I wanted to share some good news for our city. Easley recently received the South Carolina 2025 Athletic Department of the Year Award and the South Carolina 2025 Park Excellence Award for the Brushy Creek Greenway. In addition, Parks and Recreation Director Christman Short received the South Carolina Parks & Recreation Association Young Professional of the Year Award.
Congratulations to everyone involved. Christman does an excellent job leading that department. She is detail-oriented, and I can always count on her to be upfront and honest when inquiries are made.
Voted: YES – Ordinance 2026-10 (Second Reading)
Amend the UDO to establish the Park District zoning classification. This zoning classification was needed to properly identify and protect park properties.
Voted: YES – Ordinance 2026-11 (Second Reading)
Amend the UDO to adopt a recommended tree and plant list to be included in the ordinance. This list will help ensure developers plant native trees and plants.
Voted: YES – Ordinance 2026-12 (Second Reading)
Amend the operating budget to add a $120,000 U.S. Department of Transportation grant for the Safe Streets and Roads for All program. The city will provide an additional $30,000 in in-kind contribution, which is not new funding but represents staff time allocated to the project. This grant will fund a study to identify streets and roads with safety issues.
Voted: NO – Ordinance 2026-13 (First Reading)
Rezoning request for property at 300 Pope Field Road from General Residential-2 to Neighborhood Commercial.
One concern is the continued encroachment of commercial zoning into established residential areas. The ordinance states that Neighborhood Commercial should be located near a major thoroughfare (in this case Highway 8), but this property is located farther down the hill and not sufficiently close to that corridor.
There were three attorneys present: the city attorney, the property owner’s attorney, and an impacted resident who is also a real estate attorney. A legal disagreement exists between the city attorney and the impacted resident. There is much more involved in this issue, so if you are interested in the details and haven't watch the recordings, I encourage you to watch the 03/09/2026 Work Session on YouTube.
Voted: NO – Ordinance 2026-14 (First Reading)
Amend the UDO to establish the Flexible Review District (FRD) zoning classification.
This zoning classification had previously been removed when the new UDO was written, and I supported that decision. My concern is that this zoning classification provides broad flexibility but does not establish clear development standards. In the past it has been used in ways that created problems.
Our city planner also noted that if a house zoned FRD were destroyed, it could not automatically be rebuilt because there is no development standard associated with that zoning classification.
My initial thought was that the zoning might be reinstated only for limited purposes such as rebuilding after a disaster, but the proposed amendment goes further than that.
My view is that when developers come to Easley, they should build according to the standards adopted in our ordinance. If those standards do not fit their plans, they can choose another location.
Another issue raised was that the council meeting was not conducted as a public hearing, so no public hearing occurred on this item. I expect that will likely occur before second reading.
Resolution 2026-06
The application related to the Easley Board of Zoning Appeals was withdrawn, so no vote was taken.
Voted: YES – Resolutions 2026-07 and 2026-08
Appointments of Lucas Durham and Alex Hensley to the Board of Zoning Appeals. I do not personally know either individual, but I was told that Mr. Durham would be a strong asset to the board.
Voted: YES – Resolution 2026-09
Adopts policies supporting a workplace free of recognized hazards and procedures to protect city employees, public and private property, and the public. This is required by the city’s insurance providers.
SPECIAL MESSAGE:
Addressing the Noise: Staying Focused on Serving Our City
One issue that needs to be addressed head-on is the ongoing social media smear campaign against me being pushed by a former city council member who still refuses to accept the results of the last election. Instead of moving forward for the good of the community, she continues to stir up negativity and encourages her circle of supporters to spread false claims that I am trying to “run the council.”
Let me be very clear: those accusations are false.
I ignored the attacks at first because I believed the work of serving our city was more important than responding to petty politics. Unfortunately, the constant repetition of these lies has grown to the point where even some people I once considered friends have been pulled into repeating them.
The truth is simple. My entire life I have been the type of person who sees something that needs to be fixed and works to make it better. Not for personal gain—but because improving things for everyone is the right thing to do. That mindset is exactly why I ran for office.
I spend hours studying issues, reviewing information, and preparing to make decisions and suggestions to move our city forward. While I’m doing that work, this same group continues to focus on spreading malice and misinformation instead of contributing anything positive.
Some people spend their time attacking others online. I spend mine working for the people of Easley.
I’m not perfect, and I make mistakes. But I work to do what I believe is right for our city and the people who live here. Many citizens in Easley have encouraged me to keep doing the work I’m doing, and I am truly grateful for the support.
If you ever see accusations about me online, I encourage you not to accept them at face value. Please reach out to me directly. ( drainey@cityofeasley.com or 864-359-7051) Ask questions. Get the facts. I have nothing to hide, and I will always stand behind the work I’m doing for our city.
Easley deserves leaders who are focused on progress, not personal grudges or political distractions.