The economic development committee recommended and council approved multiple fee‑in‑lieu of ad valorem tax and incentive agreements for projects identified as Project Blue Steel, Project CPL, Project Joyce and Project Bird Dog; several items were first readings and votes recorded; recusals were noted for members with conflicts.

Presenters said a new-technology project and RG Smith in Downtown Mansfield are expanding capacity; the chamber noted about 70 new jobs from one project and capacity growth at RG Smith.

The Richland Area Chamber told the county commissioners its biannual report shows momentum in downtown projects, company expansions and a housing pipeline of roughly 1,000 units; leaders named airport development, site readiness and housing as the top priorities for the next six months.

Richland County Council closed several public hearings and approved resolutions and first readings authorizing transfers of county parcels to SCDOT, joint development with Fairfield County on the Riverfront Business Park, and a first-reading tax-incentive agreement for Project Chesterfield.

Council approved expansions of the I-77 Corridor Regional Industrial Park on third reading, authorizing public infrastructure credit agreements for Project Olympus and Project Cardinal; Councilmember Jessica Mackey recused from the Project Cardinal vote and a later motion to reconsider failed.

At a special call meeting the council approved minutes and consent items, adopted an ordinance creating a board of architectural review, authorized conveyance of county land to Gateway Development Company, accepted a Safe Streets and Roads for All grant and approved several economic and transportation committee recommendations; several reconsideration motions failed.

Council approved multiple consent and action items including mitigation-credit sales, a small land sale to SCDOT, FY26 budget change adding a public defender FTE, fee‑in‑lieu agreements for two projects, I‑77 Corridor expansion and authorized staff to negotiate two executive-session property transactions.