A screenshot of Cleveland City Council Member Rebecca Maurer (left) discussing an amendment she worked on. Council Member Deborah Gray listens in at the May 17 Cleveland City Council Transportation and Mobility Committee meeting.
Council Member Rebecca Maurer (left) discusses an amendment she worked on. Council Member Deborah Gray listens in. Credit: Cleveland City Council YouTube

Covered by Documenter Kellie Morris

Oppor-union-y: The committee revisited and advanced legislation it previously had held for review. It would let the city find a new concessions manager for Hopkins International Airport. In a prior meeting, Council Member Rebecca Maurer discussed concession workers’ opportunity to unionize. Maurer worked with the city to draft an amendment requiring that opportunity in concession agreements going forward. Airport official Christine Gilmartin, along with some council members, asked if the change would require employees to unionize. It would not.

Studying Burke: What are the potential economic costs and benefits of closing and redeveloping Burke Lakefront Airport? The city wants to know and thinks Econsult Solutions, Inc. can give some answers. The committee advanced a proposal to give $115,000 to the Philadelphia-based firm. It will do a four- to five-month analysis. Director of Economic Development Tessa Jackson described it as a data-driven case study.

Few Clevelanders work for TSA: Of the 366 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers at Hopkins, just six live in Cleveland. Council Member Kerry McCormack asked if city officials could help boost that number. The city does not hire TSA employees, said Interim Director of Port Control Dennis Kramer. McCormack suggested working with regional officials to address the disparity. The topic came up as the committee advanced a proposal to renew a lease for TSA to use space at the airport. The city receives about $62,000 a month from the lease.

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Doug Breehl-Pitorak, Documenters Assignment Editor

Assignment Editor (he/him)
Doug, a Cleveland Documenter since 2020, has been a copy editor and reporter. His work includes: The Pace of Passage about how quickly Cleveland City Council passes legislation; a look at the challenges of the city’s Exterior Home Paint program; and University Circle Police Department’s complaint-review process. Doug has also written explainers and guides and launched #CLEDocsAnswers, which answers questions Documenters have about local government.