Committee approves emergency lighting contract and three airport procurement ordinances

Cleveland City Council’s Committee on Transportation & Mobility on March 26 approved three Port Control procurement ordinances, including an emergency authorization to contract directly with ADB Safeguate Americas LLC for airfield lighting systems and ordinances to fund parts and vehicle purchases for both city airports.

The committee approved an emergency ordinance authorizing the director of Port Control to enter into one or more requirement contracts without competitive bidding with ADB Safeguate Americas LLC for equipment, parts, labor and services needed to maintain the airfield lighting control systems, including replacement parts and software, for a period “not to exceed 2 years” with renewal options as described in the request. Dennis Kramer, assistant director of airport development, told the committee the system is proprietary and supports regulatory compliance with FAA Part 139 requirements.

Kramer said, “We currently have an existing contract with them for this system. It is a proprietary system … to help us maintain our regulatory compliance with our FAA Part 139 requirements.” The chair then closed discussion and said, “Hearing none, 326-2025 stands approved.” The committee record in the transcript does not specify a vote tally.

The committee next approved an ordinance authorizing the director to enter into requirement contracts for machines, equipment, supplies and parts to repair, refurbish, maintain, upfit and enhance vehicles and equipment across Port Control’s divisions for a period of one year with three one-year renewal options. The director estimated annual spending at $350,000 and said that amount is budgeted annually. The chair closed discussion with, “Ordinance 379-2025 stands approved.” No vote tally was recorded in the transcript.

A third ordinance approved authorizes purchase, lease or lease-with-option-to-purchase of on-road and off-road vehicles, apparatus, cabs, bodies and accessories needed to equip airport vehicles, including rehabilitation, training and inspections, for one year with a one-year renewal option. The director described this as part of a vehicle replacement program and said the ordinance covers a range of vehicles, “could be … support of our aircraft rescue firefighting fleet” or vehicles for airfield inspections. The estimated annual authorization for those purchases was $500,000. The committee approved ordinance 385-2025; the transcript records the chair saying, “Ordinance 385-2025 stands approved,” without a recorded vote count.

Why it matters: The emergency lighting contract was presented as necessary for ongoing FAA Part 139 compliance for the airport’s airfield lighting control system; Port Control described the vendor relationship as proprietary and currently in place. The two procurement ordinances aim to keep the airport fleet operational and to allow more flexible purchasing and leasing options to meet varied vehicle and equipment needs.

Details and context: Kramer said the airfield lighting contract covers only airfield lighting and not other campus lighting. Committee members asked staff to check on lighting outside airport property that appeared to be under other jurisdictions; the director said staff could contact the respective parties. For the parts and vehicle-authorizing ordinances, the director said Port Control maintains a five-year plan for anticipated needs and that the stated dollar figures are estimates used for budgeting. The transcript contains no motion text with mover/second or vote tallies for any ordinance; each item was put before the committee and approved as recorded in the meeting minutes.

Votes at a glance

- Emergency ordinance 326-2025 (ADB Safeguate Americas LLC direct-award contract for airfield lighting maintenance): outcome — approved; vote tally not specified in the transcript.

- Ordinance 379-2025 (requirement contracts for parts, machines and equipment for Port Control fleet maintenance; one-year term with three one-year renewal options): outcome — approved; estimated annual amount — $350,000; vote tally not specified in the transcript.

- Ordinance 385-2025 (purchase/lease of vehicles and equipment for Port Control; one-year term with a one-year renewal option): outcome — approved; estimated annual amount — $500,000; vote tally not specified in the transcript.

Next steps: The ordinances were approved by the committee and the chair instructed the clerk to sign the ordinances. The transcript does not record further implementation steps, specific contract award dates, or final signed contracts.