Council flags expired LCO MOU, jail population disparities and opioid‑settlement budget for follow up

Council members flagged an expired memorandum of understanding with Lac Courte Oreilles and requested a joint meeting to discuss jail population breakdowns and service contracts, and they asked staff to finalize an opioid‑settlement budget.

A member said the MOU with Lac Courte Oreilles had expired in January and that the agreement previously added language requiring the jail report to include a breakdown of Native American population in custody; members said JusticePoint is required to report quarterly under the contract and that the county should consider a joint meeting to address concerns about disproportionate incarceration rates. “We’re a quarter of the population and 80% of the jail population,” a council member said during the discussion, noting that the point is a frequent concern when tribal governing bodies review the data.

Separately, members said the opioid‑settlement budget has not yet been finalized and requested that staff bring a straight budget to the next meeting so the council can approve spending buckets, including allocations for MAT and other programs. Staff said they have been operating under previously approved spending and will add a finalized budget for council review.

Council members suggested a 20‑minute presentation by the county’s sexual‑assault response nurse and public health nurse on the local sexual assault response team and noted other CJCC best practices that could be discussed in future meetings. No formal votes were taken on the MOU or the budget at this meeting.