Mayfield Heights Officials Debate Allowing Alcohol at City Properties

A majority on Mayfield Heights City Council said alcohol may be OK at the Ross DeJohn Community Center, but it should never be considered at other city properties.

Council voted Monday to amend city ordinances to allow alcohol at city-sponsored events at the center if council grants approval. Such approval will be given on a case-by-case basis. The legislation does not apply to private rentals, which can have alcohol if certain requirements are met.

Council President Michael Ballistrea said a change in city ordinances needed to be made in order to use juveniles as volunteers at the Taste of Italy event on Feb. 26.

"We couldn't use kids as volunteers to help," he said.

Mayor Gregory Costabile proposed that the same process be followed regarding all city properties, but that proposal was amended by Ballistrea, who added language that essentially bans alcohol anywhere but the community center. His amendment passed by a 5-2 vote, with Councilmen Anthony DiCicco and Joe Mercurio opposed.

Costabile said the same language should be on the books for all city properties.

"You need to have consistency in your legislation," Costabile said. "The community center is city property."

"I think there's been a lot of confusion among council members," Costabile said. He added that no one suggested having alcohol at the city's Unity Days festival, which was an issue last year when it was banned by council, Costabile vetoed the ban, and council overrode his veto.

"All this does is allow for a forum to debate issues," Costabile said. "This does not put alcohol anywhere. It doesn't automatically ban it."

But council members said that matter had already been settled.

"It's kind of bizarre that it's in front of us again six months later," Councilwoman Donna Finney said. "Residents said what a good job we did."

DiCicco countered that he had not heard such comments, but a resident told him at Unity Days that he would have liked to be able to have a beer with his popcorn.

"That's the last thing we'd want to do is serve beer in an unconfined area," Councilman David Sasak said. "Having it in the park is so much more difficult to police."