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Council committee recommends amended Browns settlement after hours of debate; major amendments add labor and local business safeguards
Summary
After a daylong committee hearing, Cleveland—s finance committee recommended an amended emergency ordinance implementing a settlement with the Browns that would fund demolition, lakefront work and community benefits; the package adds stronger local contracting, prevailing‑wage and council‑approval language but leaves some council members unsatisfied.
Council President Griffin convened a lengthy committee discussion that concluded with a committee recommendation to send an amended settlement ordinance (13‑25) to the full council tonight.
The ordinance implements a settlement term sheet between the city and the Haslam Sports Group covering the Browns— proposed relocation to Brook Park, demolition and site preparation of Huntington Bank Field, and a lakefront development program. The administration told members the deal guarantees an upfront payment and a schedule of community benefit payments; under the final amended term sheet those payments were adjusted so $20 million (four payments of $4 million) is directed for lakefront/development and neighborhood priorities rather than the $25 million schedule previously described.
Former Mayor and U.S. Representative Dennis Kucinich testified in opposition, calling the proposed settlement “a fraud upon the city” and urging council to press…
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