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Finance Committee told opioid-settlement allocation will follow a public needs-assessment process; councilor requests lived-experience representation
Summary
City staff told the Finance Committee that Holyoke will follow a public needs-assessment and application process consistent with state guidance before allocating opioid-settlement funds; a councilor asked that people with lived experience be included in governance or review panels.
The Finance Committee received an update on the status and planned process for the city’s opioid-class-action settlement funds. City staff informed the committee that a public process — including a community needs assessment and a formal application and review timeline — will guide allocations.
Planned process and timeline
The mayor’s office and the Board of Health provided dates and a summary: the community needs assessment will open July 15, 2025; applications to access opioid funds are expected to open in December 2025; a multi-entity review and public recommendation process will follow; the mayor will make final allocations in February 2026. The city posted an opioid fund balance sheet to its website (balance as of March 2025) and intends to notify the City Council of public meetings and the review schedule.
Requests for representation and transparency
Councilor Israel Rivera urged inclusion of people with lived experience — not only agency employees — on advisory or decision panels that recommend spending, and asked for transparency in the process. He and other councilors said they want assurance the review process will meaningfully include affected residents and should not become solely an inter-agency or staff-driven allocation.
Ending
The committee agreed to table the councilor’s order for a public briefing and asked the mayor’s office and the Board of Health to appear in a future meeting to present the planned process, how community input will be structured, and how applicants will be evaluated.
