Easley council reviews $113,617 opioid-recovery grant and proposed civilian coordinator

The City of Easley opened discussion on the second reading of an ordinance to amend the FY2025 operating budget to accept $113,617 from the South Carolina Opioid Recovery Fund and authorize creation of a civilian opioid coordinator position and building renovations to house grant staff. City staff outlined how the award would be spent, and council members said they want vendor quotes before renovation money is spent.

City staff provided a line-item breakdown: “63,000 is for the coordinator position,” the staff member said, “2,830 is for the laptop and the internet devices,” and $47,787 would fund construction materials and related contract costs. Staff noted contract work must be bid and that the construction budget would include both materials and the contract. A councilmember asked that the city receive an actual building renovation quote prior to expenditure; staff agreed that the quote could be provided for review.

Mayor and council members emphasized the public-interest dimension of the program and that the community expects transparency on how grant dollars are used. The ordinance was on its second reading; the mayor said the council would vote later in the meeting’s appropriate forum. No formal vote on the ordinance was recorded during the work session.

Next steps: staff will provide a renovation quote and the ordinance is scheduled for final action during the business meeting, where the council will vote on acceptance of the grant and the funded coordinator position.