New London — Near the end of the City Council’s Finance Committee meeting on Monday, after members were presented with an update on the city’s unspent federal pandemic relief funding, Mayor Michael Passero laid out a challenge.

“Let’s see how talented this council is,” he said. “We have $721,140 — and $3.5 million in capital needs.”

Nearly three-quarters of a million dollars is what remains unallocated from the $26.2 million awarded to the city through the American Rescue Plan Act in two equal tranches.

Finance Director David McBride provided committee members with a list of “potential” remaining ARPA fund uses, which the full council is expected to discuss and winnow at a future meeting.

That wish list was heavily weighted toward public safety and public works initiatives, with money recommended for firefighter oxygen bottles, $45,000; fire gear, $57,000; equipment, $75,000; and vehicles $115,000.

Just more than $132,000 was suggested for the refurbishment of a police department locker room and $47,000 for a police camera project.

Annual payments for municipal and fire vehicles, at a cost of $250,000 each, were also highlighted. Another $250,000 in spending was recommended for the replenishment of the city’s capital reserve account used for high-cost capital expenses, such as new fire trucks.

The police department is also asking the council to consider funding the purchase of six new vehicles. No cost estimate for the vehicles was listed. McBride said the final prices would push the $3.5 million department-generated ARPA list past the $4 million mark.

On the public works side, a $900,000 proposal to replace the public works building roof on Union Street was included, as was the highest potential allotment: $1.2 million to convert the Calkins Park field on Crescent Street to artificial turf.

The council last month approved using $1.4 million in transferred ARPA funds to re-turf two high school fields. McBride said he was also recommending transferring $750,000 in ARPA money from a $1.2 million Briggs Brook improvement project toward upgrades at Chester Street’s Sal Amanti baseball field.

That much ARPA emphasis on sports fields appeared to worry Councilor James Burke, who noted the imminent opening of a new recreation center, with a multi-purpose room, as well as the presence of an older theater at the Early Childhood Center at B.P Learned Mission facility on Shaw Street.

“I just encourage us to be creative and think about the balance between our need for performing arts ... and sports,” he said.

Another $200,000, if approved, would be help fund slots for next year’s Youth Employment Program, a popular initiative whose demand far outstripped available slots this summer.

Much of the night was spent drilling down on previous council-approved allotments with departments heads fielding questions on how their earmarks were spent.

After describing her agency’s past and ongoing disbursement of ARPA funding, Director of Human Services Jeanne Milstein offered a friendly reminder to councilors.

“If money is left over, we’d be happy to take it,” she said.

McBride was unable to walk the council much past a review of first year ARPA spending before the 80-minute meeting adjourned.

j.penney@theday.com