With the recent passing of Election Day, seems like now would be an optimal juncture to offer advice to the new State College Borough Council on the best way to advance the measures and the issues before it, which ultimately touch students' lives in some measure.

The freshly elected -- but not for the first time -- Don Hahn has said that he would proceed with council measures in a more deliberative manner, concentrating less on "efficiency [and] speed of decision making."

But Hahn's assessment couldn't be more wrong -- a lack of efficiency and speed in decision making is a large part of the problem plaguing council now.

For example, the revitalization of the western part of campus known as the Urban Village, where a majority of student residents live, has been debated since 1993. No, efficiency and speed are not mainstays of municipal government. Neither does the plodding style that council exhibits on many questions result well for students.

For instance, Penn State students are the ones to suffer when council stalls on issues like placing additional lighting downtown. The council has known for some time about the dark parts of the borough, which create an unsafe environment, and still council diverts attention to commercial zoning and not sexual assault prevention.

Council approved a commercial incentive zoning district at Monday's meeting, and on the surface, it would seem as though this might be a positive step for the area.

Yet, in truth, it is not clear that a market for $380,000 condos, sold only to buyers and not renters, exists. In this instance there appeared to be speed but not enough deliberation.

Additionally, it's now come to the attention of council that appropriation for the cineplex -- also part of the zoning district -- may be lacking, forcing it to hunt for federal a grant.

Basically, the spirit and the speed with which some of the measures have been passed are laudable. And Hahn's suggestion about employing a deliberative style would make sense here.

But the zoning district is ultimately a failure if it lacks funding to get off the ground.

Whether it is student safety or a new 10-screen movie theater downtown, the council should use the opportunity of new members to fold in the proper ingredients for effective government.

Council deliberates where it needs speed and hurries where it needs deliberation.

In the end, if the body could blend some thoughtful deliberation with speedy efficiency, and then there may be more laudable comments without a "but."