CONNOQUENESSING — While workers on one side of Constitution Avenue are moving around the heavy equipment needed to drill a gas well, a group of people on the other side of the street are talking about how to regulate such activity in the future.

Borough council decided Tuesday night it will enact an ordinance setting zoning and operation rules for natural gas and oil drilling. Solicitor Philip Lope is drawing up a draft ordinance to be considered at the Feb. 4 council meeting.

Meantime residents are encouraged to contact borough officials if they have input.

The impetus for the discussion and decision was twofold:

n Just before Christmas, the state Supreme Court struck down parts of Act 13 of 2012, which limited the power of municipalities to regulate and zone for Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling.

n Within a week or two of that, Rex Energy got the go-ahead from the state to drill at Route 68 and Constitution Avenue, a site known as the “Shipley well.”

Council members first started talking about the idea of an ordinance on Jan. 6, but continued the discussion to Tuesday for a special meeting dedicated to that topic alone.

Seven residents attended, gave their opinion and engaged the council in dialogue that at points became feisty, including some heated voices, finger pointing and at one point a threat to have one resident, Len Schoettker, removed from the meeting.

Some of the residents, like Schoettker and Kelly Norornha, made no secret of their opinions that they’d like to see the drilling process banned from the 1.4-square mile borough.

They are worried about the possible air and water impacts of the chemicals used in the drilling and the potential for explosions, fires or other calamities.

Especially worrisome, they said, is the proximity of the Shipley site to Connoquenessing Elementary School and the borough park.

Schoettker even at one point questioned the council’s neutrality on the subject because several officials, including Lope, the mayor and the council president, have signed lease agreements with Rex Energy for property they own. Additionally, the borough signed a lease with Rex for drilling under the park.

After hearing from the residents, council decided it would be better to regulate the activity than attempt to forbid it.

First, council felt it might not be successful with an across-the-board ban. And secondly, if it were successful, the borough might just push the activity over the border to a neighborhood that has no controls in place.

“I think what council is saying is that it is here, so we are going to deal with it,” said council President Lloyd Leslie.

Council, which favored making drilling a conditional use in agriculturally zoned property, looked at a number of similar ordinances in other local communities in starting to form its own rules.

Lope advised the council and the residents that whatever rules are chosen likely will not be applicable to the Shipley well since that already has state approval.

However, Leslie said it’s likely the company would comply with the rules relating to operation since it has a lot of other business planned in the region and would likely want to establish itself as a good neighbor.

According to the state Department of Environmental Protection’s Internet site, Rex Energy Gas and Development received a permit to drill at the Shipley site on Jan. 3 for both conventional and horizontal drilling.

Mike Endler, a representative of Rex Energy, did not attend the meeting but was contacted separately for this report.

He issued this statement: “Rex Energy has received all required permits from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection for our Shipley well pad in Connoquenessing Borough. Development activities at this location are scheduled to begin in the coming weeks and we look forward to continuing our good working relationship with both local officials and landowners in the area.

“As a local, Pennsylvania-based company, Rex Energy is committed to the safety of our employees, neighbors and the environment.”