BELLEFONTE — Bellefonte Borough Council eased residency rules for its borough manager and modernized outdated air pollution regulations during its latest meeting.

The ordinance changes allow manager candidates to live outside the borough within a 15-mile radius, clarify administrative and budget procedures, and replace old air pollution controls with regulations focused on local nuisances like odors and fly ash. Council leaders said the updates are intended to make the borough’s hiring process more flexible while ensuring regulations address issues the borough can actively manage.

The meeting began with a public hearing addressing provisions governing the borough manager.

The most significant change to the relevant ordinance revised the position’s residency requirements, which have been relaxed to allow candidates in neighboring townships to qualify. Applicants are no longer required to live in Bellefonte but must, as soon as possible after hiring, reside within a 15-mile radius of the borough office on West Lamb Street.

Councilmember Jon Eaton said the radius would extend “to the Clinton County line to the south, to the top of Seven Mountains and then a good deal of Ferguson Township.”

“Times have changed where it’s been very difficult to recruit folks for this position, so the committee thought that there could be some flexibility in that,” said Council President Doug Johnson. “As I understand it, all agreed that was a reasonable compromise for not having the manager live within the borough.”

A majority of the borough’s employees are residents of surrounding townships, according to Council Vice President Deborah Cleeton.

Additional revisions clarified the borough’s budget timeline.

Under the amended ordinance, budget development for the upcoming fiscal year will begin at the close of the third quarter of the current fiscal year. The borough manager will be responsible for preparing and submitting the final budget package to council, including an explanatory budget message, at the second meeting of the 11th month of the current fiscal year. Bellefonte’s fiscal year runs January to December.

Council also removed a bond requirement, updated the ordinance to use gender-neutral language and authorized the mayor to delegate non-legislative and non-judicial powers and duties to the borough manager, subject to recall by written notice at any time.

Council then moved to advertise an amendment to the borough’s air pollution ordinance, which was substantially revised to remove outdated provisions.

Councilwoman Joanne Tosti-Vasey said about 95 percent of the existing ordinance — much of it focused on older, highly specific air pollution controls — was eliminated because those regulations are now handled by federal or state authorities. The updated ordinance instead focuses on nuisance-related concerns such as odors, smells and fly ash.

“That’s something that we, as a borough, could actually control,” Tosti-Vasey said.