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Columbiana will benefit from Hilcorp prosperity

COLUMBIANA — The city is leasing the mineral rights to 86 acres it owns south of town.

City Council voted at Tuesday’s meeting to give City Manager Lance Willard the authority to sign a five-year lease with Hilcorp Energy Corp., with the drilling company paying Columbiana $500 an acre and 17 percent royalties on any oil or gas production that might result.

The property is a farm field located on Crestview Road, which the city may use someday for a new municipal well. Willard pointed out the lease is for mineral rights only, with no surface drilling to occur.

Hilcorp has other sites under lease in Fairfield Township. Willard said the city’s property is located near the company’s Unkefer site off Fairfield School Road and they are wanting to expand its fracking operations out from there.

In other action, police Chief Tim Gladis accepted a $8,000 donation from the Columbiana Community Foundation to help pay for the K-9 officer recently acquired by the police department, raising to $42,000 the amount of donations received to date. The goal is $60,000.

“That’s an amazing donation,” Gladis told the foundation representative who presented him the check. “This is how we get there.”

In recent days the Sons of the American Legion donated $500 and the Columbiana Rotary Club donated $250.

Gladis said Danielle Green, the wife of an officer, is sponsoring a gift basket and 50/50 raffle, and tickets can be purchased at the following locations:

–May 5, Once Again Kids, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

–May 11, Sparkle Market, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

–May 19, Ace Hardware, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Gladis then updated council on how training was going for the German shepherd named Csuti (pronounced Soo-tee) and his handler, officer Bryan Granchie. He said they are in week three of a 10-week training program in Massillon operated by the highway patrol. The pair will return to Columbiana by mid-June, with Granchie and his new partner expected to be ready for action by the end of June or early July.

tgiambroni@mojonews.com

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