Seven Hills Council Advances Fire Station Upgrades and Facility Improvements

Committee Session Moves Forward $400K+ in Infrastructure Projects

Seven Hills City Council committees met July 15 to advance several significant infrastructure projects before holding their regular monthly meeting.

Finance Committee Actions

The Finance Committee, chaired by Councilman Justin Costanzo, approved three major items during their session that began at 6:01 PM following a brief executive session for employee compensation discussions.

ADA Bathroom Upgrades – Council approved a $24,000 contract with Osborne Engineering for Americans with Disabilities Act upgrades to city hall restrooms. Commissioner Garrison explained the project will make two existing bathrooms ADA compliant while creating a new unisex family bathroom accessible from the main hallway. The city plans to pursue county grants to offset costs.

Councilman Phillip Kiriazis raised accessibility concerns about the council podium area, noting individuals with mobility issues cannot access the speaking area. City Engineer Garrison indicated podium accessibility improvements could be included in the city’s 10-year ADA improvement plan.

Fire Station Improvements – The committee approved a $380,687 contract with Millstone Management Group for comprehensive fire station renovations. The project, funded by a $500,000 state capital budget grant, will add four individual climate-controlled dormitory units with three featuring windows.

Director Gear reported Millstone was the lowest of four bidders and came in approximately $7,000 under the engineer’s estimate. The renovations will convert the current sleeping area – described as an old storage room – into a new locker room, while the existing meeting room will be reduced in size to accommodate the new dormitories.

Additional improvements include kitchen rehabilitation with new countertops, cabinets and flooring, plus interior bay painting for vehicles. Mayor Anthony Biasiotta noted the remaining grant funds will allow the city to replace the fire station generator.

In an innovative partnership, Law Director Eric Moore highlighted the city’s collaboration with University Hospitals Parma Medical Center’s sleep center to optimize the firefighter sleeping environment – believed to be the first such partnership in northeast Ohio.

Healthcare Benefits Extension – Council approved amending city code section 15105 to extend healthcare benefits to certain elected and appointed officials, including the mayor, law director, director of law for prosecutions, and director of law for building and zoning, based on their around-the-clock availability requirements.

Traffic Enforcement Update

During the regular meeting, Police Lieutenant provided detailed traffic data for McCreary Road, where the Wallings Road bridge closure has significantly impacted local traffic patterns. The road now sees over 20,000 vehicles in a five-day period – a 72% increase from the pre-construction 12,000 vehicles.

Despite the volume increase, average speeds have only risen 1%. Police response has intensified accordingly, with citations increasing from 17 in the three months before the bridge closure to 41 in the three months following – approximately 2.5 times the previous enforcement level.

Historical Society Centennial Project

Robert Todd and Laura Paliscoco from the Seven Hills Historical Society presented plans for a centennial celebration project to recognize approximately 57 homes identified through county records as existing when Seven Hills became a village. The society plans to create commemorative plaques for participating homeowners and will spotlight two National Register of Historic Places properties during this year’s Home Days celebration.

Home Days Preparation

Mayor Biasiotta highlighted preparations for the upcoming Home Days celebration Friday through Sunday, featuring new additions including a 5K race and Seven Hills Talent Show. Community Service Director Tony Terry was absent due to event preparations.

Council also recognized ongoing street improvements on Morin, Kunzer and Daryl roads, with Councilman Kiriazis noting these represent the first major street work since the 1960s.

Meeting Details: The committee meetings ran from 6:00 PM to 6:32 PM, followed by the regular council meeting from approximately 6:45 PM to 6:45 PM. Absent members included Councilman Patrick Elliott, Councilwoman Stacey Kelly, and Councilman Thomas Snitzky.