Oakland County approves opioid-settlement spending plan as downtown Pontiac businesses press for clinic move

Oakland County commissioners approved a plan to allocate opioid-settlement funds to expand harm-reduction services, hire clinical staff and build a centralized resource directory, after weeks of planning and a lengthy discussion about disruptive behavior around a downtown Pontiac clinic.

The county’s deputy county executive, Madia, told the Board the steering committee’s goal “was to reduce the incidence of opioid overdose in our county and also reduce ... the addiction and misuse of opiates.” The committee has completed listening sessions, mapped treatment and prevention resources and drafted strategic priorities, Madia said.

Why it matters: Commissioners said the plan aims to pair immediate harm-reduction work with sustained investments so local providers can serve people who use drugs without leaving downtown businesses to absorb related public-safety problems. The Board voted 7-0 to carry the measure.

The plan’s core elements, as described to commissioners, are: (1) staffing and infrastructure investments to stabilize provider capacity; (2) expansion of harm-reduction services and warm handoffs into treatment; (3) broader prevention efforts; and (4) infrastructure projects to improve access and data about local resources.

Barb Hanke, director of public services, said the committee used guidance from the settlement’s Exhibit E to prioritize strategies. "The first one is staffing and infrastructure," Hanke said, adding that the county wants to strengthen agencies’ ability to sustain services after grant funds end. She told commissioners the county would not simply distribute one-time grants but target infrastructure and staffing support to increase long-term capacity.

Health and Human Services staff outlined three specific purchases the committee recommended: upgrading an existing nursing position to a nurse practitioner (to provide wound care and help clients get medically ready for treatment), purchasing a portable FTIR drug-checking device for the county’s harm-reduction office, and funding a web-based, centrally maintained resource directory so providers and residents can find up-to-date treatment and prevention options.

Leanne Stafford of Health and Human Services said the FTIR device would allow staff to identify novel or dangerous drug mixtures in the field instead of waiting for medical examiner results. She said the directory would be a “one source of truth” accessible to providers and the public, with controlled logins for entities that update listing details.

Downtown business owners and residents urged faster, practical fixes while the clinic prepares to move. April Ogg, a downtown Pontiac business owner who spoke during public comment, described repeated safety and cleanliness problems she said were linked to patrons of the nearby clinic at 148 North Saginaw Street. She said clinic clients had used an alcove outside her store as a waiting area, left drug paraphernalia near dumpsters, and that her employees had been exposed to drug use and aggressive behavior.

Steve Norris, director of overdose prevention and recovery support for a local coalition and a member of the sheriff’s Crisis Response Unit, urged immediate use of county assets: “One of the practical things we can do immediately ... the Crisis Response Unit of Oakland County ... would respond to those incidents and help support that clinic in the interim before they’re moved,” he said, urging coordinated outreach and on-the-ground support.

Commissioner Sara Powell (mover) and Commissioner Zertszewski (support) brought the health and human services package forward. Commissioners pressed staff for a parallel short-term plan to reduce public nuisances downtown while the county works to secure a larger, permanent clinic location; multiple commissioners asked for options such as paid on-site monitors, security assistance or other transitional supports.

County staff said the clinic’s lease runs through September and that negotiations are underway with a larger provider site that could house the program sooner if construction and logistics permit. Commissioners asked staff to pursue an accelerated move and to return with cost estimates for interim on-site assistance.

The Board approved the recommended opioid allocations by a 7-0 vote. Commissioners also directed staff to report back with implementation details and short-term mitigation measures for downtown Pontiac.

Ending: County officials said the settlement committee will return to the Board with detailed spending plans and recommended vendors. Meanwhile, staff said they would continue engagement with downtown business groups — including Main Street Pontiac — and public-safety partners to reduce immediate harm while the clinic prepares to relocate.