Cleveland Finance Committee Meeting - August 13, 2025: Approvals for Port Control, Police District Energy Project, Browns Stadium Repairs, and More
Cleveland Finance Committee Meeting - August 13, 2025
The Committee of Finance, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion met on August 13, 2025, to consider a wide range of legislation, including port control updates, a major energy performance contract for police districts, emergency repairs to Cleveland Browns Stadium, and several community grants. The meeting was chaired by the Council President and included extensive discussion on financing mechanisms, procurement savings, and minority business participation.
Consent Calendar
- Ordinance 798-2025: Amended airport badging program to modernize language and align with TSA regulations. Approved with amendment.
- Ordinance 802-2025: Authorized an amendment to contract PS 2024-09 with JD Power for expanded survey services at the airport. Approved.
- Ordinance 813-2025: Approved a name change for a lease at Burke Lakefront Airport for a podcast studio and software company. Approved.
- Ordinance 497-2025: Authorized requirement contracts for SCADA and PCCS system components for public utilities. Approved.
- Ordinance 811-2025: Amended vehicle purchase ordinance to add an SUV for Channel 20 and reallocate funds. Approved.
- Ordinance 717-2025: Authorized a permit for a historical marker on East Prospect Avenue recognizing record store founder Leo Mints. Approved.
- Ordinance 809-2025: Authorized a permit for Cleveland Clinic to encroach on East 96th Street for canopy and footers. Approved.
- Ordinance 810-2025: Authorized permits for RTA to encroach on East 79th Street for station renovations. Approved.
- Ordinance 814-2025: Consented to replacement of the Lorain Avenue Bridge over Columbus Road. Approved.
- Ordinance 844-2025: Vacated a portion of Hancock Avenue for development. Approved (Councilmember McCormick noted neighbors supported).
- Ordinance 667-2025: Granted easements to Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District for the Kingsbury Run Consolidation Sewer Project (appraised value $99,350). Approved.
- Ordinance 980-2025: Vacated Joy Court and Dey Alley for housing development in Ward 3. Approved to be heard by full council.
- Ordinance 816-2025: Authorized contracts with CMSD for recreational and extracurricular programs in 2024-25 school year. Approved.
- Ordinance 817-2025: Authorized agreement with Neighborhood Leadership Institute for educational, recreational, and cultural programs (increased from $289,000 to $453,000). Approved.
- Ordinance 986-2025: Authorized agreements with Metro Parks for Irish Town Bend Park and Trail development. Approved.
- Ordinance 993-2025: Authorized the Euclid Beach Connector Trail project with Cuyahoga County and Metro Parks. Approved.
- Ordinance 786-2025: Authorized grant to Ohio City Incorporated for Near West Recreation Youth Programs ($100,000). Approved.
- Ordinance 799-2025: Authorized agreement with Urban League of Greater Cleveland for micro-loan program and small business training ($450,000 for 18 months). Approved.
Public Comments & Testimony
No public comments were recorded during the meeting.
Discussion Items
Cleveland Browns Stadium Emergency Repairs (Ordinance 725-2025)
- The Director of Capital Projects presented $2,654,954.53 in emergency repairs to Huntington Bank Field, including bridge connections, pipe insulation, concrete repairs, and HVAC work.
- Councilmember Casey questioned the definition of "emergency" and asked what happens if the city refuses to pay. Assistant Law Director Griffin noted the Browns have filed a claim in state court that the city is not upholding the lease.
- Councilmember Polensek expressed frustration over lack of transparency and requested site visits for council members in the future. He noted $5.6 million was spent last year on ramps and urged that only critical health and safety repairs be funded.
- The committee approved the ordinance to be considered by full council.
Police District Energy Performance Contract (Ordinance 723-2025 as amended)
- This ordinance authorizes a $21 million guaranteed savings performance contract with Leopardo Energy LLC to upgrade all five police districts (First, Fourth, Fifth: ~$5.6M each; Second: $2.6M; Third: $0.5M for solar).
