Seven Hills City Council adopts four emergency ordinances, approves recreation and fire-station contracts

The Seven Hills City Council on Jan. 28 approved four ordinances under emergency clauses, authorizing professional-service agreements for recreation programs, hiring an engineering firm for fire-station upgrades, and joining the Ohio Municipal Leaguein a tariff challenge at the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO).

Council members voted to excuse two members from the meeting, went into and reconvened from an executive session on pending litigation, accepted minutes from the Jan. 14 meeting, and passed the ordinances as emergency measures so they could take immediate effect.

Why it matters: The measures authorize city spending and contracts that affect recreation programming, youth and adult sports operations, and capital work on the city's fire stations. Approving the ordinances as emergency measures allows the city to implement the contracts and actions immediately rather than waiting through the standard waiting period for a later effective date.

The council unanimously approved (among members present) amended ordinance 02-2025 to authorize a professional-service contract with Jessica Ferenc and Bridal D. Fulkerson to provide programs at the City of 7 Hills Recreation Complex and to declare the measure an emergency. The council then passed ordinance 05-2025, an annual professional-service contract with Philip Tomberlane III to direct youth and adult sports programs for Jan. 1Dec. 31, 2025, with an appropriation not to exceed $96,000 and an emergency clause. The council also passed ordinance 06-2025 to enter into an agreement with Osborne Engineering of Cleveland, Ohio, not to exceed $53,000 to serve as the city's authorized representative and supervise execution of proposed fire-station upgrades, and ordinance 07-2025, which directs the city to support the Ohio Municipal League's challenge to AT&T's tariff application at the PUCO and to join that challenge as a municipality.

Procedural votes earlier in the meeting included a motion to excuse Ward 2 Councilman Martin and Ward 3 Councilman Snitsky (both excused), and a motion to go into executive session to discuss pending litigation; both passed on roll call.

Votes at a glance (summary of motions and outcomes):

- Amended Ordinance 02-2025: "An ordinance authorizing and directing the mayor to enter into a professional service contract with Jessica Ferenc and Bridal D. Fulkerson for the purpose of providing [programs] at the City of 7 Hills Recreation Complex and declaring an emergency." Mover: Council Pro Tem Costanzo. Second: Elliot. Outcome: passed as an emergency measure. Tally (recorded at roll calls during the item): Costanzo: yes; Elliot: yes; Kelly: yes; Curiosa: yes; Morrow: yes. Absent/excused: Snitsky, Martin.

- Ordinance 05-2025: "Authorizing and directing the mayor to enter into an annual professional service contract with Philip Tomberlane III for the purpose of directing the youth and adult sports programs at the City of 7 Hills Recreation Complex for Jan. 1, 2025 through Dec. 31, 2025, appropriating a sum not to exceed $96,000 and declaring an emergency." Mover: Councilman Morrow. Second: not specified on the record. Outcome: passed as an emergency measure. Tally: Costanzo: yes; Elliot: yes; Kelly: yes; Curiosa: yes; Morrow: yes. Absent/excused: Snitsky, Martin.

- Ordinance 06-2025: "Authorizing and directing the mayor to enter into an agreement on behalf of the City of 7 Hills, Ohio with Osborne Engineering of Cleveland, Ohio for an amount not to exceed $53,000 including all reimbursable expenses to serve as the authorized representative of the city and supervise the execution of the proposed City of 7 Hills Fire Station Upgrades and declaring an emergency." Mover: Council Pro Tem Costanzo. Second: Elliot (on the suspension/read-by-title motion); second on final passage not specified. Outcome: passed as an emergency measure. Tally: Costanzo: yes; Elliot: yes; Kelly: yes; Curiosa: yes; Morrow: yes. Absent/excused: Snitsky, Martin.

- Ordinance 07-2025: "An ordinance supporting the Ohio Municipal League's challenge of AT&T's tariff application at the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio and asking the OML to include the City of 7 Hills as a municipality supporting the OML challenge of AT&T's tariff application and declaring an emergency." Mover: not specified for initial motion; Morrow seconded the emergency-clause motion. Outcome: passed as an emergency measure. Tally: Costanzo: yes; Elliot: yes; Kelly: yes; Curiosa: yes; Morrow: yes. Absent/excused: Snitsky, Martin.

Other formal actions and procedure:

- The council moved to excuse Ward 2 Councilman Martin and Ward 3 Councilman Snitsky; the motion was seconded by Elliot and passed on roll call.

- The council voted to go into executive session to discuss pending litigation; the motion was seconded by Costanzo and passed on roll call. The meeting later reconvened and proceeded to the reading and disposal of minutes.

- The council accepted the minutes of the Jan. 14, 2025 regular meeting on a roll-call vote.

Officials and staff present who participated in votes or readings included Mayor Biesiata; Council Pro Tem Costanzo; Councilman at Large Elliot; Councilwoman at Large Kelly; Ward 1 Councilman Curiosa; Ward 4 Councilman Morrow; and various department directors who filed reports with the clerk. Two council members, Ward 2 Councilman Martin and Ward 3 Councilman Snitsky, were excused from the meeting.

The ordinances passed as emergency measures, per the council's votes, will take effect immediately as provided in their emergency clauses. The council listed no further committees to act on the measures at the meeting; several routine departmental reports were filed with the clerk and are on record. The council adjourned at approximately 7:09 p.m.