One reason we have been so critical of some of the ways Jamestown has proposed spending its $28 million in federal stimulus funding is because we know there are needs that haven’t been considered yet.

Consider last week’s presentation to the City Council from Twan Leenders, Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy ecological restoration manager and former president of the Roger Tory Peterson Institute. Leenders is asking for $633,908 to be spent over two years on debris removal and tree clearing, invasive vegetation removal, revegetation of exposed banks, risk assessment, plan development and outreach and emergency bank stabilization.

The projects in the proposal include improving the safety and resiliency of the river between the Warner Dam and the Falconer village line; stabilizing unarmored banks and removing harmful invasive species; replacing them with resilient, native plants; and developing a Chadakoin River Master Plan that identifies, maps and prioritizes future improvement needs on armored banks; aligning those with funding opportunities; exploring options to increase the city’s climate resiliency; and involving property owners and community members and organizations to help address these issues.

In other words, Leenders is shining a spotlight where the city and its myriad partners don’t want a spotlight shined — the areas leading away from downtown. Yet those are some of the most ecologically challenged areas on the Chadakoin. And none of those projects Leenders pitched last week are listed in the 23 pages of American Restoration Plan funding proposed by the city. But one could argue that it is more important than much of the flotsam included in the city’s proposed spending plan.

What flotsam, you may ask? For starters, we note $1.5 million on fun things for the Chadakoin River near the National Comedy Center: clearing the waterways for small boats, additional Riverwalk public art and a tiered amphitheater. There’s the $126,000 dog park — already pared down from its original $250,000 price tag — when Lakewood built its dog park for $17,000. There’s $1 million for broadband internet with no firm projects listed.

Should we go on? Why not.

Given how overbudgeted the dog park was originally, are splash pads projected to cost $400,000 in two city parks really going to be $400,000 each? How about wasting $399,584 on a public communications and coordination position or another $474,167 on a position to manage the stimulus allocation?

Mayor Eddie Sundquist has been itching for the City Council to approve the city’s plan to spend the city’s federal stimulus dollars. But between projects that have far too much money proposed and others, like the ecological needs of the Chadakoin River, that aren’t included in the plan in the first place, our opinion is the plan needs more work. The council is right to drag its feet.

The city’s plan to spend a $28.3 million federal gift is as half-baked as runny cupcakes.