CLEVELAND -- This morning's Aviation and Transportation Committee meeting was supposed to begin at 10. By 20 minutes after, only three council members had trickled in to hear Mayor Frank Jackson's top aides discuss the city's request for federal economic stimulus dollars.

Committee Chairman Kevin Kelley convened the meeting anyway, with four of the seven panel members missing at the outset. Councilmen T.J. Dow and Martin Keane were the other two who made it. Councilman Jay Westbrook walked in about 10:30. Councilwoman Mamie Mitchell arrived at 10:35. Still missing are Tony Brancatelli and Phyllis Cleveland.

The topic is so important that Kelley invited all council members, not just committee members, to attend. Doesn't look like anyone is taking him up on the offer.

By comparison, Jackson officials greatly outnumber council members. Sitting around the conference table are the mayor's chief of staff, Ken Silliman; Operations Chief Darnell Brown; Planning Director Bob Brown, Public Service Director Jo Marie Wasik and another aide.

In the audience are several other mayoral aides, including Press Secretary Andrea Taylor.

Kelley called the meeting to hear about Jackson's priorities, which the mayor outlined recently in letters to President Obama and Gov. Ted Strickland. Three key highway projects on the agenda: a new Inner Belt bridge, Opportunity Corridor and the West Shoreway.

Update, 12:30 p.m.: Phyllis Cleveland came in 10:57. And Councilmen Joe Cimperman and Matt Zone, neither of whom is on the committee, stopped by. Administration officials have streamed in and out as well. Airport Director Ricky Smith and Health Director Matt Carroll each have poked their heads in. Chris Warren, Jackson's regional development chief, is now at the conference table with Silliman and the others.

The council members who did show up are firing off solid questions to the mayor's aides. Mitchell just wrapped up a few thoughts on Opportunity Corridor, which would cut through her ward. Silliman, on Jackson's behalf, wrapped up his presentation with a call to council members to stand with the mayor as he lobbies for federal money to tackle his priorities.