During the Dec. 2 meeting, Maumee committee members debated how to prioritize limited capital dollars, with several members urging a focus on essential maintenance such as sewer remediation and street repairs while others defended investments that support economic development and placemaking.

Speaker 1 said the governing philosophy should separate essential maintenance from 'brand new' projects, arguing that buried infrastructure and sewer remediation should have priority when B Fund resources are limited. Speaker 8 told the committee that recent voters "want to fix things and stop making things pretty," urging the council to address sewers and core repairs before spending on landscaping.

Staff listed a recent estimate of about $400,000 for landscaping at an interchange (including irrigation) and noted that some funds are restricted by prior bond issuances and special revenue designations. Speaker 4 also presented operating-cost highlights, noting the operating expenses versus revenue split in the preliminary operating budget and flagging a $48,000 mowing line for the Towpath and an approximate $110,000 fully loaded annual cost for a full-time public-works mowing operator.

Committee members discussed the facade grant program (staff noted $60,000 available for commercial facade grants in the draft) and suggested revisiting program caps and payback terms; staff proposed exploring a possible residential counterpart with clear parameters. The tree program was also discussed: staff included $36,000 tied to a required planting obligation and noted a longstanding $100,000 trimming budget; removal of diseased or infested trees was flagged as a potential additional cost.

Next steps: staff will compile fund sources and present prioritized lists and cost bands so incoming council members and the mayor can decide which projects to advance.