Board adopts new county code and approves multiple rezoning ordinances; some amendments deferred to December

The Richland County Board of Supervisors voted to adopt a new codified code of ordinances and approved two rezoning ordinances during its November meeting.

The board adopted a codified code of ordinances (the product of a multi-year codification effort) after discussion about a chapter that primarily concerns the sheriff’s department and related personnel/policy language. Board members and the county’s code attorney noted that some items that had previously mixed policy and statutory language required separation and amendment. The board’s attorney recommended adopting the code as posted with a clear disclaimer and then bringing the rewrite of the chapter formerly known as ordinance 897 back for amendment at the Dec. 10 meeting.

Separately, the board approved Ordinance 24-28 (amendment #611) to rezone an 18.06-acre parcel belonging to Joseph and Edna Hutler in the Town of Aen from illegal nonconforming to A residential, and Ordinance 24-29 (amendment #612) to rezone a 6.93-acre parcel belonging to Mark and Julie Luther in the Town of Forest from forestry to residential. Both zoning items were offered by the natural resources standing committee and adopted after motions and plain-voice votes.

The board recorded a small number of dissenting votes on the codification of rules (two opposed were noted in the record) but otherwise approved the package and directed staff and the code attorneys to incorporate the committee amendments and post updated materials online. The board said it would reprint paper copies and provide committee-proposed amendments at the December meeting.