Earlier this week in the “Utica Capital”, the members of the Canton City Council held a regular scheduled council meeting.  One item on their agenda was supposed to be Mayor William Healy’s proposal to council that the city open up property in which the city owns mineral rights for oil and gas development.

It was the third reading of the proposal, one that has certainly garnered some attention. As Anne reported earlier, folks from both sides of the issue spoke at the first and second meetings regarding the move.

Before the meeting started, David Dougherty, ward 6 councilman, suggested the administration gather additional information regarding what land is available, and of that land, if the city owns the mineral rights.  Mayor Healy agreed, and pulled his proposal.  Instead of the council voting on leasing, the Mayor is going to hire at least one consultant and a lawyer to research the deeds to city-owned property.  By law, that is as far as the Mayor can go.  He cannot enter into any lease agreements without council approval.

Any existing leases will also be researched to determine whether the city can enter into a new lease for Utica exploration to access oil and natural gas.

The Mayor and his administration are proceeding as planned to “do some homework” to determine if the city has any land with mineral rights that can be leased.

Since Mayor Healy has dubbed Canton the “Utica Capital of Ohio”, they have seen much economic development from oil and gas exploration and production but also many companies in the supply chain have set up shop within city limits.

Energy in Depth – Ohio looks forward to the day when Mayor Healy releases his report showing what the city can lease for development. Then, should the city enter into a lease agreement, the city coffers will really see the benefit of responsible natural gas development.

Follow us on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter!