New London — The City Council on Monday balked at approving two separate bonding proposals totaling $2.5 million aimed at buying $1.4 million in public safety equipment and spending $1.1 million to fix drainage issues in the Pequot Avenue area.

The requests sparked a larger discussion about the lack of a prioritized capital improvement plan and why, if some of the needs were so great, the items were not included in the operating budget.

“I’m starting to get a little red-faced talking about the capital plan,” Councilor Michael Passero said. “The Council is hesitant to continue doing things on an ad hoc basis.”

Passero and others said they were only made aware of the requests on Friday and the material given to councilors did not contain enough background information to render a thoughtful decision.

The $1.1 million request to cover design and construction of storm water discharge pipes for Greens Harbor and Osprey beaches, along with removal of broken piping at Guthrie beach was moved, with a unanimous vote, to the Finance Committee for further discussion.

The $1.4 million request for public safety equipment included funding for an emergency dispatch system, turnout gear and air packs for firefighters, body cameras for the entire police department and money for assorted police items including ballistic vests, helmets, shields and Taser replacements.

The public safety equipment request was moved to the Finance Committee with a 4-3 vote. Councilors Passero, Anthony Nolan, Martin T. Olsen and Michael Tranchida voted to move the request to committee. Councilors Erica Richardson, Wade Hyslop and Efrain Dominguez voted against the move.

The highest ticket item was the $663,815 for TriTech brand dispatch equipment and software.

“What the heck is that that we’re going to spend 663,000 for,” Tranchida asked. “Can fellow councilors tell me what that is? What are we bonding?”

Along with updating the department’s aging technology, Deputy Police Chief Peter Reichard said, the new system would help link New London with Waterford should the two communities decide to consolidate their dispatch centers.

Risk manager Paul Gills previously had said the requested items were among the highest liability issues for the city.

Passero said he considered the request an “end run around our general government budget.”

“I have too many questions. I feel like I’m being put in an untenable position,” he said.

Richardson, chairwoman of the Public Safety Committee, argued that some of the public safety items actually had been approved by the council on previous dates. She argued that sending them back to committee would further delay the process.

“These are not new. Our firefighters are wearing outdated equipment. They have been for some time,” Richardson said. “We cannot disregard the public safety equipment. This is not a want. This is a need.”

Finance Director Jeff Smith agreed that some of the items may have been approved at other times but said he would research to find out why they were not purchased. Other items were cut from the operating budget before they ever reached the City Council.

The discussion came on the same night that the council unanimously approved borrowing $225,000 to replace the flat rubberized roof at the senior center and authorized the mayor to enter into a contract for $123,980 in repairs to two outdoor concrete staircases at the police department.

g.smith@theday.com

Twitter: @SmittyDay