A split vote Monday night marked El Campo City Council’s approval of its first natural gas drilling permit in 28 years. The 3-2-1 vote came after a failed attempt to delay and a urgent warning from City Attorney Ronny Collins that failure to approve the permit request was “bordering on violating state law.” The permit allows Ballard Exploration Company to drill a 9,900-foot well from a hayfield just off the West Loop to a point under the El Campo High School campus.