Spokane mayor outlines multi-department plan, directs opioid-settlement spending

Mayor Lisa Brown said the City of Spokane will pursue a citywide, multi-agency approach to reduce deaths and connect people to treatment in response to the opioid and fentanyl crisis. Brown spoke at a public mapping session hosted in City Hall Chambers and said the city will combine emergency actions, pilot programs and targeted spending from the national opioid settlement to expand services.

Brown framed the effort as “all of the above,” saying the city will involve “every department” — including police, fire, housing, legal and public works — and focus on best practices, collaboration, pilot testing and evaluation. “We want to try it on a small scale. And then evaluate. If it’s working, scale it up,” Brown said.

The mayor said the city…