Title
Motion of the Council of Allegheny County calling upon the Allegheny County Manager to perform, beginning immediately, a study to determine what mineral rights Allegheny County owns on any parcels within the County and the feasibility and economic value of conveying those mineral rights to other parties for development.
Body
WHEREAS, Allegheny County owns parcels of land located throughout the County; and
WHEREAS, although some of those parcels may overlay deposits of oil, natural gas, or other minerals that have some tangible economic value, it is not currently known by the Council, which bears ultimate responsibility for permitting the lease or other use of County-owned property under the terms of the Home Rule Charter of Allegheny County, what value may attach to those deposits; and
WHEREAS, it is the judgment of Council that it is desirable to determine the value of all of the County's assets as the costs of healthcare, petroleum-based products such as gasoline and asphalt, and other goods and services upon which the County relies continue to increase; and
WHEREAS, it is also the judgment of Council that a strategy for fully developing any resources that the County does own must include an initial survey of the mineral or other rights owned by the County, together with the feasibility and economic value of developing those assets or conveying the rights thereto to other parties for development; and
WHEREAS, it is further the judgment of Council that such a study should be conducted immediately, in order to inform the process of budgeting, for which Council also bears responsibility under the terms of the Home Rule Charter, at the earliest possible point in time;
NOW THEREFORE, IT IS MOVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY,
That Council hereby calls upon the Allegheny County Manager to perform, beginning immediately, a study to determine what mineral rights Allegheny County owns on any parcels within the County and the fe...
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