Committee of Finance, DE&I Meeting Summary - Oct 20, 2025
Committee of Finance, DE&I Meeting Summary - Oct 20, 2025
The Committee of Finance, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion meeting convened to review three emergency ordinances related to the North Coast Connector Project, the sale of city-owned property for a hotel development, and a collective bargaining agreement. Key discussions focused on clarifying funding amounts, legal descriptions, and project phases, as well as addressing community concerns regarding neighborhood impacts and development plans.
Consent Calendar
- No Routine Approvals: All agenda items required substantive discussion and amendment.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Councilman Casey: Expressed concern that the summary of the North Coast Connector Project listed a $447 million cost while initial funding requests were $5 million, necessitating a procedural amendment to clarify the removal of the $5 million request from the current legislation.
- Councilman Palensky: Expressed confusion regarding the total project cost ($447M vs. $284M vs. $470M), inquired about current funding availability ($160M), and asked for the full master plan design for the entire lakefront area. He voiced strong concern regarding the allocation of "half a billion dollars" to the lakefront while neighborhoods have unmet needs.
- Councilwoman Jasmine Center: Asked for clarification on the appraisal value of the parcels being sold to confirm the sale price matched market value.
Discussion Items
Ordinance 1072-2025 (North Coast Connector Project)
- Project Description: The ordinance amends Ordinance 549-2025 regarding a contract with Osborne Engineering Company for the Lakefront Pedestrian Bridge Connector (West 3rd to East 9th Street). It involves preliminary design ($11M construction cost component) for a project with a total estimated cost of $470M.
- Funding Clarification: Councilman Casey and Assistant Director Ms. Chambers debated the specific dollar amounts cited in previous ordinances. An amendment was adopted to strike the reference to $4.5 million from the current legislation, clarifying that the $5 million originally requested in Ordinance 549 is being removed from this specific amendment to correct the clerical record.
- Future Phases: Staff clarified that funding currently exists only for the phase from West 3rd to East 9th Street. The extension from East 9th to East 18th Street (Phase 2/3) is still conceptual with no current funding, though a TIFF and additional grants are being explored.
- Design Status: Staff noted that while the bridge and shoreway realignment have a design, the area north to Brown Stadium remains conceptual/pre-engineering.
- Community Request: Council members requested the full master plan for the entire lakefront to assess the impact on surrounding neighborhoods.
Ordinance 1223-2025 (Ortho School Properties Hotel Sale)
- Project Description: Authorizes the sale of five parcels (including one added via amendment, Parcel 119-09-041 at 1819 East 90th Street) to Ortho School Properties LLC for a Marriott-affiliated Spring Hill Suites hotel.
- Pricing Amendment: Councilman Griffin requested an amendment increasing the sale price from $52,000 to $65,000 (based on $13,000 per parcel appraisal) after initially lacking the price data.
- Procedural Clarification: Councilman Palensky noted the site is north of Chester Avenue in Councilwoman House Jones' ward (shifting if redistricting occurs). Councilwoman Jones recused herself as her mother's house is adjacent. Staff confirmed no land is currently being transferred; this ordinance provides necessary control/letters for financing before the Planning Commission and BZA review.
- Neighborhood Concerns: Councilman Palensky questioned how a hotel fits among single-family homes. Councilman Harrison clarified the developer controls two of three parcels on-site and is in negotiations for the third, with a pledge to work through the Planning Commission process to address design compatibility.
Ordinance 1323-2025 (Collective Bargaining Agreement)
- Project Description: Ratifies a successor collective bargaining agreement with Utility Workers of America, AFL-CIO Local 270, for the period April 1, 2025, through March 31, 2028. The agreement affects approximately 60 employees, including water plant operators and stationary engineers.
- Action: The agreement was approved by the committee and referred to the full body for ratification.
Key Outcomes
- Ordinance 1072-2025: Approved as amended, effectively striking the $4.5 million request to correct the clerical record of funding removal from the previous ordinance.
- Ordinance 1223-2025: Approved as amended, increasing the total sale price for five parcels to $65,000 and adding the legal description for Parcel 119-09-041.
- Ordinance 1323-2025: Approved by the committee and referred to the full body for final consideration.
- Directives: Committee members directed staff to provide the full lakefront master plan design to the council.
Meeting Transcript
I do want to see how this works. We're ready. Let's go. Knock this out. Extremely hard. No, I think we had what you went two or three pieces. Three pieces. This committee of finance diversity, equity, and inclusion is called to order. Uh, Madam Clerk, please call the road. Here. Right. Thank you. The first ordinance is ordinance number 1072 2025 as amended by Council Members Bishop and Griffin by Departmental Request and Emergency Ordinance to amend the fourth whereas clause and sections one, three, and four of ordinance number five forty-nine-2025 passed June 2, 2025, relating to an amendment to a contract with the Osborne Engineering Company to provide additional services relating to the North Coast Connector Project, aka Lakefront Pedestrian Bridge Connector. It also says there is no legal objection to this legislation if amended as follows. One in section one at amended section four, strike lines three and four in their entirety, and insert not exceed five million dollars, and shall be paid from the fund to funds two. And this was done 10925 by Jeffrey Marks, Assistant Director of Law. Johnson, you have the uh I'm sorry, assistant director. Um you had a full say Johnson Chambers. Okay, gotcha, Johnson Chambers. Um to the president to the um committee. Yes, this is to um make clerical changes in the already um amended ordinance 549, um those clerical changes remove the um assignment of fourth modification to actually read second amendment to the contract, um, and that is done twice as well as to um strike the request for um the five the four point the five million dollars okay uh councilman bishop you relieved this uh to our committee. Uh did you have any comments? Uh yes, Mr. Chairman. We uh we reviewed this piece of legislation and uh we uh uh relieved it and it's fully supportive passion. Thank you so much. I have a question, Mr. Chairman. Uh councilman Michael Palensky. Yes, I'm just trying to get some clarification because my laptop is down. Uh is this the connector between City Hall and the courthouse? Yes, it's for work related to the connector, yes. Okay. So are there any no dollar amounts being changed, correct? Correct, no dollar amounts being changed. This is just clarification of modification versus amendment. Okay, that's all I'm trying to understand. Okay, thank you. Councilman Casey Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. President's assistant director, if you say no dollar amounts are changed, and we're changing the dollar amount from five million to four million five hundred thousand that was per the ordinance five four nine. We had initially requested the funding in that ordinance. So this actual change was to remove the request for the five million. So maybe this needs to be an amendment that I make here at the table. Um, is to change the five million from this ordinance. But I thirdly in the ordinance, right? It's it's I mean, to remove, excuse me, to remove. So maybe that's an amendment I need to make here. This was discussed, so I did not know this procedural part of this, but this five million is not to be included in the current legislation because in 549 we requested 5 million.
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