Seven Hills council passes emergency ordinance authorizing up to $400,000 settlement with contractor

The Seven Hills City Council on May 13, 2025, passed Ordinance 32-2025 as an emergency measure to authorize a mutual settlement and release with Specialized Construction Incorporated and to authorize payment not to exceed $400,000.

The ordinance directs the mayor to sign the agreed settlement and includes an emergency clause that the council approved before final passage. Council Pro Tem Castanzo moved to pass the ordinance as an emergency measure; a second was recorded, and roll-call votes were read aloud before the mayor declared the ordinance passed.

The council debated procedure before the vote: a point of order was raised asking whether an emergency existed and the emergency clause was then moved, seconded, and approved on roll call. After the emergency clause passed, the council proceeded to a motion to pass Ordinance 32-2025 as an emergency measure; the clerk recorded affirmative roll-call votes and announced, “Ordinance number 32Dash2025 has passed.”

The ordinance text authorizes the mayor to sign the “agreed mutual settlement agreement and release of all claims” with Specialized Construction Incorporated on behalf of the city and authorizes an amount not to exceed $400,000 for that settlement. The meeting record shows the emergency clause was separately moved and approved prior to final passage.

The council then opened the meeting to audience comment. Later in the agenda the council entered executive session for imminent litigation; the meeting minutes should be consulted for any additional procedural notes or follow-up actions required to implement the settlement.

The record does not specify the funding source for the settlement payment, nor does it include text of the settlement beyond the ordinance title. The ordinance was enacted on a roll-call vote recorded in the meeting transcript.