VENTURA, Calif. (AP) — The Ventura City Council has approved the renewal of a deal to manage oil and gas pipelines under city streets — nearly a decade after the old contract expired.
The Ventura County Star reports the 20-year agreement with Ellwood Pipeline passed 5-0 Monday night. It is retroactive to 2003.
The newspaper says the deal includes a retroactive payment of roughly $109,000 for the years the city did not collect a fee from the owner of the pipelines.
The pipelines, owned by the Denver energy company Venoco, transport oil drilled offshore, along with gas and water.
The 10-year lapse between the contract's expiration and its renewal prompted Councilman Carl Morehouse to wonder how many other city agreements have expired. City Attorney Ariel Calonne says he is looking into the matter.
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Information from: Ventura County Star, http://venturacountystar.com
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