Council pulls Family Center contract for review; approves one-year city funding for school resource officer

Councilmembers pulled a proposed contract (consent agenda item 6d) with a local Family Center—listed at a fixed price of $30,000 annually—to allow further review of how opioid-settlement funds should be prioritized. Finance Director Steve Hoagland told council the Family Center’s current agreement is $60,000 and funded from the police department’s professional-services line in the general fund; the mayor and staff indicated the city is proposing to use opioid-settlement funds for the contract but emphasized no opioid funds have been committed yet.

Councilmember Moulton asked for a broader review: "I would suggest that we have a work session with those and what exactly we want to spend them on," she said, noting multiple competing requests for opioid monies. Councilmembers agreed to table the Family Center contract to allow a committee-level or full-council review of opioid-fund priorities; several councilmembers asked staff to prepare a single, centralized table of opioid-settlement proposals.

On a related item, council approved Amendment No. 2 to the interlocal with Anacortes School District 103 (item 7b) to retain the school resource officer for the current school year with the city covering the school district’s portion for 2025–26. Police Chief Floyd described the SRO’s role and said the department has seen benefits from having an officer engaged regularly in schools, including early intervention and positive youth engagement. Council discussion acknowledged the funding is a short-term solution and that long-term funding will be considered in the budget process. Council recorded a roll-call vote and approved the interlocal amendment.