Seven Hills Council Meeting: Drone Rules, Sewer Contract, Police Vehicles

SEVEN HILLS, Ohio – The Seven Hills council meeting on Nov. 25 began with packed committee sessions and rolled straight into a 6:42 p.m. regular meeting that touched on nearly every corner of city life: new drone rules, a major sewer maintenance contract, new police vehicles, youth sports funding, economic development on Rockside Road, and an emotional farewell to Ward 2 Councilman Norman Martin.

Mayor Anthony D. Biasiotta called it a “microcosm” of how the city has been operating—updating laws to keep pace with technology, upgrading core infrastructure, investing in safety, and celebrating residents’ achievements.

Shop with a Cop Donation and Student Honors

Before council formally convened, committee time was dominated by ceremonies and student recognition.

A big early moment came when Pathways Financial Credit Union, which took over the former Taleris branch on Pleasant Valley and Broadview, presented a $3,000 donation to the city’s Shop with a Cop program. Representatives said Pathways sees itself as a community partner in Seven Hills and hopes this will become a recurring tradition, noting that one representative’s spouse is a police officer, making the program personally meaningful.

The city then honored Gia (Gio) Florio, a senior volleyball setter at Magnificat High School and a lifelong Seven Hills resident who works for the city’s Recreation Department. A mayoral proclamation recognized:

• Her surpassing 1,000 career assists
• Years of play including travel volleyball
• Her ties to St. Columbkille and her local family roots

Since the proclamation was drafted, Florio’s team has captured district and regional titles and reached the state semifinals, a point the mayor highlighted in his remarks.

Next, the city recognized the Seven Hills Sharks boys fall soccer team, which completed an undefeated season. Recreation Director Jen Burger and youth sports organizer Dave Deluzio joined the mayor in handing out awards to the coach and players. Officials credited not just the boys, but families and volunteers whose support made the perfect season possible.

Parks & Recreation: IT Services and Holiday Events

In the Parks and Recreation Committee, Councilman Michael Morrow and Director Jen Burger discussed a proposed IT services agreement with Blue Technologies:

• The deal would lock in pricing for three years at $89,148 for the coming year.
• Burger cited improved ticket response times and a strong cybersecurity program as key reasons to continue.

The committee voted to place the IT contract on the next meeting’s agenda (non-emergency).

Burger also promoted several Recreation Center offerings:

• Black Friday membership sale: 30% off memberships through Sunday.
• “12 Days of Fitness” starts Dec. 1 with rotating daily specials.
• Santa’s arrival: Saturday, Dec. 6, with a parade up Summit View from Hillside, arriving around 10:30–10:45 a.m. and an indoor event beginning at 11 a.m.

There will not be a Christmas car parade this year, council confirmed.

Rules and Ordinances: Clarifying Holidays for Council Meetings

The Rules, Ordinances, and Ethics Committee, chaired by Councilman Norman Martin, worked to clarify what counts as a “legal holiday” for council scheduling.

Current rules say that if a regular meeting date falls on a legal holiday or its eve, council must meet the next day instead. To prevent future confusion, Martin proposed adding language specifying that, for council meeting purposes, a legal holiday means: Any and all federal or State of Ohio recognized holidays.

Because state and federal holiday lists now match, this definition should remain accurate even if holidays change or are added in the future.

Mayor Biasiotta backed the clarification and noted that in upcoming union negotiations, the administration’s position is to align the city’s employee holiday schedule with the federal and state holiday list, mirroring the new legislative language.

The committee unanimously approved the change.

