Consultants propose interim Green Belt policies; committee signals support to advertise Oct. 1 application window

Mr. Larson introduced Will Cook of Wyche PA and Riley West of West Branch as the county's selected Green Belt program managers and asked the committee to approve interim policies, procedures, the application form and scoring criteria for the program's first application cycle.

Will Cook described the interim policy manual, attachments and a plan to convert the application to a web-based platform to simplify public access. "My firm and, my colleague, Raleigh West, are so excited to be working on this project," Cook said, and described the packet as substantially based on prior work (including the Chelsea Plantation easement) but tailored to Jasper County's ordinance.

Riley West explained the proposed three-part scoring framework modeled on the South Carolina Conservation Bank: objective map-based criteria, subjective criteria (threat of conversion, partnership complexity, public access), and a financial-leverage formula that rewards cost-effective projects. West emphasized on-the-ground visits: "Before we put dollars into any project, we go look at it on the ground because you cannot understand what a project is it means to a community just from a map alone."

The committee discussed site visits and stakeholder inclusion, with members urging invitations to neighboring municipalities and local councils. Mr. Larson asked whether the board was comfortable using the interim procedures and initiating an Oct. 1 announcement; one member voiced clear support and Mr. Larson said he would confirm whether formal council action is required and likely place the item on the Oct. 5 county council agenda to make the process official while still meeting advertised deadlines.