Greer council approves opioid settlement funding for local treatment services; takes first-step votes on rezoning and street acceptances, reappoints members and

The Greer City Council on a unanimous vote approved distribution of local opioid-settlement funds to support medication-assisted treatment and outreach operated by the Forrester Center for Behavioral Health, and took first-reading and appointment actions on several other items including a residential rezoning request and acceptance of neighborhood streets into the city system.

City officials said the award draws from the state—s share of national opioid litigation settlements and will prioritize locally vetted treatment and outreach services. Assistant City Administrator Katrina Woodruff told council the city is slated to receive $2,500,000 over an 18-year period under the South Carolina settlement framework and that $798,000 is currently allocated to Greer through the guaranteed political-subdivision (GPS) subfund. She said about $291,000 of the GPS allocation will roll into the discretionary subfund at the end of 2025 if it is not expended.

Audrey Collin, director of outreach and recovery services for the Forrester Center for Behavioral Health, described the center—s work in Greer and asked council to approve the center—s technical proposal to use settlement funds for medication-assisted treatment, outreach and related recovery services centered at the Indigo Hope Neighborhood Impact Center. "We run around 45 people on active caseload list, but we have served way more than that," Collin said, describing outreach that began at a local soup kitchen and expanded into more frequent clinic and outreach sessions. Collin said the program has helped stabilize people on medication so they can pursue employment and housing and that state data indicate overdoses in Greer have decreased since the effort began.

Council members asked staff about grant rules and oversight. Woodruff said technical proposals must match practices approved by the South Carolina Opioid Recovery Fund (SCORF) board and that the city—s police and fire chiefs reviewed the planned use. Council voted unanimously to approve the resolution allocating the local SCORF funds to the Forrester Center proposal.

After the funding vote, council handled several other items. On land use, the council conducted first reading of Ordinance 12-2025, a rezoning request (Planning Commission docket RZ25-05) for a 3.801-acre parcel at 111 Maryland Avenue owned by Kaylee Henderson, proposing to change the property from Suburban Neighborhood (SN) to Traditional Neighborhood (TN). City planner Mr. Bowles told council the request aligns with the future land-use map and that the applicant indicated an intent to build a side-by-side duplex; staff recommended approval and the planning commission had unanimously recommended approval at its prior meeting. The item passed first reading by roll call; final reading/adoption was set for a future meeting.

On public infrastructure, council gave first reading to Resolution 9-2025 to accept streets in the Blue Ridge Plantation subdivisions (7 Oaks, Hidden Springs and The Meadows) into the city street system. Public works staff member Mr. Grant said the developer completed required repairs and treatments, including crack sealing and HA5 surface coating applied in February 2023; staff inspected the streets periodically and recommended acceptance. Council voted to receive the resolution for first reading and later approved it by roll call.

On personnel and appointments, the council reappointed David Langley to the Board of Architectural Review and approved five appointments to the Greer Trust Board of Trustees: Jamille Allen, Monica Munoz, William Crosby, Anne Drayton Lister and Wayne Griffin. The council also reappointed Judy Jones, Adam Toma and William Lavender to the Planning Commission. Council approved a one-year extension for Municipal Judge Hank Mims to remain in the position through 06/30/2026; members said the judge has agreed to assist with a transition and the city will run a process for soliciting applicants for his eventual replacement.

Votes at a glance

- Resolution 10-2025 (opioid settlement funding distribution to Forrester Center): approved, roll call 7-0 (Arrowood, Booker, Hopper, Dumas, Bettis, Miss Albert, Mayor Danner — yes). - Ordinance 12-2025 (first reading; rezoning 111 Maryland Ave RZ25-05): received on first reading; roll call 7-0 for first reading, final adoption pending. - Resolution 9-2025 (accept Blue Ridge Plantation streets into city system): received on first reading and approved by roll call 7-0 (first-reading/acceptance action); staff will follow administrative steps for final acceptance. - Board and commission appointments and reappointments (Board of Architectural Review; Greer Trust Board; Planning Commission): motions approved by roll call; individual appointees listed in actions below. - Municipal judge appointment (Judge Hank Mims): council approved a one-year appointment through 06/30/2026; vote 7-0.

What council said and next steps

Council members thanked the Forrester Center staff and public-safety personnel for work reducing overdoses and emphasized the need to follow SCORF technical-proposal requirements. Woodruff said GPS funds must be allocated within specified periods to avoid automatic rollover to the discretionary subfund and that the city will monitor compliance with SCORF rules. For the rezoning item, staff said constraints such as frontage requirements, an on-site creek and a small flood plain limit where additional lots could be created on the parcel; the applicant indicated a plan for a single side-by-side duplex. For the Blue Ridge streets, staff provided measurements for each section and a history of required punch-list items, repairs and final paving that the developer completed before staff recommended acceptance.

Council adjourned after completing the agenda; several ceremonial recognitions and proclamations took place earlier in the meeting (youth wrestling champions, juried art exhibit, National Historic Preservation Month and an ALS proclamation).