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Residents urge Lewiston council to regulate syringe service providers after complaints about Cozy site; some call for council accountability
Summary
Multiple residents told the council they have documented needle waste and alleged mismanagement at a site known as "Cozy," urging passage of a syringe-service ordinance and accountability from city officials. Speakers said the issue had been raised repeatedly and that votes on a proposed ordinance were postponed several times.
Several residents used the public-comment period to urge the Lewiston City Council to act on mounting needle waste and to regulate syringe-service providers after public complaints about a location referred to in testimony as "Cozy." Speakers asked the council to pass or strengthen a syringe ordinance and pressed city leaders for accountability.
Lisa Jones, a Ward 2 resident and childcare provider who said she first emailed the council about needle waste on Nov. 14, 2024, described a timeline of engagement with councilors and staff. Jones said the city heard nothing until Council President Chittum brought up the issue March 18 and that a first draft ordinance was presented by Director John Connor on May 20. She told the council the ordinance draft has been delayed repeatedly—postponed in June, July and August—and said constituents have received little responsive communication. "Not only have you failed to represent your constituents, but your inaction has put us all in direct harm," Jones said.
Andrew Jones (Ward 2) described the building in question as in "squalor" and said he had submitted a Freedom of Access request for city records related to condemnation of the property. He said code-enforcement photos show sanitation and safety problems and that the site’s operator, which residents called a syringe-service provider, has previously called in professionals to clean the building after clients caused damage. "These syringe service providers need to be regulated hard at the city level, and the proposed ordinance is a good start," he said.
Speakers referenced an earlier presentation from a panel of experts and a 30-minute presentation by Director John Connor. Lisa Jones said she circulated videos to councilors in August showing people in public under the influence and warned that city inaction risked public safety. At one point she directly asked for Council President Chittum’s resignation, saying FOIA records suggest he may have been aware of problems earlier and "hamstrung" council efforts; Chittum was named by speakers but made no verbal response in the public-comment record.
The council chair reminded the public that personnel complaints must be made to the city administration and that the public-comment period is reserved for non-agenda items; public comment on non-agenda items was closed after the speakers finished. No formal council action on a syringe ordinance occurred at the meeting; multiple speakers said prior ordinance votes had been postponed.