Planning and Economic Development: Cooper’s Hawk Lot Split

The Planning, Zoning, and Economic Development Committee, led by Councilman Thomas J. Snitzky, flagged no brand-new business but previewed key votes for later in the evening, including:

• Two zoning variances
• A lot split connected to the Rockside Road commercial development and a planned Cooper’s Hawk restaurant

Later, City Engineer Daniel Gerson, P.E., P.S. explained the lot split in more detail: a large commercial parcel fronting Rockside was previously consolidated and is now being split into:

• A roughly 2.4-acre parcel expected to be sold to Cooper’s Hawk
• A 3.6-acre residual parcel to serve future tenants and possible splits

Mayor Biasiotta emphasized that Cooper’s Hawk intends to own the land under its building, which the city sees as a positive “skin in the game” move for long-term investment.

Finance: Police Cruisers, Engineering Contract, Fire Levy, and Sewer Work

The Finance, Civil Service and Personnel Committee meeting tied together several of the night’s biggest actions.

Two New Police Vehicles

Police Chief Michael Salloum requested authorization for the purchase of two 2026 Ford Utility Interceptor police vehicles, at a total cost not to exceed $89,800.

• Ordinance 56-2025 appropriates the funds and authorizes purchase through Montrose Ford via the Ohio Department of Administrative Services state contract RS1025486-AI.
• Council passed it as an emergency measure, emphasizing the need to get into the production queue early due to supply chain delays.

Officials noted that Seven Hills uses state bid pricing, leveraging Ohio’s buying power to keep costs down, and that the city’s long-term rotation plan keeps police cruisers safe and reliable.

Osborne Engineering Extension

City Engineer Daniel Gerson outlined a proposed two-year extension of the city’s professional services contract with Osborn Engineering covering 2026 and 2027:

• On-site city hall hours increase from 4 to 8 hours per week.
• The monthly retainer rises from $2,900 to $3,500.
• Hourly project rates increase about 2% per year.
• “Get familiar with the city” language is removed, since Osborne is now fully integrated.

Council members from multiple wards praised Gerson’s responsiveness—especially on sewer issues and the Rockside Road project—and agreed to place the contract on the Dec. 16 agenda as an emergency.

Fire Levy Renewal Process Begins

Mayor Biasiotta walked council through the procedure to renew the city’s fire levy.

• Council advanced a resolution of necessity, the first step in placing any levy or bond issue on the ballot.
• The resolution goes to the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, which certifies millage and returns figures to the city.
• Council will then need to adopt a separate ordinance, by Feb. 5, to officially place the levy on the May ballot.

The administration’s stated goal is a renewal levy with no tax increase, though the exact ballot language will come back in a later ordinance.

County Sewer Maintenance Contract

Council also handled the city’s ongoing sewer maintenance partnership with Cuyahoga County.

• Ordinance 53-2025 authorizes a 2026 direct-bill contract with Cuyahoga County (Sewer District No. 2) for sanitary and storm sewer maintenance services.
• The contract authorizes an amount not to exceed $300,000 for cleaning, emergency repairs, camera inspections and supplemental work.

In his comments later, the mayor said that when he took office, the goal was to clean every city sewer line once every seven years. With the enhanced in-house work plus the county contract (first rotation completed in about three years), the city has significantly stepped up its sewer maintenance program.

Council Meeting Actions: Drone Rules, Jail Lease, Youth Sports, and Budget

When the regular Seven Hills council meeting opened at 6:42 p.m., members quickly moved through committee reports and into legislative action.

New Drone Ordinance Adopted

Council approved Amended Ordinance 44-2025, which:

• Adds a new unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) / drone section to the city’s planning and zoning code
• Adds a formal definition of UAV systems (drones) to the code’s definitions section

Council Pro Tem Justin Costanzo moved to suspend the rules and take the ordinance to a third and final reading; council passed it unanimously.

The measure caps a multi‑year push by Councilman Norman Martin to create privacy-related drone regulations that balance reasonable drone use with residents’ expectations of privacy.

Youth Sports Director Contract Increase

Council passed Ordinance 50-2025 as an emergency, appropriating an additional $18,000 to the existing 2025 professional services contract with Philip Tomberlane III, who directs youth and adult sports programs at the Seven Hills Recreation Complex.

