Borough officials are working to amend property code rules so renters and owners would lose the ability to live in residences more quickly for incidents of serving alcohol to minors and assaults.

The proposal must first go through the Centre Region Code Committee Oct. 13 and will be presented for discussion at the Nov. 1 State College Borough Council meeting. Officials plan on voting Nov. 15.

The amendment currently contains a plan for a weighted-point system, with points assessments ranging from one to three, based on the severity of the offenses. When 10 points are reached, the property may have its rental-housing permit suspended for up to 12 months. Those who live on the property must either plead guilty or be found guilty of the charges before the points are added.

Borough Manager Tom Fountaine said the current property code has a standard of nine violations, including three written warning notices, before a rental-housing permit can be suspended. The current code views all offenses as equal.

If the new rules are enacted, written notices would be distributed to rental property owners after five points are accrued within a one-year time span.

"It changes the process of identifying nuisance properties and notifying the property owners and, if the property continues to be a nuisance property, to penalize them," he said.

He added the amendment is designed to make the property code more objective.

Interfraternity Council President Andy Hackett said he was not aware of the potential updates to the property maintenance code, but hoped there would be information provided to residents who could be affected.

"Hopefully, this plan will also contain an education component to educate residents," he said

He said this was particularly important because fraternities have volunteers who run the properties, so they have more turnover than other properties.

"We will work with Borough Council to make sure they're aware of our concerns," he said.

Off-Campus Student Union President Kristen Kofmehl said it was important to educate renters about the potential changes.

"We help to disseminate the information to the students that the borough has," she said.

Borough Council President Tom Daubert said permit suspensions were not assured once the property had accumulated 10 points in a 12-month period, but was instead subject to the discretion of the borough manager.

"The borough manager will decide," he said. "It isn't an automatic suspension."

Daubert added that the Rental Housing Revocation Appeals Board would hear appeals cases for suspended rental permits, except for those initiated by Code Administration officials.

Centre Region Code Administration director Greg Mussi said the property maintenance code is updated every three years.

"We have devised it as a tool to correct some of the chronic problems with properties in town," he said.

Fountaine said the proposal itself is still under discussion and changes may be made before it is approved.

"It needs to take its time and work through the public hearing process, making sure everyone has a chance to comment," he said.

Fountaine said if the amendment is approved, it would be implemented by Jan. 1.