Council approves opioid hotspot coordination contract amid public concern about street drug activity

The Spokane City Council approved a contract with Consistent Care Services to coordinate an opioid hotspot response program after pulling the item from the broader consent agenda for a separate vote.

Several members of the public criticized the contract during public comment. Will Hewings, a downtown resident, said he strongly opposed OPR20250008 — the “hot spotters community care coordination contract” — arguing the program would not solve downtown fentanyl use and homelessness. “I express my strong opposition to OPR 20 250008, the so called hot spotters community care core coordination contract between the city of Spokane and Consistent Care Services,” Hewings said during public comment. Justin Haller also raised questions about the contract’s cost, asking whether it was funded and how many paid positions the new board or program would create.

Council members voted to take the contract out of the consent agenda and then approved it by voice vote. The meeting record shows the council voted “aye” on the contract during the separate roll call for item 10; no roll‑call tally by name was recorded in the transcript.

The contract sponsor and administration presented it as a case‑management and coordination effort intended to identify and manage high utilizers of services, convene case rounds, and reduce barriers to care for people with repeated interactions with emergency services. Public commenters questioned whether the new model would reduce street drug activity or instead be an additional expense without enforcement results.

The official contract amount was not read aloud in the council’s recorded discussion; several public commenters referenced figures while speaking. Justin Haller referred to a $375,000 figure in public comment, and other commenters cited varying numbers when discussing the proposed hotspot program. The council did not provide a budget line or funding source for the contract in the meeting transcript; council members asked staff to clarify funding sources when questions were raised during the consent agenda debate.

The contract passed; staff will carry out procurement and program startup steps consistent with the administration’s contract terms. The council’s separate approval means the program will proceed while some members and members of the public continue to call for more details on effectiveness and oversight.