Seven Hills City Council approves emergency package including $3.095 million notes for street work

The Seven Hills City Council on Jan. 27 passed a package of emergency ordinances that included authorization to issue up to $3,095,000 in bond anticipation notes to pay for reconstruction and resurfacing of multiple city streets.

Councilman Morrow moved the suspension of the rules and the emergency passage of Ordinance 6-2026, which—according to the title read aloud—authorizes issuance of notes not to exceed $3,095,000 in anticipation of bonds to finance reconstruction, curb and ramp work, manhole and catch-basin rehabilitation, and resurfacing on streets including McCreery Road, Evelyn Avenue, Mapleview Drive, Plumwood Lane, East Hillsdale Avenue, West Ninth Street, Lombardo Center, Maple Hill Drive, Rolling View Drive, Parkview Drive, Twilight Drive and others. The motion to approve the emergency clause and the ordinance passed by roll call.

The council also approved three other emergency ordinances on first and final reading:

• Ordinance 2-2026, to amend paid-vacation provisions in the codified ordinances; Council Pro Tem Castanzo moved suspension and passage.

• Ordinance 3-2026, to adjust compensation for the director of law and assistant directors; moved and passed on emergency motion by Hansmann Elliott.

• Amended Ordinance 4-2026, to raise the mayor's court magistrate and public defender compensation (magistrate increased from $12,000 to $14,000); Councilman Snitsky moved the amendment, approval of the emergency clause and passage.

• Ordinance 7-2026, to adjust allowable full-time personnel in the division of streets and related employment authority; moved by Councilman Kelly and passed as an emergency.

All of the listed ordinances were read by title only, motions to waive the 24-hour rule and emergency clauses were moved and seconded on the floor, and roll-call votes recorded unanimous 'Yes' responses for each measure. Ordinance 6-2026—authorizing the bond anticipation notes—was described during the reading as tied to both city and county cooperation for specific street segments and related appurtenances.

The measures as presented were framed as immediate needs tied to personnel and infrastructure; council members did not debate the merits in extended floor discussion before voting. The clerk recorded the roll-call votes before announcing each ordinance's passage. The council opened the floor for audience comment on legislation and received none.

Votes at a glance

• Ordinance 2-2026 (paid vacations amendment): Passed (emergency). Mover: Council Pro Tem Castanzo. Vote: unanimous 'Yes' (roll call).

• Ordinance 3-2026 (law department compensation): Passed (emergency). Mover: Hansmann Elliott. Vote: unanimous 'Yes' (roll call).

• Amended Ordinance 4-2026 (mayor's court magistrate/public defender compensation): Passed (emergency). Mover: Councilman Snitsky. Vote: unanimous 'Yes' (roll call).

• Ordinance 6-2026 (authorize up to $3,095,000 notes for street reconstruction): Passed (emergency). Mover: Councilman Morrow. Vote: unanimous 'Yes' (roll call).

• Ordinance 7-2026 (adjust allowable full-time personnel in service division): Passed (emergency). Mover: Councilman Kelly. Vote: unanimous 'Yes' (roll call).

What happens next

Because the council passed each ordinance as an emergency measure on first and final reading, the measures take immediate effect as specified in the ordinances' emergency clauses. Implementation details—such as bid processes, project schedules for the street work authorized by Ordinance 6-2026, or departmental hiring under Ordinance 7-2026—were not discussed in detail during the Jan. 27 meeting and were left to staff follow-up.