CLEVELAND — Cleveland City Council isn’t rushing to approve a proposed exit deal with the Browns – an agreement to end a legal battle and speed up lakefront development Downtown.

On Monday, council members spent three hours dissecting the deal during a joint committee hearing that ended without a vote. Some members pushed back, saying they believe Cleveland can strike a better bargain with team owner Haslam Sports Group. Others seemed resigned, acknowledging that something is better than nothing.

Mayor Justin Bibb’s administration still hopes to win council’s support for the deal by the end of this year. The agreement calls for the city and the Browns to end a court fight over the team’s planned move to Brook Park. Browns, Cleveland reach $100M settlement, paving the way for Brook Park

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