TO: Mayor and Members of City Council
THRU: Karen M. McDonald, City Attorney
FROM: Michael R. Whyte, Police Attorney
DATE: February 27, 2023
RE:
Title
Approval of Budget Resolution to Direct the Expenditure of Opioid Settlement Funds
end
COUNCIL DISTRICT(S):
Council District(s)
All Districts
b
Relationship To Strategic Plan:
Goal I: Safe and Secure Community
Goal IV: Desirable Place to Live, Work, and Recreate
Executive Summary:
The City of Fayetteville has received settlement funds from litigation involving the sale of opioid medications by pharmaceutical companies. As part of the settlement with the NC Attorney General, counties and municipalities signed on to a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA). The MOA requires a budget resolution to be adopted by City Council to spend the settlement funds.
Background:
In January 2018, City Council directed City staff to pursue all available civil remedies against those in the chain of distribution of opiates responsible for the opioid epidemic that has effected the City of Fayetteville and the State of North Carolina. Three of the largest pharmaceutical distributors agreed to settle the litigation with the NC Attorney General. In order to receive the settlement funds for distribution, counties and cities with lawsuits were required to sign on to the MOA. The resolution to sign the MOA was signed by Mayor Colvin on August 23, 2021. The MOA requires funds to be spent on opioid addiction abatement strategies listed in either “Option A” or “Option B”. The attached resolution is for strategies listed in Option A.
Issues/Analysis:
The North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition (NCHRC) is requesting $100,000.00 of opioid settlement funds to continue the LEAD program (LEAD stands for Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion). LEAD is a criminal justice diversion program that serves people with opioid use disorders, through a harm reduction approach that seeks to accomplish the goals of reduced criminal behavior and improved public safety by connecting low-level drug offenders with treatment, social services, and other community resources. The proposed use of funds by NCHRC relates to the following strategies under Option A: No. 10 - criminal justice diversion programs, No. 8 - post-overdoes response team, and No. 6 - early intervention.
Budget Impact:
$100,000.00 of the $258,635.93 of settlement funds received.
Options:
1. Authorize the budget resolution.
2. Do not authorize the budget resolution and provide direction to staff.
Recommended Action:
Staff recommends that City Council authorize the budget resolution.
Attachments:
Resolution by the City of Fayetteville to Direct the Expenditure of Opioid Settlement Funds
NCHRC LEAD Opioid Settlement Funding Proposal