Mayfield Heights Council Has Emergency Meeting

City Council quickly called together a special meeting at 5 p.m. last Friday to hold a closed-door discussion about personnel matters.

"We came across some information presented to us that I felt I needed to present immediately to council," Council President Michael Ballistrea said.

Ballistrea said he could not reveal the subject matter that was discussed. Earlier this year, council hired attorney Steve Dever to investigate a gas well lease Mayor Gregory Costabile signed with Seagull Development Corporation. The matter is being reviewed by the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office.

Mario Russo, public information officer with the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office, said there is a pending investigation, but she could not comment any further.

Ballistrea said 24 hours notice was given for the emergency meeting and the media was contacted, although Hillcrest Patch did not receive notification. Costabile challenged the meeting, calling a point of order that the first notice was given at 5:36 p.m. Thursday, less than 24 hours before.

However, Ballistrea said city codes provide for a waiver in the case of an emergency meeting, as long as five council members sign off. "I got a waiver from all seven members of council," Ballistrea said.

Costabile said the meeting was not conducted as an emergency meeting and that there's no provision for a council waiver of notification requirements.

As for his lease with Seagull, Costabile said nothing has changed and the council has continued to pursue a personal vendetta for more than a year now.

"I have more important issues to deal with than to get caught up in other people's own agendas," he said. "Council has everything. In my opinion, they just chose to ignore it and keep digging."

He added that instead of the battle with council, the focus should be on the positive changes being made in Mayfield Heights. As it stands, people are talking about the city, but not in a good way, Costabile said.

"This is being talked about in other cities. These types of things are embarrasing," Costabile said.