Staff told the committee that Richland County must adopt an updated county farmland preservation plan by Dec. 31 and recommended contracting with Southwest Regional Planning, which has done similar work for other counties. The total project cost was described as about $20,000 with roughly $10,000 provided by the state, and the remainder accounted for in the county’s 2026 budget.

Committee members asked to see supporting documents and staff said they would place materials in the committee’s admin folder. The committee approved the contract authorization and acceptance of the grant match by voice vote.

Staff noted Southwest Regional has assisted other counties and that the plan update will incorporate existing comprehensive-plan data, township contacts and required calculations for the county preservation plan. The project is slated to kick off Jan. 1 and must be completed and accepted by the state Department of Agriculture no later than Dec. 31.