Committee asks staff to research proposed transmission line after constituent inquiry

A constituent inquiry about a proposed transmission line prompted the Richland County Natural Resources Committee to ask staff to research the project and report back at a future meeting.

A committee member (Speaker 7) said a concerned resident contacted them about "a transmission line that has been proposed through the county possibly." Speaker 4 cautioned the committee that routing is preliminary and utilities are required by the utility commission to propose multiple route options. "At this point, it's just a potential, not a for sure thing at all," Speaker 4 said, emphasizing that several alternate routes could avoid the county.

The speaker who relayed the call said the constituent planned to mail documentation to the county. Committee members noted local discussions on social media and township meetings and agreed to place the item on a future agenda after staff research.

The transcript includes a verbal description that sounded like "7 65" when describing the line; the committee discussion did not confirm voltage or company names. The committee directed staff to investigate and to report any mailed materials at the next meeting.