Sedgwick County staff advance plan to form addiction intervention coalition; commissioners raise conflict-of-interest concerns

Sedgwick County staff told commissioners during an agenda-review meeting May 14 that they are preparing a resolution to establish an Addiction Intervention Coalition and bring forward appointees for the body.

The resolution and a proposed list of appointees came out of a recent en banc discussion, staff said; the current draft calls for 11 citizen voting members and includes a county commissioner and a city council member in ex officio roles. "We're looking at 11 right now," a staff member said during the review. "...11 citizens, and then a commissioner and a council person ex officio. So a total of 11 voting board members." The staffing team said they are finalizing names and are consulting with city officials about the proposal.

Why it matters: commissioners said the panel could play a central role in deciding how opioid-related funds are distributed. That raises questions about whether people with operational ties to potential grant or contract awards should participate in the coalition's deliberations.

Several commissioners and staff discussed conflict-of-interest risks if service providers sit on a recommending panel. One commissioner warned that allowing providers to participate in discussion but recuse for votes could still shape outcomes in a way that benefits them later. County staff said attorneys in the county manager's office have considered conflict provisions in the draft language and offered to discuss further offline.

Staff described the item as "a work in progress" and said the resolution may appear on the formal agenda for the next board meeting; if city feedback is delayed, staff said they could defer final action to the June 4 meeting. Justin (staff) is consulting with Jennifer Magana on preparing the resolution, and Bob Layton has been involved in compiling the candidate list, staff said.

Ending: Commissioners did not take a formal vote during the agenda-review session. Staff advised they will continue to refine conflict-of-interest language and the candidate list and will present the resolution and appointments on a future commission agenda once city comments and legal review are complete.