UPUA president Gavin Keirans campaigned on the issue of helping tenants and landlords solve disputes without taking legal actions.

A proposal at last night's State College Borough Council meeting is the first step to making the University Park Undergraduate Association's (UPUA) president's campaign pledge come true.

"The UPUA Legal Affairs branch has taken this up as their main initiative over the summer," Keirans said.

Last night, Matt Lachman and Jason Kleinwaks, both of UPUA Legal Affairs, presented UPUA's Landlord-Tenant Mediation proposal to the council members.

Lachman spoke to the council about the plan, explaining that it will allow students and borough residents to settle disputes between themselves and their landlords or tenants by talking to trained mediators through the program.

Under the plan, Penn State students would take their problems up with the UPUA legal affairs branch, while borough residents would go through the borough.

"There's really no alternative in disputes other than going to court. It's very expensive for both parties and time consuming," Lachman said, adding "There's really no downside to [our proposal]."

UPUA plans to ask the University Park Allocation Committee (UPAC) for $5,000. They will also ask for money from the borough as well as from outside organizations.

The borough is considering giving $2,500 to UPUA for the pilot program, which would begin in Jan. 2009, Tom Fountaine said. After January, they would consider how much money to allocate for the future of the program

UPUA has not yet contacted UPAC, Lachman said.

The money will be used in order to pay the mediators, who make $100 per hour, Lachman said.

At the end of the presentation, council President Elizabeth Goreham expressed her approval of the program.

"I think this is going to be a very successful program," she said.

Lachman added the next step is to seek funding for the program and to publicize it.

Council members also voted on a motion regarding plans for the Fraser Centre.

At the July 21 borough council meeting Susquehanna Real Estate submitted a proposal for the council to vote on last night, concerning three zoning requirements the company says it needs to break in order to "enhance the building's overall design and functionality.

Every council member, except Don Hahn, voted to approve these exceptions to the zoning rules.

Hahn, who submitted a letter for the record detailing his concerns, said Susquehanna Real Estate didn't prove it was necessary for the community room's design features to violate zoning standards.