Council to consider minor amendment to county opioid-abatement MOU; King County seeks longer admin-fee hold period

City staff told the committee that King County requested two minor amendments to Redmond’s Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) establishing an opioid abatement council: permission for King County to hold any reimbursements of administrative fees until the disbursement period for settlement funds (which may extend up to 17 years) and clarified timelines for when cities must respond to proposed changes to the MOU.

COO Files explained the county performs substantial administrative work for participating cities — collecting data, monitoring receipts and reporting to the state under the One Washington MOU — and that the county has asked to hold reimbursements to match the settlement disbursement timeline. Files said King County has used the city’s administrative fees to date and that the MOU currently provides for annual reimbursement but does not mandate treatment of interest or long-term holding of funds. Files told the committee the county has proposed parameters for when cities must respond to county-initiated changes to the agreement.

Council Member Forsyth asked whether holding money for up to 17 years could affect the city’s budget process; Files said she did not expect a material problem given the county’s approach to allocating admin fees across the payment timeline. Council Member Nueva Camino asked whether the MOU contains direction about interest earned if money is held; Files said the MOU does not state a requirement for interest disposition and noted the city pays a nominal $10,000 a year for the county to administer reporting and data collection.

Files said staff expects to place the amendment on the July 15 consent agenda and offered to provide a citywide accounting and update on how settlement funds are being used during 2025; council members indicated interest in receiving that briefing.

The committee had no objections to placing the amendment on the July 15 consent agenda.