The Lubbock City Council voted to amend the oil and gas drilling ordinance this week at their regularly scheduled meeting which will establish an Oil and Gas Advisory Committee and increase setback for oil wells among other changes.

The amendment was approved after Council Woman Latrelle Joy sponsored two additional amendments to the motion. The first amendment places more emphasis on the city manager’s role in overseeing code enforcement and mandates yearly inspections of oil and gas sites.

The second amendment increases the setback distance of new wells from the suggested 300-foot minimum to a 600-foot minimum from residences, businesses, etc. Many citizens commented to the dais asking for the 600-foot minimum setback distance.

While many citizens spoke out at the February 26 meeting against the amendment citing water quality and general safety issues, a representative from the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce said the group believed the original amendment report with the 300-foot setback distance adequately addressed safety issues while taking a pro-economic and job stance.

“We certainly want to keep our community safe… and certainly there’s always attention to detail that must be added,” said Eddie McBride, CEO and president of the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce, “but we believe the regulations that promote rather than impede economic growth and job creation ought to be the order of the day.”

Both amendments passed 4-3 with council members Karen Gibson and Jeff Griffith dissenting along with Mayor Glen Robertson. The amended amendment was passed 4-3 with the same council members dissenting.

Mayor Robertson said he felt uneasy with setting a precedent of one committee proposing a majority and minority report.

“I think it’s going to hurt us in the future when we go to appointing boards and we ask boards to make tough decisions; when we ask them to make tough recommendations and when they give us something we don’t agree with them we just start changing it,” said Robertson. “I think my concerns are more with the message were sending to the committee.”

However, Council Woman Joy said the minority opinion submitted by the committee was an important part of the process and created a forum for more ideas to be considered.

“The main thing was, we did get an ordinance that apparently is a good ordinance and should serve us well for a long period of time,” said Joy.

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