- Finance Director Barrett explained the lease-purchase financing: 20-year term at ~4.01% interest, annual debt service about $1.5 million. Savings from reduced energy costs and procurement efficiencies are guaranteed at $48 million over 20 years.
- Councilmember McCormick and Councilmember Bishop supported the project, emphasizing urgency due to dilapidated conditions.
- Councilmembers Spencer and Moore raised concerns about the heavy reliance on procurement savings (75% of total) rather than energy savings, and the 20-year commitment to changing city procurement processes. They requested more detail on measurement and verification.
- Councilmember Polensek noted the buildings are in deplorable condition and supported the innovative financing.
- Councilmember Casey asked about solar panel warranties and roof liability. Leopardo indicated new roofs would have 30-year warranties.
- Councilmember Slife questioned the long-term viability of the buildings and suggested school closures as potential sites for new stations.
- The committee approved the ordinance to be heard by full council.
Key Outcomes
- All ordinances listed in the Consent Calendar were approved by the committee.
- Ordinance 725-2025 (Browns Stadium repairs) will be presented to the full council for passage.
- Ordinance 723-2025 (Police district energy project) passed out of committee with commitments from the administration to provide quarterly reports and address outstanding questions on savings and risk analysis.
- Ordinance 799-2025 (Urban League grant) passed, with council members requesting future reports on business outcomes and local contractor development.
- The meeting adjourned at approximately 1:30 PM with plans to reconvene.
Meeting Transcript
Good morning. Today is August the thirteenth, twenty twenty-five. This committee of finance, diversity, equity, and inclusion is called to order. Madam Clerk, please call the role. Here. And if you sign on if you serve on finance, okay. Number two to the guests in the audience. I'm going to do some of the lower hanging fruit first, which is going to be port control, utilities, public works, and then city planning and health. Okay? Does that sound okay? All right. That's how we're going to proceed. Uh therefore, the uh first group I would like to bring up is port control. If we could bring up port control, and remember uh director, soon as uh we get done with these pieces, it should take about 45 minutes, and then we're gonna jump right into the other ones. All right. Thank you. Assistant director. Good morning. Good morning. Good morning. All right, this is ordinance number 798-2025 as amended by council members McCormick and Griffin by departmental request, an emergency ordinance to amend section 571.061 of codified ordinances of Cleveland, Ohio, 1976, as amended by ordinance number 325-04 passed May 10, 2020 relating to secured area identification badges issued by the director of port control. Director. Mr. Chairman, members of the committee, thank you. Uh port control is here today to present this piece. Um we currently have legislation in place uh for our badging program. Um however, we feel it is uh we have a need to refresh that uh current legislation that we have. Um we have a badging program with software and people that administer it, and it is a fairly robust program that we have uh for all of the identification badges for employees of the airport. Um we we would like to present uh legislation to uh make sure this language is mod is uh modernized, if you will, um, and we have the flexibility that we need to administer the program in the way uh to align with our security regulations and programs that are administered through TSA. Thank you. Very quick. Uh to the policy team, have all of the executive summaries been submitted or most of them. Okay. Reason that I'm asking is because if you've already submitted the executive summary, you've already gone over this with the chair of your committee, or your chair has agreed to relieve it. We don't need all the directors to go over every detail so that we can move kind of expeditiously. Okay. All right. So, Councilman McCormick, any questions on this piece of legislation? Thank you, Mr. Chair. This I've reviewed this um and fully support this legislation on badging the airport. Thank you. All right, I'll read the amendment so that we can make this official. There is no legal objection to this legislation if amended as follows. One in section one at uh at amended section 571.061 at Division D, Line 6, strike of and insert or this was dated 724 25 by Rich Burdovich, Chief Assistant Director of Law. Any other questions regarding ordinance number 798-2025? Seeing no other questions, ordinance number 798-2025 as amended stands approved. We'll now move to 802-2025 by council members McCormick and Griffin and emergency ordinance authorizing the director of port control to enter into an amendment to contract number PS 2024-09 with JD power to provide additional survey services and extend the contract. Director. Mr.
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