• The original appropriation was $96,000; the new total is $114,000.

Councilman Morrow sponsored the emergency clause and final passage, saying the move helps sustain the robust youth and adult athletics that were on display earlier in the evening.

North Royalton Jail Housing Lease

Council also adopted Ordinance 51-2025 as an emergency, authorizing Mayor Biasiotta to enter a non‑exclusive per diem lease agreement with the City of North Royalton for jail housing and ancillary services.

Councilperson Stacey L. Kelly moved both the emergency clause and final passage.

Deputy Finance Director Pay Range & 2026 Budget First Reading

Two key fiscal measures received first readings only:

• Ordinance 52-2025 – Amends the compensation range for the part-time deputy finance director position in the city’s administrative code.
• Ordinance 55-2025 – The city’s 2026 appropriations ordinance, setting out spending for the year ending Dec. 31, 2026.

Both will return for further consideration at upcoming meetings.

Genesis Building Loan Modification

Council passed Ordinance 54-2025 as an emergency, authorizing modifications to an existing loan agreement with Genesis Building Ltd. (originally authorized by Ordinance 82-2015). The changes are part of ongoing economic development efforts in the city.

Rockside Road Lot Split Approved

Council then took up Resolution 16-2025, approving lot splits of land owned by LSB Seven Hills LLC fronting Rockside Road in a planned unit development area.

• One of the newly created lots is expected to become the Cooper’s Hawk parcel if the restaurant’s deal is completed.
• The other lot will remain as a residual development parcel.

Council adopted the resolution as an emergency, clearing the way for Cooper’s Hawk to finalize its land purchase.

Zoning Variances: Fence and Garage

Under miscellaneous business, council handled two zoning variance requests recommended by the Zoning Board of Appeals:

1. 163 East Park Haven Drive – Fence variance

   • Applicant Janet Burns requested a variance to allow a 6-foot vinyl fence to extend 24 feet forward of the rear building line.
   • She cited repeated issues with neighborhood children accessing unsafe areas under an open deck and with dogs from a neighboring property entering her yard.
   • Neighbors submitted letters and in-person support.
   • The Zoning Board unanimously recommended approval, citing safety and property value issues, and council agreed—calling it a “slam dunk.”

2. 4265 Chestnut Road – Detached garage variance

   • Applicants Greg and Lisa Edwards requested:
     • A side yard setback variance so the replacement detached garage could be 1 foot off the side lot line.
     • A height variance to allow a 20-foot garage, above the normal 15-foot limit.
   • Moving the garage to full code setback would have placed it over the property’s leach bed and would consume about one‑third of the usable yard.
   • The Zoning Board unanimously found that the practical difficulty was not self-created and recommended approval; council concurred.

Farewell to Councilman Norman Martin

The close of the meeting turned personal as Mayor Biasiotta and fellow councilmembers honored outgoing Ward 2 Councilman Norman Martin, whose service on council is ending.

The mayor praised Martin as:

• A steady voice of reason
• A champion of good government and fiscal responsibility
• A leader on development and zoning issues, including the new drone ordinance
• A broker of civility and collaboration during tense times

Councilmembers described Martin as a mentor, meticulous researcher, and the architect of both the drone ordinance and the time-saving “Martin Rule,” which has streamlined meeting start times.

Martin, in turn, reflected on how much the city has changed since he first began attending meetings as a resident—new council faces, new department heads, a new mayor—and urged colleagues to:

• Keep building their knowledge of municipal government, and
• Remember that financial health is the foundation that allows every other city function to succeed.

He said he had two conditions when he accepted the council seat: to remain true to himself, and not to embarrass his wife Tracy. He told the audience he believes he met both goals, thanked colleagues and residents, and wished the city well as he voluntarily steps back from elected service.

The meeting adjourned after 7 p.m., with council and guests invited to share cake in Martin’s honor.