State College residents and Penn State students sounded off on proposed changes to borough housing regulations during Monday night’s State College Borough Council meeting.
Council is considering changes to the Property Maintenance Code, as well as the way student homes are rented. One proposal would establish a new fine structure for ordinance violations that occur at rental properties.
Residents receive points for infractions, such as noise violations, which results in two points. Under current rules, a rental property that racks up 10 points is suspended.
Some students in attendance took issue with the point system saying that points should be assigned to individuals and not to a residence. John Wortman, secretary of the Penn State College Republicans, says this puts the university’s fraternities at a disadvantage.
“There is a large portion of those who live in fraternity housing,” Wortman says. “One of the problems with things is when you have a points system allocation that punishes fraternities and not the individual at fault.”
Wortman says it is guilt by association, and that he wants the right people to be punished for their actions.
Mike Stavrakos says the borough trash ordinance, under which homes receive points for having trash in the yard, is also unfair.
Stavrakos says that many times the trash doesn’t come from people who live in the house, but rather from people walking by who throw trash in the yard.
“If [the borough] is asking us to help clean up the town they should recognize that it’s not always the property owner’s fault,” Stavrakos says.
Some students were happy with the fact that all the nuisance property code is being consolidated in a single place.
Chair of the Assembly of the UPUA, Penn State’s student government, Anthony Panichelli says the consolidation will make the code more easily understood by students.
“Its important so, in the future, as students become more and more engaged in matters with borough of State College, we have more philosophical and metaphysical discussion about incentivizing points,” Panichelli says.
The council took no action on the changes Monday, and will talk about it next at it’s Nov. 18 meeting.
Popular Stories:
Gabrielle Giffords and Captain Mark Kelly Inspire Eisenhower Audience
Weis Markets See Expansion of Space, Food Selection
State College Mayor’s Race One of the Most Closely Watched in Tuesday’s Election
Memorial Field Project Running Late but Should be Finished Soon
Penn State Football: Matt McGloin Leads Raiders On 10-Play, 71 Yard Touchdown Drive In NFL Debut
