least 12 inches above the ground. Section 8-508 empowers the Public Officer, appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the council, to inspect and re-inspect buildings for compliance.