Oct. 13--Latrobe Council passed on a proposed natural gas project Monday.

Oklahoma-based McDonald Land Services recently asked the board for permission to search throughout the city on behalf of Texas-based Dawson Geophysical Co. to search for natural gas deposits.

City solicitor James Kelley drafted a resolution to permit Dawson to employ seismic imaging devices in an area encompassing the two-square-mile city and portions of Derry and Unity townships.

Deputy Mayor Ken Baldonieri motioned to vote on the resolution but did not receive a second.

Baldonieri said the survey might have revealed natural gas deposits in the Marcellus Shale formation that runs several thousand feet below ground. If that were the case, gas drilling companies might have negotiated a contract with the city that could have turned a profit, he said.

"I thought it would have been forward-thinking to allow the survey to happen. I didn't see any significant disruption to town activities, and it might have been of financial benefit in the future," Baldonieri said.

But board members like Chuck Dominick said "unanswered questions" and public concern over potential disruptions to motorist and pedestrian commerce turned him against the proposal.

"To me, the chances of the city benefiting from permitting this were minimal, and I've probably had more citizens express concern over it to me than on any other issue in my year on council," Dominick said.

In other business, council appointed city Manager Rick Stadler the city's voting delegate to the countywide tax collection committee. Mayor Tom Marflak was appointed first alternate delegate and Baldonieri second alternate delegate.

Marflak -- who is not running for a second, four-year term -- was absent. He missed the last regular meeting of council.

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