Pittsburgh City Council today returned to its meeting chamber early from its August recess, introduced legislation related to next month's G-20 Summit, and demanded more information before a vote on a variety of financial and safety matters.

"There's clearly a gap" in the budget for the summit, expected to bring world leaders and big protests, said council Public Safety Chair Bruce Kraus. There's also a gap in services in city neighborhoods, like lot clean-up, building demolition, and the kind of preventive policing needed to stem murders in the South Hills neighborhoods he represents, he said.

"Someone is going to have to show me how spending city money to fill that [summit] gap is justified, given the serious public safety problems we have," he said.

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl wants council to approve, quickly, legislation that would allow the city to accept $14.3 million in federal and state help for the summit, which is expected to cost the city $16 million.

"There's this little question of where that $1.7 million [difference] is coming from," said Council Finance Chair William Peduto. "Are we taking it out of parks and recreation, or are we taking it out of public safety?"

The mayor also wants council's approval to enter into agreements with other police departments that would provide manpower for the summit -- at an estimated cost of $9.5 million, representing the bulk of the $16 million budget.

Councilman Patrick Dowd noted that the legislation to approve the agreements does not include any details on what they would say. The former teacher said he "didn't accept a student's paper as turned in if it was just a cover page" and wanted the details by tomorrow, at 9 a.m., in order to tentatively vote on Friday.

Mr. Ravenstahl said he would provide council with whatever information it needs.

Votes on legislation barring people from covering their faces to conceal their identities with intent to commit a crime, or carrying certain materials with the intent of stopping police from dispersing crowds, may have to wait until after as-yet-unscheduled public hearings, said Council President Doug Shields.