Dimock Township leases roads

BY PAT FARNELLI

Dimock Township Supervisors have signed a gas lease for two township roads that have turned out to be deeded property belonging to the township, it was announced at Monday’s meeting.

About 70 residents and visitors attended the meeting, which filled the town hall to standing room only, with several standing in the hall outside.

Many of the residents attended “to support our supervisors,” it was noted.

Supervisor Matt Neenan announced that the mineral rights lease had been advertised for two township roads, Charles and Woodbourne, parts of which which had been deeded to the township. “We found out last month that we actually owned the roads,” Neenan said.

Jamie Shave of T.S. Calkins, a landman for Cabot, attended the reorganizational meeting Jan. 3 to inform the supervisors of the two parcels. Supervisor Gerald Ellis motioned to advertise the acreage for lease, to be acted upon at the February meeting, and the motion passed.

The only company to bid on the acreage was Cabot Oil & Gas, with a sign-on lease payment of $5,750 per acre for both properties.

The Woodbourne Road property was a little more than six acres, at $34,939, and the Charles Road property was about three acres, for $1,742.25,  Neenan said. Both properties will receive royalties at 21 percent.

The township also received an amended division order plan for the DePaola gas well unit, in which the township building is situated.

The unit size is being increased, which will probably result in somewhat smaller royalty checks for the township, Neenan said.

The supervisors signed a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation resolution regarding online reporting, and naming township officers. It was signed by all three supervisors and the secretary.

One bid was received for off road diesel, from Ace Robbins at $3.61 per gallon. The bid was accepted.

The Shields compressor station was issued a Department of Environmental Protection permit for several dehydration units with 2.2 MMBH reboilers.

Well pad access roads were approved for gas activity on Bare Valley Road and Cokely Road.

A stone quarry permit for what was formerly the Harold Lewis quarry was granted to the World for Christ Crusade.

DEP notifications  about driveway, pipeline and well pad permits for Williams  for Elk Lake Road and Hunter Road were reviewed by the supervisors.

One resident asked why there are large piles of dirt, gravel and rubble near the end of Baker Road.

Neenan replied that the road workers are preparing to build up Baker Road to correct problems with the new sluice pipe there.

There was a question about dusty roads and whether calcium should be used on them.

Craig Sautner of Carter Road attended the meeting, and asked whether the township paid Neenan for his trip to Wilkes-Barre when he was subpoena’ed by lawyers representing a group of residents suing Cabot Oil and Gas.

Neenan said that he was subpoena’ed as a Dimock Township Supervisor.

Sautner disagreed.

Solicitor Sam Lewis responded that he went with Neenan to the deposition, and that the subpoena did refer to him as a Dimock Township Supervisor, so it was assumed it was for township business and was paid for as a township expense.

“As soon as it became clear that the questions were not related to his office as township supervisor, it was over with pretty quickly,” Lewis said.

Several visitors called out their approval of the township paying for Neenan’s time, and for Lewis’s representation at that hearing.