Bellefonte council, Friends of Talleyrand continue work on cooperative agreement and environmental review for new stage

Bellefonte Borough Council and representatives of the Friends of Talleyrand on Tuesday discussed a draft cooperative agreement for a proposed outdoor performance stage in Talleyrand Park and directed next steps on permitting, environmental assessment and insurance.

The council asked its solicitor to add a clear contract term and an exit notice window to the cooperative agreement and asked staff and the Friends to continue negotiating language; Keller Engineering was asked to seek a formal determination from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and to propose an environmental investigation of the proposed footing area.

Why it matters: the proposed stage sits near parcels with a history of gasoline contamination and in a floodplain and influence zone for a local water supply. Council members and the engineer said addressing those environmental and stormwater issues now could avoid costly delays or construction shutdowns later.

Council committee member Barb said the solicitor recommended revisions to Section 8 of the draft, and that the suggested change was…