Small Counties Prep To Combat Problems That Come With An Oil Boom
By: Katiera Winfrey
Updated: February 8, 2013
The smaller counties like Scurry, Howard, Mitchell, Nolan and Sterling to name a few aren't feeling the largest impact of growth due to the oil industry. However, they're prepping for what it could bring based off the troubles other counties with booming oil industries experience with housing shortages and damages roads.
In the upcoming months, the quiet pace of those towns will speed up.
"Economic directors from Nolan, Scurry and Mitchell county got together and decided that we should try to get ahead of what we're expecting to be a boom in population all of the things that will go with the Cline shale explosion if in fact it happens," said Mitchell County Executive Director for Mitchell County Economic Development Board.
In a packed room in the Webb Center in Mitchell County over 250 county representatives and community members from multiple counties listened in on the Cline Shale Summit.
"Today we decided to bring in agencies from Austin who might be able to help us with county roads, housing with infrastructure," said Young.
The Brunt of the shale drilling hasn't fully gotten underway.
"They're being cautious and making sure that there are the amounts of oil and gas that will make it profitable to drill."
Before the time for full profitability comes, county officials are taking the cue from other places and learning how to avoid the negative impacts of a boomtown. Things like housing shortages, food shortages, and road damages.
Young said, "But we still have to be able to remember to set aside money for our roads and set aside money for the infrastructure and hopefully the merchants will prepare themselves."
The exact date for the cline shale drilling to commence hasn't been determined and it may not. They're still working to see if the drilling location will be profitable. There is another meeting scheduled in April that will give an update to the plan and could provide more information on when the drilling could ramp up.
