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Resident urges action on fentanyl deaths and proposes needle‑exchange ideas to St. Joseph council
Summary
Jason Harris told the council fentanyl is "killing all these kids," reported needles found in public areas and suggested a needle‑exchange program (e.g., exchange schemes or small payments) to reduce hazards; he did not present a formal ordinance and received no staff response in the transcript.
Jason Harris used his public‑comment time to urge more civic action on fentanyl and to propose an expanded needle‑exchange approach to remove sharps from places children frequent.
"The things I wanna speak about is this fentanyl crap that's killing all these kids," Harris said, later describing needles being found at sites from the riverfront to local parks. He suggested exchange models — for example, "3 old needles for 2 clean ones back or the better option, a dollar a piece" — and argued that monetizing exchanges would incentivize removal of dangerous sharps. Harris urged officers and the community to take action and noted court processes can limit police responses.
The comment period ended without a formal policy motion or staff response recorded in the transcript. Harris asked for more in‑depth time to outline specifics; the council concluded public comments after his remarks.
