Pittsburgh City Council voted unanimously yesterday to create a seven-member panel to monitor the city's use of federal stimulus dollars.

If given final approval by council next week, the panel, to be appointed by the mayor mostly from names submitted by council members, would include experts in engineering, community planning and the environment. It would advise council of the appropriateness of a given use of the federal money before any council vote.

The city has so far secured $20.3 million in stimulus money, according to Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's administration, including $6.8 million for homelessness prevention, $4.5 million for general improvements to low-income neighborhoods, $3.4 million for improving energy efficiency in the City-County Building, $2.1 million for police equipment and training, $1.5 million for summer jobs for youth, $1 million for training dislocated workers, and smaller amounts for work force development and reducing diesel emissions.

The city has posted information on stimulus activity online at http://www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/mayor/html/stimulus.html.