Highland Heights to Consider Settlement with Bass Energy

Highland Heights City Council will consider a $600,000 settlement proposal in its lawsuit with Bass Energy as early as Tuesday.

Council President Cathy Murphy said she, Mayor Scott Coleman and Law Director Tim Paluf met with Bass Energy representatives and the company's counsel Friday to reach a settlement in the longtime regarding the drilling of gas wells in the city park. Bass sought $7 million from the city.

Murphy said the law director will craft the settlement resolution for council to consider as early as Tuesday. The group has a committee-of-the-whole meeting scheduled that night, but would likely adjourn into a special meeting for the first reading of the resolution.

"It would be premature to say how I feel the vote would go, but council has authorized the law director to prepare settlement legislation," Murphy said. "It involves a cash settlement, where the city would pay $600,000 to the plaintiff on his breach-of-contract claim that would bring to conclusion a lawsuit that has lasted for four and a half years.

"There will be no gas wells in this city."