Easley council hears lease and infrastructure resolutions, announces police foundation and votes to enter executive session

Beyond the UDO and the police IT budget item, the Easley City Council addressed several other agenda items on Sept. 8, including equipment-lease resolutions, a regional road-congestion resolution, project updates from city departments, and a vote to go into executive session.

Council conducted second readings and first readings on several items: a conveyance of an easement across Doodle Trail, a revised business license ordinance to comply with the state Business License Standardization Act, and two equipment-lease resolutions with BGM Financial Services used previously for parks and recreation equipment. Staff said the leases were already included in the budget and required council signoff to comply with financing-company requirements.

Council also read Resolution 2025-16 calling on the state and neighboring counties to study congestion on Brushy Creek Road into Anderson County. Staff framed the resolution as a formal request for intergovernmental assistance on a regional traffic congestion problem.

Project updates included an announcement that police leaders have formed an independent police foundation and are optimistic about an approximately $8.4 million grant (staff described it as roughly $480,000 per year) to support officers and civilian outreach for substance-demand reduction efforts. Traffic enforcement units and a dedicated DPU resource were reported as starting this week.

At the end of the meeting council voted to enter executive session under Section 34-70(a)(2) for legal advice relating to a pending claim that was entered into the record as 'Mets versus City of Easley.' The motion, a second and an affirmative vote were recorded; the council then cleared the chamber to begin the closed session.

No final outcomes on the UDO or the police IT budget were recorded before the meeting moved to executive session.