SEVEN FIELDS — Councilman Brian Trimble resigned Monday night, saying he is moving to a location that would prevent him from continuing to serve on borough council.

Council voted Morgan Hardesty to replace him following an interview in which Hardesty told the council about his background and vision for the borough.

“I want to thank council and also Seven Fields staff for all the work they’ve done to make Seven Fields a great place to live and work,” Trimble said. “It’s great to hear from residents of Seven Fields about subjects they’re passionate about ... I think everything the council has done has really made Seven Fields a special place.”

“It’s helped increase home values, which I benefited from,” he said, followed by some chuckles from around the council chamber. “But it’s also a very safe place to live as well. And I wish good luck to the next person coming in to this position, because I believe it’s a great group of people to work with.”

Borough Manager Tom Smith thanked Trimble for his service.

Responding to questions about his suitability for the role posed by Smith, Hardesty cited his background in the steel industry and in sales. He also cited his community outreach work as a leader at his church, as a youth sports coach and as a parent raising two boys.

Hardesty cited two priorities he felt were important to the borough’s future — sustainability and public safety.

“We don’t need a radical change within this community,” he said. “We have a great community. It’s more about preserving what we have, looking to the future and being responsible with our future and not outreaching or anything.”

Hardesty said a better-funded police force would help make the community stronger.

“I know just because I stand at a bus stop every morning, and I see cars flying up and down Castle Creek,” he said, referring to the Castle Creek Drive that runs through the heart of the township. “So that’s an issue that’s right in front of my face every day. And I don’t know how many times over the past couple years I’ve had to stand out there and yell at cars that are running through the bus stops and things like that.”

He added that police have responded well to calls for in increased presence in that area to discourage speeding. Effective enforcement, he said, is about the safety of all children in the neighborhood.

Planning commission member Dan Christensen also announced his resignation in a prepared statement read by Council President Kimberly Regan-Koch.

“I’m sorry to inform you that I will need to resign my position on the Seven Fields planning commission,” the statement read. “I have recently moved out of the borough. It’s been a pleasure working with you.”

Council voted to appoint Russell Zangrilli to replace Christensen on the planning commission. Zangrilli, who serves as vice president of operations for equipment supplier Thermoflo, cited his background in engineering and his shared plans to further strengthen the local police presence.