Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes have become more than a nuisance. They are quick becoming a health risk with the arrival of West Nile Virus. Many residents of Isanti are unable to enjoy their own yards with this unofficial bird of Minnesota. They can become so thick that we and our children have to stay in doors. One possible solution can be the City of Isanti spraying for these harmful pests. Many of us who have invested in our homes wish to be able to use them year round. I am considering a 3 or 4 season porch so I may have the chance to view my own back yard. I have heard from hundreds of residents with the same problem. I have asked the Isanti Public Works Department to investigate the cost of mitigating the mosquito population. I will address this in the budget process this summer and fall. I hope to have a cost established for mosquito control by the end of 2005. Cambridge’s program cost $1,000 per city wide spraying. If we have a cost effective plan I will then ask the City Council to consider a spraying program. I hope we may all be able to sit on our decks and enjoy the sound of our children outside.