BY PAT FARNELLI

The Hop Bottom Borough Council is taking legal action against a resident whose property is infested with large rats and in a state of disarray, it was announced at the May meeting on Tuesday.

An individual who lives in a camper near the old creamery in Hop Bottom, has had numerous visits and warnings from borough representatives, who will present photographic evidence as part of their case during a hearing scheduled for May 26, 11 a.m., at the Susquehanna County Courthouse in Montrose.

The attorney of record for the borough is Marion O’Malley.

The petition against Hal Akoa was received from the attorney before the April meeting, and the motion was passed then, according to the minutes from the April meeting.

The borough said that several people will attend the hearing to represent the board, including the Board President John Koshinski; the borough secretary/treasurer Deb Norton; the mayor of Hop Bottom, Paul Henry; and Police Chief Ron Cosklo.

Akoa shares the camper with a number of dogs.

Board members indicated that the rodents of unusual size have overrun the property and are a public health hazard. There is a borough ordinance regarding trash removal and rodents.

Another resident has acted on borough complaints and removed an offending dumpster and additional trash. The trash at the Durbin property is “99 percent cleaned up,” a council member reported.

There is still a problem with a resident squealing tires, speeding, burning rubber and leaving large marks on the streets; the vehicle noisily sped by the borough hall near the beginning of the meeting.

In other business, the council approved the purchase of rose bushes as a memorial gift in memory of Bonnie Lippart, past borough secretary, who died April 23 of cancer. Since the family’s wish was for no public services, and for donations to be made to the Montrose Minutemen or Hop Bottom Hose Company, the council was looking for a more personal gesture to show their esteem to her family.

The borough hall needs to be remodeled and made handicapped accessible, and is in need of a new roof. Samples of roofing material were passed around, and the board agreed on a gray shingle to match the garage. A grant has been applied for to help with costs of remodeling the rest room, and a new entryway will be installed, along with some interior renovations.

The secretary brought descriptions of courses available for board members, and there was paperwork to be signed at the municipal level for Centax, a central tax borough contracted by the county.

There was an update on the Emergency Management program, which the borough has participated in for years.

The Endless Mountains Visitors Bureau requested funds from the borough. The board approved a $35 contribution, which is the amount they regularly give annually.

The borough park is in need of mulching, and the council has been looking into a recycled rubber mulch rather than wood chips. Some other landscaping supplies are needed, and the poles and fencing bordering the park need to be replaced. A new gate should be installed on the far end of the park by this week, and a quote for the fencing could be obtained at the same time.

The gate will make it easier for families to enter the park from that end, and is near the parking lot.

The annual bulk trash pick up day is scheduled for Saturday, May 21 at the Hop Bottom Hose Company. No tires, batteries, propane tanks or household trash will be accepted. A form must be presented when dropping off bulk garbage items.

Metal items will be taken away at no cost to the borough by Dan Albert  Sr. Other accepted items will be loaded into four containers and hauled away at a reasonable cost to the borough.

Hop Bottom Borough Council meets on the first Tuesday of the month at the borough building on Forest Street at 7 p.m. The borough phone number is 289-4032.