St. Louis County, MN Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)

Chapter 8 of Ordinance No. 59 covers emergency closure. 01 lets the Administrator, the Director of the county's Department of Public Health and Human Services or a designee, order a licensed establishment to immediately cease food service whenever an imminent health hazard exists, and the ordinance lists 'an infestation of rodents or insects' among the named hazards, alongside lost utilities, sewer backups, a sick foodservice worker, and evidence of foodborne illness. After an on-site inspection confirms the hazard, the Administrator issues a written order identifying the establishment, describing the grounds for closure, directing immediate closure and evacuation of customers, and listing the corrective actions needed to reopen.

01(D). A closed licensee can request a hearing contesting the closure order or the reopening conditions; the Administrator must hold that hearing within two business days of the request and issue a written decision within two more business days, and that decision can be appealed to the County Board under Chapter 9. 03 to suspend a license for up to 90 days, revoke it, or impose a civil penalty for cause after a hearing. This closure trigger applies specifically to licensed food and beverage establishments; the ordinance set contains no separate residential or general-property rodent-abatement code.