Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Municipal Finance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Seven Hills council advances several finance items, including Rookie Athletics contract and dispensary tax ordinance
Summary
Committees voted to add several finance items to upcoming agendas, including a proposed $130,000 yearly Rookie Athletics contract, acceptance of a $26,145 NOPEC grant, a proposed ordinance to accept state dispensary tax revenue, and a Cleveland Water Department-funded Grama Drive waterline design.
At the Finance committee meeting, Council President Curiosus presented several routine finance items and asked the committee to add them to the upcoming full-council agenda as emergency items.
Curiosus asked the committee to place a yearly contract with Rookie Athletics, not to exceed $130,000 for 2026, on the agenda. An operations staff member clarified the contract is a standard arrangement with the recreation center in which program fees cover program costs and that the city does not expect a net cost: "This is just for us to collect the money and be able to pay it out ... so there's no cost to the city." Curiosus moved to add the contract to the next meeting agenda as an emergency; the motion was seconded and approved by the committee.
Curiosus also reported the city received a NOPEC Energize Community Grant in the amount of $26,145 and proposed accepting the grant by ordinance. Director Bridal said the grant arrives annually and has been used for lighting and building upgrades in past years; council members discussed potential uses, including lighting at the farmers market and memorial improvements.
Separately, a council member proposed amending tonight's agenda to add an ordinance to accept tax revenue from state-issued dispensaries into the city's general fund, noting state guidance recommended an on-record ordinance. The speaker reported the city's 2025 half-year dispensary tax receipts totaled roughly $52,000. The committee agreed to waive the 24-hour rule and add the ordinance to the agenda.
Engineer Gerson described the Grama Drive waterline design proposal tied to a 2023 award from the Cleveland Water Department's suburban water main program. Gerson said the program will pay up to 8% of design costs, 5% of inspection costs, and 100% of the water line replacement; the proposal includes construction administration and assistance preparing reimbursement paperwork.
All items were voted to be added to the appropriate upcoming agenda or processed as emergency additions; formal ordinance language and contract documents will be presented to the full council for final approval.
