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1 MINUTES OF THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE JANUARY 20, 2026 COUNCIL CHAMBERS Present: Evans, Kepple, Baker, Bullock, Strebig, Hamilton Steiner Also present: Planning Director Byington, Finance Director Mahoney, Law Director Vargo, Carter Edman of Cogence Alliance, members of the public and Council staff Call to order: 6:31 pm. Approval of the minutes of the January 12, 2026 Committee of the Whole. Motion by Councilmember Kepple, seconded by Councilmember Baker to approve the minutes of the January 12th, 2026 Committee of the Whole without the necessity of a reading. All members voted in favor. Minutes approved. Communication from President Kepple regarding City Hall Space Due Diligence Update ( referred to COW 10/20/25) – Presentation on Project Delivery from Cogence Alliance. Communication from President Kepple regarding City Hall Space Considerations Amended Schedule ( referred to COW 01/05/26) President Kepple said that there are two communications on the docket involving the City Hall Space considerations that have been underway and will continue in the upcoming weeks. She further explained that the City is facing a monumental decision and most Councilmembers are not development professionals. Therefore, tonight’ s session is intended to be a high-level primer on public procurement, renovation and construction so that councilmembers can have a shared language going forward. She stressed that the presentation is not a review of the administration’ s proposal, but for general education purposes only. She then introduced the presenter, Carter Edman ( President of Cogence Alliance). Carter Edman provided an overview of Cogence Alliance, which is a non-profit organization that brings together owners and developers, architects and engineers, construction managers and contractors, and allied industry professionals to advocate for and to be a resource for improved project delivery. He added that he is also the Vice President of the American Institute of Architects ( AIA) Cleveland Chapter, which is another great resource for design. He shared that the focus of tonight’ s presentation is project delivery, which in this context means structuring contracts to support project success. He explained that contracts define the relationships and responsibilities of a project, and there are a lot of different parties involved in any construction project that need to be brought together to work towards the same goal in order for a project to be successful. He said that the right contract structure can help to drive success. He reviewed some of the considerations that an entity should evaluate when selecting the best project structure. He emphasized that there is no perfect delivery method for any given project, but there are project- specific factors that might point to the most appropriate delivery method. Docusign Envelope ID: EDB8DE5A- 7157-4A86-A4E4-4F3446A6B592 2 He said that the most prominent factor is risk tolerance and gave the example that a municipality has a very different risk tolerance than a Silicon Valley start-up would. He went on to briefly review some of the additional considerations. Mr. Edman then elaborated on the topic of risk and stressed that every member of the project team has some exposure to risk. He asserted that risk cannot be completely eliminated, but it can be anticipated, understood, and managed. He said in his opinion the three best tools to manage risk, in order of importance, are 1.) communication, 2.) transparency, and 3.) contractual structure. He stressed that it is up to the owner to drive the culture of collaboration amongst project team members. Mr. Edman then went onto review the four project delivery models that he said are most appropriate for a municipality. Build-to-Suit He explained this delivery model is when a landlord or an owner who intends to sell the property offers to make capital improvements before selling or leasing. They then include the price of the upgrades into the purchase or lease price. Pros and Cons: The end user does not have any contractual relationships with the design and build team. Opaque process that lacks control and collaboration Easy for the end user Appropriate for tenants who lack capital or for simple, standardized projects ( ex. parking lots, basic offices, industrial sheds) Bottom Line – if you don’ t own the property, you don’ t control the project Design- Bid-Build He said this is the traditional way of doing capital projects in the public sector. He explained that you hire an architect and work with them to do a complete design, you then take the design and put it out to bid, and then you select a bidder whose team carries out the construction. Pros and Cons: Discontinuity between design and construction team No design assist Changes can be costly Traditional method so it is easy to justify Potential for low overhead since there is no construction manager One shot to get the price and partner right Most appropriate for: new construction, owner who can manage construction well, when legally required, known bid environment, can structure the bid package to get best value CMr (Construction Manager at Risk) Docusign Envelope ID: EDB8DE5A- 7157-4A86-A4E4-4F3446A6B592 3 He explained this project design is when the Construction