CLEVELAND, Ohio — Incoming Browns owner Jimmy Haslam told Cleveland City Council members Wednesday he would consider a dome for Browns Stadium, but he stopped short of endorsing the idea.

Haslam addressed the issue briefly in response to a question from Councilman Michael Polensek, who urged dome talks between the city and the Browns in order to get more use out of the city-owned stadium.

Haslam, accompanied by Browns general counsel Fred Nance, said he will bring in architects to offer ideas for the stadium. He agreed the city should get more use out of the facility, but did not address who would pay for any upgrades.

"Anything that helps us do that. . . we're certainly going to take a look at it," he said.

Haslam's response today mirrored what he told The Plain Dealer in an exclusive interview in August. He said then, "We have spent some time at the stadium. We'll have three really well-known stadium architects walk through. I do think there's some enhancements for the fans that need to be done. What, I don't know."

The Browns have a 30-year stadium lease that requires the city to put $850,000 a year into repairs. That money comes from a countywide tax on alcohol and tobacco sales. But the so-called sin tax expires in 2015.

Earlier this year, contractors did more than $5 million in stadium repairs, including the refurbishing of seats and replacing, repairing and waterproofing concrete. Browns officials said weather had taken its toll on the facility, which opened in 1999.

The city paid for the work. By doing so, the city will not have to make its annual contributions for six years, starting in 2013.

Haslam, whose family owns Pilot Flying J travel centers, bought the Browns in August for about $1 billion, and is awaiting NFL approval as majority owner.

Council's meet-and-greet with Haslam was largely a light-hearted affair.

Haslam spoke of being overwhelmed by the city's intense passion for the Browns, and council members reflected that by engaging in football talk more than business.

With Haslam seated at the head of a conference table, council members brought up the 1964 Browns championship, the draft, the rival Steelers and a dissection of Red Right 88, the ill-fated passing play that sunk the Browns playoff run in 1981.

Regarding fanaticism over the team, the former minority owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers said, "I felt pressure to win before, but after having been here I really feel pressure now."

Haslam's answer today did not prevent fans on Twitter and other social media from speculating on whether the Browns stadium would soon have a retractable roof or dome, including

(But as The Plain Dealer's Mark

about the ongoing debate over whether the late Art Modell turned down a city offer to build a stadium in the 1990s: "It's never too early to start a new stadium controversy."

Earlier in the day, City Council President Martin Sweeney had said he did not expect the Tennessee billionaire to bring up any business with the city, such as improvements to Browns Stadium.

"There's no formal request of any kind," Sweeney said. "The specific purpose is meeting the council and meeting the new owner."

Haslam, a minority owner of the Steelers since 2008, bought the Browns from Randy Lerner in August,

Haslam also stressed that not only are the Browns here to stay, so is he. No more upheaval or overhauls.

"We're in this for the long run," he said. "We've owned our family business for 53 years. There are some people that come into a franchise for three years and sell it. That's not us. Our family is in this for the long, long run."

Plain Dealer staff contributed to this story.

