The Ishpeming City Council opened the public hearing on the city's proposed 2026 budget and then moved into a substantive discussion of capital projects and funding priorities.

Mayor Pat Scanlon opened the hearing and, after allowing public comment, closed it when no one further spoke. Council members then examined the public improvement fund and the capital improvements plan (CIP). Staff noted the CIP includes a "gap" column showing underfunded projects and that the public improvement fund available after estimated debt service is roughly $400,000 for 2026, with obligations and match requirements for certain grants also expected.

Council members asked staff to consider prioritizing items such as Cedar Street paving, police body armor replacement (noted for 2027 in the CIP because of life-cycle timing), lottery-fees system financing options (a $200,000 proposal is listed), and blight-remediation funding. Members emphasized that different funding sources carry restrictions and cannot always be reallocated between project categories.

Council agreed to schedule a special meeting and a budget work session to refine priorities, ask council members to individually rank CIP items ahead of that session, and then return with a prioritized CIP that aligns with available funding and grant opportunities. Staff said detailed budget adoption would occur at a future special meeting.