Manager ( CM) is the one who holds the construction contracts and is the one responsible for delivering the project to the owner. He said typically the owner will hire an architect and shortly after they will bring on a CM who will charge a professional services fee. The CM is on early in the design so they can bring on the right trade contractors as the project unfolds. Pros and Cons: Potential for high control and collaboration Pulls team together early on Qualifications- based selection Opportunity for design assist Work on cost together with design ( Guaranteed Maximum Price ( GMP) in place of a standard bid) Project needs to be big enough to justify the CM fee and all the extra effort Most appropriate for: larger complex projects, projects with unknowns, historic renovations, lots of stakeholders, complex reporting requirement or high need for quality Design Build He said that Design Build is basically when you hire a single entity to do design and construction and that there are a lot of different varieties of this project design model. DB Traditional – Owner sends out an RFP that describes the project, and people come back to you with a proposal for how much they will charge to deliver the project. Pros and Cons: Price is based on very scanty evidence One contract upfront for everything Low control and low collaboration Typically fast turnaround Appropriate for: desired outcomes are known and clear, cost is more important than quality, new builds with a clean site, metrics are very specific DB Bridging – Hybrid with CMr, owner hires a Criteria Architect ( CA) who does an initial design to define the parameters before initiating the DB process. Pros and Cons: Better control of quality and scope Opportunity for collaboration and design assist Criteria Architect supports owner throughout the process Fast-track opportunities Appropriate for: mid to large projects, alternative to CMr, complex design environment, want better control than Design- Bid-Build or traditional Design Bid. DB Progressive Integrated – Integrated DB means that the selected DB firm has architects in house, Progressive DB the initial contract is only for the design services then the owner signs for the full construction price. Docusign Envelope ID: EDB8DE5A- 7157-4A86-A4E4-4F3446A6B592 4 Pros and Cons: Minimizes the upfront risk and ensures the construction price is more accurate Two stage contract ( design contract, then you amend with the construction contract) Owner protections can be built in design contract Can combine with bridging and/or CMa Fast track opportunities Mr. Edman then reviewed additional considerations and final thoughts to keep in mind while considering which project delivery model to select. He stressed that the selection of a delivery method is not always obvious and there are nuances to consider with each method. He went on to answer questions from Councilmembers. In response to a question from President Kepple, Mr. Edman explained the role of a Construction Manager Advisor ( CMa). He said that the CMa does not hold any of the construction contracts but serves as an advisor and it is essentially an Owner’ s Representative role that helps to run the project. In response to a question from Councilmember Bullock, there was a discussion about how to measure risk. Mr. Edman said that essentially, we measure risk with money, such as through contingency and allowances. In response to a question from Councilmember Bullock regarding contract logistics, Mr. Edman explained that these contracts apply to any type of construction project and they may be subordinate to a development agreement. Vice President Baker added that where the contracts sit ultimately depends on the project model and the relationships of the contracts. In response to a question from Councilmember Hamilton Steiner, Mr. Edman provided some project examples for each of the delivery methods he reviewed. Vice President Baker added that most of the large projects that Cleveland Metroparks undertakes use a Construction Manager at Risk model because they get to retain a lot of control and they can collaboratively work through the process with their partners. President Kepple encouraged Councilmembers to coalesce any additional questions into an email for Mr. Edman. She thanked Mr. Edman for graciously volunteering his time. Meeting adjourned at 7:19 p.m. Approved: Sarah Kepple, Chair Committee of the Whole Maureen M. Bach, Clerk of Council 01/26/2026 Docusign Envelope ID: EDB8DE5A- 7157-4A86-A4E4-4F3446A6B592 QVSLUH GXFDWH 8QLWH QVSLUH GXFDWH 8QLWH QIGPEG DWLQ 6Q FTKXG VQIGVJGT QT 6JKPMKPI VJCV KU YGNN QTICPK\ GF 6JG RWTRQUG QH VJG NNKCPEG KU VQ DTKPI 1YPGTU CPF GXGNQRGTU TEJKVGEVU CPF PIKPGGTU QPUVTWEVKQP CPCIGTU CPF QPVTCEVQTU CPF NNKGF PFWUVT[ 2TQHGUUKQPCNU VQIGVJGT VQ CFXQECVG CPF DG C TGUQWTEG HQT KORTQXGF RTQLGEV FGNKXGT[ QT OQTG KPHQTOCVKQP XKUKV WU CV YYY EQIGPEG QTI KUUKQP 2WTRQUG QVSLUH GXFDWH 8QLWH Cogence Alliance Partners engage with the Industry to make the industry work better together for the future. Each partner iscommitted to: Understanding diverse backgrounds, experiences, and beliefs Exchanging ideas through conversation and debate Being responsible for positive outcomes over time, with a lifelong passion to learn, grow, andstay curious. 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