These townships argued over land containing gas wells. Who won?

A years-long boundary dispute — with thousands of dollars on the line — was resolved last week between two Centre County townships.

Boggs and Snow Shoe townships each argued jurisdiction over a strip of land near their border that contains a number of Marcellus gas wells. As a result of a May 7 court order, Snow Shoe will receive about $155,700 from the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission.

That money comes from Act 13 funds, which had been held from 2012-16 while the townships disputed the boundary line.

The county's records reflected that the land was in Snow Shoe Township, said Louis Glantz, Snow Shoe Township solicitor. The PUC, however, bases its Act 13 distributions on the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's information, which Glantz said inaccurately showed that it was in Boggs Township.

"This is a major victory for Snow Shoe Township and once and for all establishes the boundary between Snow Shoe Township and Boggs Township," Glantz said in a statement.

Act 13 was signed into law in 2012 by former Gov. Tom Corbett. The impact fee "provides for the imposition of an unconventional gas well fee, and the distribution of those funds to local and state governments," according to the PUC.

The Centre County Court of Common Pleas ruled that the 11 wells in question are located in Snow Shoe Township. However, the case continued through the court system as Boggs Township filed a couple of unsuccessful appeals.

Another $105,100 that had been held will be split up between 11 adjoining municipalities, including Rush Township, Philipsburg borough and Howard Township, according to court documents.

Municipalities use the Act 13 funds for a variety of purposes, including for roads, bridges and other infrastructure projects.

Boggs Township solicitor Rodney Beard said the township didn't like the outcome, but "we'll live with it."

"We're obviously not happy with the decision," Beard said. "We feel there was some problems with it, but it's the way it got resolved."

This story was originally published May 14, 2018 at 2:36 PM with the headline "These townships argued over land containing gas wells. Who won?."