Lycoming County Department of Planning and Community Development Deputy Director William Kelly said Tuesday after the county commissioners' work session that his office is working with city officials to determine why a nearly $278,000 shortfall from natural gas impact fees has not been recorded for Williamsport.
While Kelly said the city meets all the criteria needed to get more than $500,000 from Act 13 funding, according to his estimates, documents are being checked to make sure they correspond to Pennsylvania Utility Commission records.
He also said companies from the gas industry itself may have appealed to the PUC to reduce or nullify their payments. Drillers are required to pay $50,000 for each horizontal natural gas well and $10,000 for vertical well.
"We have more homework to do," he said.
Under Act 13 funding, municipalities that host or are near natural gas wells can receive funding calculated in part by how close they are to those operations.
Kelly said the PUC may have calculated distance differently than local planners. He also said there are 400 to 500 gas wells not included on the PUC list that he thinks should have been.
"I have yet to hear a full reason for that," he said. "We need to fully understand their decision."
Once county and city officials feel they have the information they need, Kelly said an appeal to the PUC may be made.
In other business, the commissioners will be asked Thursday at their regular meeting by Kelly to approve Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement funding from Act 13 for three local housing projects in the city - Brodart Commons on Memorial Avenue, a neighborhood improvement project for that same area and a senior housing project on Grove Street.
