Cleveland City Council concerned over lakefront plan

Amid the uncertain future of the Browns playing along the shores of Lake Erie, there are also questions surrounding the long-awaited Cleveland North Coast Master Plan.

During Cleveland City Council's Finance, Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee meeting earlier this week, the Bibb administration proposed legislation asking Council to extend its contract with Field Operations, the New York-based firm selected to lead the master planning process, for an additional year. Chief Financial Officer Ahmed Abdomah told councilmembers that the city was asking for an additional $400,000 on top of the original $500,000 contract with Field Operations that was agreed upon in 2022.

Abonamah explained that $260,000 would cover additional services requested by the administration that have already been performed, with another $140,000 needed for new work.

"The work was just a lot more complicated than we anticipated," he told the committee.

Councilmembers, not happy about being asked to cover a cost overrun for something it had not approved in the first place, voted unanimously to hold off on passing the proposed legislation for now.

"Somebody spent $260,000 unauthorized by Council," City Council President Blaine Griffin told Abdonamah. "That doesn't sit well."

READ MORE: https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/loc...