New Pataskala City Council president Dan Hayes said infrastructure funding is the city’s biggest challenge for 2012.

“Despite having more revenue than ever before, our infrastructure requires more repairs than we can afford,” he said. “Do we fix it with cash little by little, or do we borrow money to fix a good portion of it now and make payments with our income tax revenue, or do we do a little of both?”

Pat Sagar nominated Hayes for president during council’s first 2012 meeting Jan. 3. Hayes was confirmed 4-3, with Bryan Lenzo and Merissa McKinstry voting with Hayes and Sagar.

However, new Ward 3 council member Mike Fox nominated Bernard Brush for president. New Ward 2 council member Mike Compton voted with Brush and Fox.

The outcome was the same when Fox nominated Brush for vice president. Hayes nominated Lenzo, which was supported by Sagar and McKinstry in a 4-3 vote.

Fox took the votes in stride.

“(Brush) has been on council for a long time and never had a chance to do that,” he said. “I like Dan Hayes and Bryan Lenzo.”

Fox said he anticipates no problems working with them in their capacities as president and vice president.

As council president, Hayes said, he would reserve comment on council procedures he’d like to see changed until council meets for a workshop Monday, Jan. 9. He did comment on a topic of discussion he hopes will come up at the workshop.

“I think we have a lot of redundancy between our workshops, study sessions, committee meetings, and regular meetings,” he said. “I don’t want to appear to have made my mind up about a solution until we have hashed it out as a group.

“Besides that, I’d like our committees to be more involved in vetting proposed legislation before it comes to the full council.”

Lenzo praised Sagar’s contribution as the immediate past vice president.

“(Sagar) set the bar very high with her many years of excellent service as vice-president of council,” said Lenzo. “I will work hard to meet the high standard that she set. I look forward to continue working with the rest of council, the mayor and the city administration in making Pataskala a premier community in central Ohio for our residents and local businesses.”

Lenzo agreed with Hayes about the major issue for 2012.

“I believe the major issue facing Pataskala in 2012 is how to repair and fund our radically decaying infrastructure,” he said.

He said many city streets and roads in the community are in a desperate state of disrepair.

“The debate on what roads we should and can repair and how these repairs will be funded is an immediate issue that council must resolve this coming year,” Lenzo said. “It is my hope that council will do everything it possibly can do to ensure the safety of our residents who must travel these dangerous roads.”

Fox said he would focus on issues with the zoning code during his first year on council. He said he believes the city takes too long to approve zoning changes for incoming businesses.

“I would like to change (the zoning code) to move things along so they’re not waiting months for zoning changes,” Fox said.

He said he also would like to be heavily involved in the discussion of temporary signage and how to make it more business-friendly.

Also at the meeting, Fox clarified with law director Rufus Hurst that council members can, by law, make official decisions at workshops. Previously, council members would not vote during workshops and would wait until regular sessions.

“Yes, we can vote at workshops,” Fox said.

Overall, he said, he is “upbeat” about the direction the city is going.

“Things are positive,” Fox said.

As for Compton and his view on council procedures, he said there is “nothing major right off the bat. I’m going to observe for a while and interject things along the way.”

One of Compton’s major goals during his term, in addition to other members’ goals of addressing infrastructure and attracting jobs to Pataskala, is to encourage the residents of Ward 2 to patronize Pataskala’s businesses and amenities, such as its farmers market, recreational facilities and Sterling Theater rather than traveling to Columbus or Easton to shop.

“We have a lot of great stuff right here,” he said.