Aurora investigates e-mail blasting Payton's restaurant

Aurora officials are conducting an internal investigation into an e-mail sent this week by a city employee blasting a well-known restaurant in town.

On Monday afternoon, after lunching at Walter Payton's Roundhouse, 205 N. Broadway, the assistant director of the Aurora Economic Development Commission, Manuel Maysonet, used the city's e-mail distribution list to send hundreds of employees an e-mail under the headline "Health Warning."

Maysonet apparently was upset because he believed he found a fly in his salad.

"The Kane County Health Department will be conducting an on-site inspection of the Walter Payton's Roundhouse after several complaints about flies within the meals," Maysonet wrote from his city e-mail account. "Please stay away until the Kane County Health Department issues their official findings."

Assistant Chief of Staff Carrie Anne Ergo said the e-mail was "quickly deemed to be an inappropriate use of city e-mail" and was rescinded.

Just before 2 p.m. Tuesday, Chief of Staff Bill Wiet e-mailed all city employees, attempting to separate the city from Maysonet's e-mail.

"The city does not adopt, endorse, or approve of the e-mail. The employee did not collect the information alleged in the e-mail and send the e-mail at the request of the city, but acted on his own," Wiet wrote. "The contents of the e-mail are solely attributable to the sender and not the city. Furthermore, the city did not authorize the employee to speak on its behalf with regards to this matter and the employee did not speak on behalf of the city."

Maysonet declined to comment Thursday and directed all calls to the city's corporate attorney, Alayne Weingartz, who confirmed the internal investigation and that Maysonet was still employed.

"We are not in the habit of making presumptions until we have gathered all of our facts," she said. "Everything surrounding Mr. Maysonet and his employment remains status quo."

Maysonet followed up with a second e-mail just before 5:30 p.m. Tuesday in which he apologized for the contents of the initial e-mail.

"While I sent the e-mail from my City of Aurora e-mail address during the workday, I did not act as a city employee in doing so and did not intend to make it appear that way. I sent the e-mail as an individual and the thoughts and words of the message are mine alone," Maysonet wrote. "No one at the city gave me permission to send the e-mail and I did not receive permission after the fact for sending it. I apologize if it appeared that the city issued a health warning for the Roundhouse, because I did not intend for that to happen."

Payton's owner and operator, Scott Ascher, called the situation "very hurtful" and "terrible" Thursday evening and called the city responsible for Maysonet's actions.

"I can't believe he's still employed but as long as the city keeps him on, I'm going to assume they endorse his actions," Ascher said. "Walter Payton's name is on this restaurant and we keep it there with as much respect as it deserves. For this guy to talk about Walter Payton's Roundhouse like that, that's where I draw the line.

"My attorneys are involved and I intend to pursue this as far as I can."

Ascher said Maysonet had lunch with several associates Monday and turned away a salad he alleged had a fly in it. Ascher said Maysonet told the manager that the fly flew away.

The manager did not charge Maysonet for the salad but did charge him for a cheeseburger he ate.

"I think the guy didn't like the barbecue sauce dressing combination he created on the salad and tried to give it back so we comped it," Ascher said. "But he became rude and made quite a scene when we wouldn't refund him for the burger that he finished."

The next morning, Ascher said, the Roundhouse was subject to a surprise inspection by the Kane County Health Department.

During a Thursday evening conference call, department director of health protection Claire Dobbins and environmental health program manager Greg Maurice, confirmed the inspection. Dobbins said the inspection was based on a complaint Maysonet called in just before 11 a.m. Tuesday.

Both confirmed the complaint was the only one on file concerning the restaurant in the five years for which the department has records.

"The inspector's notes found fewer than 10 fruit flies in the bar area and confirmed the establishment has regular pest control services," Dobbins said. "Ultimately the Roundhouse received a score of 90, which is considered a 'very good score.'"