Moses Lake council votes to prohibit distribution of drugs on city property after Library Narcan debate

The Moses Lake City Council voted to direct the city attorney to pursue a prohibition on distribution of drugs on city property, including Narcan (naloxone), after a prolonged public comment period and council debate about a Narcan vending machine installed at the Moses Lake Library.

Council member Victor Lombardi, who made the motion as amended, framed the item as two core issues: city policy authority and the council’s role in representing taxpayers. Lombardi told the council the machine had been placed without council review and cited public opposition, saying “there are 300 petitioners” opposed to the library location. The amended motion directs the city attorney to continue discussions with the library under the city’s building use and maintenance agreement and states the council opposes distribution of drugs on city property; the motion passed with all council members voting in favor.

Why it matters: North Central Washington Libraries (NCW Libraries), which operates the Moses Lake branch, and other community organizations said the machine has already been used to reverse overdoses and make naloxone accessible. Opponents said the library entrance is not an appropriate dispensing location for a medication associated with opioid use and raised safety and access‑timing concerns.

Public comments and evidence presented

Barbara Walters, executive director of NCW Libraries, said the Narcan vending machine was installed in November 2024 after staff and city discussions and that the device has dispensed 583 boxes and the library team traced 12 opioid overdose reversals to Narcan dispensed from the machine. Walters said city staff had “consistently advocated for the project and expressed the city's full support” during planning, and she urged continued collaboration between the city and the library.

Other speakers urged removal or relocation of the device. Multiple parents, educators and business owners said they no longer feel comfortable taking children to the library because of activity they associate with the machine’s presence at the library entrance. Quentin Owens, identifying himself as president of a local activist hub, cited guidance that public naloxone stations should ideally have 24‑hour availability and said the library’s hours make it a poor site. Jeremy Davis and Christine Owens said they still support naloxone availability but argued the library is the wrong place for a dispensing machine.

Council discussion and legal context

Council members debated location, community safety perceptions and who pays for library services. City attorney Catherine (last name not provided in the transcript) clarified the contract with NCW Libraries is not a traditional lease but a building use and maintenance agreement; she said the city would need to discuss options with the library and that the council could take the matter into executive session to consider contractual implications. After an executive session, Lombardi amended his initial 72‑hour removal motion to the broader policy direction prohibiting drug distribution on city property and advising the city attorney to pursue discussions with library leadership. The amended motion passed unanimously.

What the action does — and does not — do

The vote directs city legal staff to pursue a policy restricting drug distribution on city property and to consult with the library under the existing building use and maintenance agreement; the motion did not immediately remove Narcan from the library or specify enforcement mechanisms or an implementation timetable. City staff and council members said they will develop a written policy to work through unintended consequences and exemptions (for example, naloxone carried or used by emergency responders and city employees for medical emergencies).

Clarifying details from the record

- Library report: the Narcan machine was installed November 2024; Walters reported 583 boxes dispensed and 12 documented overdose reversals linked to machine distribution. - Opponents: several speakers said a petition was circulated (Council member Lombardi referred to “300 petitioners”); other petition figures were cited elsewhere in the meeting for unrelated items. - Legal arrangement: the city’s contract with NCW Libraries is a building use and maintenance agreement (not a standard lease), per the city attorney.

Next steps noted by council

Council asked staff and the city attorney to draft a written policy and to return with options that address public safety, staff and emergency responder access, and contractual implications with NCW Libraries. The council did not set a timeline for completion at the meeting.

The meeting record shows strong, divergent community views: library leaders and public‑health advocates emphasized lives saved, while parents and businesses emphasized perceived safety and appropriateness of the library entrance as a dispensing site. The council’s motion now directs legal and policy work on a citywide prohibition of drug distribution on city property while the library‑city agreement is reviewed.