Seven Hills council adopts multiple emergency ordinances, approves Broadview Road design agreement; TIF measures advance

The Seven Hills City Council on April 15 adopted multiple ordinances as emergency measures, approved a professional design-services agreement for resurfacing Broadview Road and advanced two tax-increment financing measures to further readings.

Council Pro Tem Castanzo moved to approve several emergency measures that the council approved by roll call votes among members present. The council also entered executive session to discuss pending litigation before reconvening.

Why it matters: The actions authorize immediate spending and contracting for public infrastructure and administrative changes that affect city procurement and finance procedures, and they advance a proposed tax-increment financing (TIF) district that could exempt certain parcel improvements from property tax and require service payments in lieu of taxes to support public infrastructure and school compensation.

Most significant votes

Ordinance 29-2025 (Broadview Road design agreement): The council passed ordinance 29-2025 as an emergency measure authorizing the mayor to enter into an agreement with GPD Group for project design services for resurfacing Broadview Road from Sprague Road to Skyview Road and authorizing payment for GPD Group professional services “according to their fees schedule.” Council Pro Tem Castanzo moved the ordinance and the emergency clause; roll-call votes recorded support from council members present. The ordinance passed as an emergency measure, allowing the city to proceed with design contracting immediately.

Amended Ordinance 15-2025 (Rockside Road PUD prohibited uses): Council completed third reading and passed amended ordinance 15-2025 as an emergency measure. The ordinance amends chapter 979 (Rockside Road South planned unit development district) of the city codified ordinances to change prohibited uses; council approved both the ordinance and the emergency clause by roll call and passed the measure.

Ordinance 23-2025 (Recreation contract): The council approved ordinance 23-2025 as an emergency measure authorizing the mayor to enter a professional services contract with Tony Paoletta to provide painting and craft workshop events at the city recreation complex. The council also approved the ordinance’s emergency clause and passed the ordinance.

Ordinance 17-2025 (Peddlers, transient dealers, solicitors): Council completed third reading and passed ordinance 17-2025, which amends chapter 167 (peddlers, transient dealers, and solicitors) in the city’s business regulations code.

Ordinances 24–28-2025 (petty cash repeal): Council conducted first readings of ordinances 24 through 28, each intended to repeal petty-cash provisions in department-specific sections of the city codified ordinances (council, mayor, law department, fire department, public service and properties). Council discussion noted the move is meant to abolish petty cash across departments and shift smaller recurring payments to credit cards to improve audit trails; councilmembers said the measure will be handled as separate ordinances and the emergency language will be added at the next meeting.

Ordinance 19-2025 and Ordinance 22-2025 (Rockside Road TIF / related exemptions): Council took second readings of ordinance 19-2025, which would create the Rockside Road tax-increment financing district and declare improvements to certain parcels a public purpose and exempt from real-property taxation, and ordinance 22-2025, which references Ohio Revised Code Section 5709.41 and provides for collection and deposit of service payments and school compensation payments. Both items were at second reading and were not adopted at this meeting.

Resolution 1-2025 (memorandum of understanding with Italian municipality): The council adopted resolution 1-2025 as an emergency measure to authorize a memorandum of understanding between the City of Seven Hills and “Carino Econo, province of Frosinone, Italy” (as described in the resolution text) to support exchanges of ideas and information in the spirit of friendship and goodwill.

Executive session: The council voted to enter executive session to discuss pending litigation; directors were excused at the start of the session and the council reconvened publicly afterward.

Votes at a glance

- Amended Ordinance 15-2025 — Amend Chapter 979 (Rockside Road South PUD) to change prohibited uses; emergency clause approved; ordinance passed by roll call of members present. - Ordinance 17-2025 — Amend Chapter 167 (peddlers, transient dealers, solicitors); passed on third reading. - Ordinance 23-2025 — Authorize professional services contract with Tony Paoletta for recreation workshops; emergency clause approved; ordinance passed. - Ordinances 24–28-2025 — First readings to repeal petty-cash sections in department codes; council discussed moving to abolish petty cash and add emergency clauses at a future meeting. - Ordinance 19-2025 — Create Rockside Road TIF district; second reading (no final vote at this meeting). - Ordinance 22-2025 — Related declaration under Ohio Rev. Code §5709.41 for service payments and school compensation; second reading (no final vote at this meeting). - Ordinance 29-2025 — Authorize agreement with GPD Group for Broadview Road resurfacing design services; emergency clause approved; ordinance passed. - Resolution 1-2025 — Authorize MOU with municipality in province of Frosinone, Italy; emergency clause approved; resolution adopted. - Motion to enter executive session for pending litigation — approved; directors excused for the session.

What council said: Formal motions recorded in the minutes came from Council Pro Tem Castanzo, Councilman Snitsky and other members with multiple roll-call votes recorded as “Yes” by the members present. The meeting minutes show council members present voted in favor of the emergency adoptions noted above; absent or excused members were not recorded as voting.

Next steps and scheduling: Several matters return to committee or to the next council meeting for further action. Committee meetings and future council agendas were noted for April 29; councilmembers said the petty-cash ordinances will be finalized with emergency language at the next meeting if members choose to proceed.

Documents and details not specified: Contract payment amounts for GPD Group professional services were authorized “according to their fees schedule” in the ordinance text but a dollar amount was not specified in the meeting record. The exact legal name and contact information for the Italian municipality described in resolution 1-2025 were presented in the resolution text as read but not further detailed in council remarks.