Laurens County Council approves industrial-park expansion, advances waste rules and budgets

Laurens County Council on June 8 approved adding county parcels to the Hunter Industrial Park, advanced an ordinance to regulate hazardous and non-hazardous waste facilities, and moved the county’s FY2627 general and fire budgets forward on second reading during a meeting in the restored historic courthouse.

The council voted 6–0 to include certain Laurens County parcels in a multi-county industrial park with Greenville County, adopting ordinance 1009 on third and final reading. The vote followed a public hearing in which a resident raised concerns about transparency and whether the county should place parcels in the park before disclosing potential tenants.

“A lot of … the community has no idea who it actually may build on these tracts,” a public commenter said, urging clearer disclosure about future tenants and fee-in-lieu arrangements. County Attorney Mr. Mets replied that including properties in a multi-county park before a fee-in-lieu (FELO) agreement is negotiated is common practice and meant to streamline future actions. “It’s not unusual for the county to include properties into a multi-county park before FELO agreement is signed,” Mr. Mets said, and he added that no FELO or contract had been executed and that an existing local industry has expressed interest in expanding.

On environmental policy, council approved ordinance 1010 on second reading to regulate siting of hazardous and non-hazardous waste facilities. The county attorney emphasized the ordinance applies prospectively to new facilities and would supersede prior landfill references to the extent of any conflict. The measure passed 6–0 on second reading.

Council members also advanced the FY2627 general operating budget on second reading. County staff described it as “a consent budget” and said it is balanced, with two specific additions: a part-time position in animal control and restored overtime funding for 911 dispatch. The general budget passed second reading 5–1, with Councilman Brownley recording the lone opposing vote. The FY2627 fire budget (ordinance 108) was approved on second reading 6–0.

Votes at a glance: - Ordinance 1009 (Hunter Industrial Park expansion): adopted on third reading, vote 6–0. - Ordinance 1010 (hazardous/non-hazardous waste siting): approved on second reading, vote 6–0. - Ordinance 1007 (FY2627 general operating budget): advanced on second reading, vote 5–1 (Brownley opposed). - Ordinance 108 (FY2627 fire budget): advanced on second reading, vote 6–0.

Council members said the park expansion streamlines future negotiations if an industry chooses to seek a FELO, while some residents said they would prefer tenant details be public earlier in the process. The council closed the meeting after routine ceremonial recognitions and committee referrals; the animal-control ordinance (1011) received first reading and was referred to the public safety committee for further drafting and penalty language.

The council’s next steps include committee review of ordinance 1011 and a return to final readings for measures currently on second reading.