Although R. Thomas Berner's leave of absence from the State College Borough Council is less than a month old, a minor problem has already surfaced for the shorthanded council.

Three council members are unable to attend the regularly scheduled Monday night meeting and the council must have four members, or a quorum, to hold a meeting and vote on anything.

Council members Ruth Lavin, Jerry Wettstone and Tom Daubert -- the three members who voted against Berner's leave -- said they could not attend Monday's meeting for different reasons.

Only three council members were able to attend the meeting, which has been rescheduled for noon Friday in the Municipal Building, 118 S. Fraser St.

The three members challenged Berner's leave by citing a number of problems, such as the increased chance of tie votes and the complications such a precedent could create, but they didn't foresee the council having a problem getting a quorum together.

On February 7, the council voted four to three in favor of excusing Berner from meetings for four-and-a-half months. Berner is in China teaching on a Fulbright Professorship.

Wettstone said his absence does not have anything to do with how he voted on the Berner leave.

"This wasn't some kind of plot on our part," Wettstone said.

Council member Janet Knauer said she does not see any connection between the absences and the Berner vote.

"I don't see any plots," Knauer said, adding, "Maybe I'm naive."

Council president Jean McManis said spring break is one reason for the absences.

"This is just one of those coincidences," she said. "I'm sure."

Daubert agreed.

"That's pure coincidence because it's spring break," he said.

Lavin said changing the meeting to Friday may cause a problem for some residents who are unable to attend because of the time. Many residents are accustomed to attending meetings on the first and third Monday of each month.

Daubert said the change in the meeting date is not a problem, adding that the new meeting will be advertised in the newspaper.

"I don't think we have anything exciting to do anyway," he said.