A Slatington man approached borough council Monday night to protest citations of rubbish and critters on his property. The citations require compliance by Thursday or a $1,000 per day fine.

Tyler Burke and his wife, Amber Merritt, at 1178 Shadow Oaks Lane, Slatington, said there are no violations.

“I’m here today to address a serious concern involving the actions of borough code enforcement officer Anthony Lopsonzski, who recently served me with a code violation. While I respect the importance of upholding local ordinances, I believe the circumstances surrounding this violation are troubling and discriminatory,” Burke said during the meeting Monday night.

Violations include weeds and rubbish that the zoning officer said is attracting snakes and other critters.

Burke, who has lived in the borough for six years with his wife and two young children, said he witnessed Lopsonzski taking photographs in his backyard.

Burke said, “He brought up that a few neighbors saw snakes and rodents entering the area behind my shed. I was fortunate enough to hire a wildlife and pest solutions company to inspect the area. They didn’t find or see a trace of anything.”

He showed an invoice for $159 dated Oct. 11 from A-Team Wildlife & Pest Solutions. The company certified that no snakes, skunks or any other animals were living around or underneath the shed in the rear of the backyard.

He also showed photos of his yard.

“You’ll see a wood pile for my wood burner, you’ll see plastic pieces from my kids play place. All of this is tucked away in my fenced-in backyard behind my 9-foot-wide shed,” Burke said. “Meanwhile, in these photos you’ll see just behind our yard and a few houses away there are homes with garbage and trash accumulating out front and weeds that reach from the ground to a second-floor deck.”

He said he received the citation letter in the mail on Oct. 11, stating that he had less than a week to clean up his yard.

Burke said he has had disagreements with a neighbor, who could have notified the zoning officer.

“I respectfully request that the board investigate the circumstances surrounding this violation and examine the potential bias in enforcement,” he said. “I also urge you to consider whether it is appropriate for any local officer to be involved in cases where personal relationships might compromise their ability to act objectively. All residents deserve equal and unbiased treatment under the law.”

Council President David Schnaars said the matter was discussed during an executive session but he could not comment at this time. He said the matter will be discussed at a committee meeting on Oct 21.

Lopsonzski was not present at the meeting.