Ohio Code 1509.61 – Public meeting required concerning proposed lease agreements for development of oil and gas resources
(A) The legislative authority of a political subdivision shall conduct a public meeting concerning a proposed lease agreement for the development of oil and gas resources on land that is located in an urbanized area and that is owned by the political subdivision prior to entering into the lease agreement. The public meeting shall be conducted in a public venue in the municipal corporation or township in which the proposed well is to be located. The public meeting shall not occur at the same meeting at which the legislative authority of the political subdivision votes to enter into a proposed lease, if applicable.
Terms Used In Ohio Code 1509.61
- Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
- Gas: means all natural gas and all other fluid hydrocarbons that are not oil, including condensate. See Ohio Code 1509.01
- Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
- Oil: means crude petroleum oil and all other hydrocarbons, regardless of gravity, that are produced in liquid form by ordinary production methods, but does not include hydrocarbons that were originally in a gaseous phase in the reservoir. See Ohio Code 1509.01
- Property: means real and personal property. See Ohio Code 1.59
- Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
- Urbanized area: means an area where a well or production facilities of a well are located within a municipal corporation or within a township that has an unincorporated population of more than five thousand in the most recent federal decennial census prior to the issuance of the permit for the well or production facilities. See Ohio Code 1509.01
- Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.
- Well: includes a stratigraphic well. See Ohio Code 1509.01
The legislative authority of the political subdivision shall send notice not later than ten days prior to the date of the public meeting to the owner of each parcel of real property that is located within five hundred feet of the surface location of the property that is the subject of the proposed lease agreement. The notice shall contain a statement that the legislative authority of the political subdivision is considering entering into an oil or gas lease agreement, and provide the location, date, and time of the public meeting. In addition, the statement shall contain a statement that informs an owner of real property who is required to receive notice of the public meeting under this division that, within five days of receipt of the notice, the owner is required to provide notice under division (C) of this section to each residence in an occupied dwelling that is located on the owner’s parcel of real property.
(B) The legislative authority of a political subdivision that is required to provide notice under division (A) of this section shall provide the notice in accordance with requirements established by the legislative authority governing public meetings that are held by the legislative authority.
(C) If the owner of a parcel of real property receives a notice under division (A) of this section, the owner shall provide to each residence in an occupied dwelling that is located on the owner’s parcel of real property, if any, a copy of that notice within five days of receipt of the notice.