Loveland council hears industry and legal experts as staff seeks direction on local oil and gas rules

City of Loveland staff on Tuesday presented draft oil and gas regulations and asked council for guidance ahead of a moratorium that staff said will expire in early March 2025. The discussion paired technical briefings from industry representatives with a review of proposed local rules drafted by the city’s special counsel.

The matter matters because Loveland must decide whether to adopt locally tailored time-, place- and manner-style rules that would sit alongside state oversight by the Energy and Carbon Management Commission (ECMC) and CDPHE. Councilors asked whether local rules would add protection for residents, duplicate state rules, or expose the city to legal challenge.

Brett Stewart, assistant to the city manager, outlined the schedule and intent, saying staff hoped to return the draft for council first reading in late January and a second reading in February if council provided direction. Stewart said the city has been operating under an administrative decision model and that the draft would shift more decisions into a public, planning-commission/city-council review path: “we are considering an additional public hearing process… and then ultimately, the decision would fall with the planning commission.”

Industry and counsel presented technical and legal context. Tricia Fanning, president…