Politics & Government
Bed Bugs in Portsmouth?
They were recently discovered during an inspection at the troubled Brewster Street boarding house.
The controversial Brewster Street boarding house goes before the City Council on Monday night seeking a renewal of its permit. One thing that could get in the way of that approval is the fact that bed bugs were found during a recent inspection of the facility.
The council has been reviewing the house's operation since a dead body went undiscovered for days at the house in 2012. A few weeks later, there was a bomb scare. Police have also responded to dozens of calls for service there.
Those issues have led the council to extend the boarding house's permit on only an interim basis instead of the usual one year. The last one was approved on Dec. 16 and expires Tuesday.
As recently as last summer, tensions between the city and the troubled boarding house appeared to have been easing. But some neighbors still aren't pleased with the operation of the low-income facility, which houses about 30 residents.
The Islington Creek Neighborhood Association, in a letter dated Feb. 26, asked the council not to extend a full-year permit to the Brewster Street boarding house. If it renews the permit at all, the group said, it should be for only three months.
In its letter, the neighborhood group cites the fact that there was yet another violent incident at the boarding house, and that a recent inspection found bed bugs on the property.
In his Feb. 27 memo to the council, City Manager John Bohenko said that the facility, in general, continues to show improvement in the physical appearance of the building. But he also cited the bed bugs as a significant issue, as well as the fact that the facility's manager may not be working as many hours as he is supposed to as specified by the permit issued by the city.
Bohenko suggested three courses of actions for the council on Monday night:
- Approve a one-year permit for the boarding house
- Approve a three-month permit for the boarding house
- Move to deny the permit and meet with counsel to discuss legal options
If the Brewster Street boarding house's permit is approved, Bohenko said it would stipulate that full-building pest control treatment of all rooms and hallways be performed quarterly.
Also on the agenda for Monday's meeting, which starts at 7 p.m. at City Hall, are approvals for boarding houses at 278 Cabot St. and 350-352 Hanover St.
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