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Committee signs off on multiple Port Control contracts and expands airport line-of-credit to $476 million
Summary
The committee approved a package of Port Control professional-service and procurement contracts (insurance brokerage, wayfinding audit, concrete services, wetland mitigation, financial and asset-management consultants) and authorized increasing the airport line-of-credit to a not-to-exceed $476 million to support terminal modernization projects.
The Finance, Diversity & Inclusion Committee on Nov. 17 approved multiple Port Control items to support Cleveland Hopkins International Airport’s terminal modernization program and near-term operational improvements, and it authorized a change in financing capacity.
Dennis Kramer, assistant director of airport development, briefed the committee on a planned owner-controlled insurance program (OSEP) and a seven-year insurance-brokerage contract to consolidate coverage for the terminal modernization program. He said bundling insurance could reduce contractor cost burdens and open opportunities for smaller firms.
The committee also approved a wayfinding audit and improvement project for the ticketing lobby (budgeted at approximately $250,000 for the audit and recommendations), a one-year contract for concrete services (approximate annual cost $1,000,000), and a contract with West Creek Conservancy to pursue wetland-mitigation work required under Ohio EPA rules. Kramer described a Grafton, Ohio site being considered to create wetlands to offset roughly 8 acres currently on airport property; the mitigation analysis said 24–26 acres in the same watershed would be needed to meet permit requirements.
On airport financing, the committee approved ordinance 14-08-2025 to amend the city’s 2024 revolving line-of-credit and related loan documentation, raising the aggregate not-to-exceed principal to $476,000,000 to pay costs of improvements tied to the terminal modernization program. The director of finance explained that airlines approved an additional $301,000,000 (on top of a prior $175,000,000 approval) to fund a roughly 6,000-space parking garage, a new RTA station on airport grounds and a new ground-transportation center; the short-term debt vehicle will be used pending longer-term bond issuance.
Council members asked why the line-of-credit amendment appeared in the finance committee rather than the transportation committee; staff explained the item is primarily a financial mechanism and that the underlying projects had previously gone through aviation/transportation review. Several council members also raised procedural and land-acquisition questions; the director confirmed no land acquisition is funded in this issuance and that project scopes had been previously brought to related committees.
The committee announced approvals for the Port Control items, and staff noted an upcoming ribbon-cutting for accessible adult changing stations at CLE and ongoing coordination with TSA and FAA about staffing following a recent federal shutdown.
Transcript: approvals were announced by the chair without a recorded roll-call vote tally.
