Ellensburg, Kittitas County Agree to Pool Opioid Settlement Funds; County to Administer
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Summary
Council approved an interlocal agreement to pool restricted opioid settlement funds with Kittitas County, establishing a joint RFP process, shared evaluation and county administration of payments with an up-to-10% administration fee and annual harm-reduction funding split.
Ellensburg — The City Council approved an interlocal agreement with Kittitas County on Dec. 15 to pool opioid settlement funds received under regional settlement agreements and coordinate distribution for treatment and prevention activities.
City staff said the funds are restricted to uses tied to opioid-abatement strategies. Under the agreement the county would serve as the administrating agency and the two jurisdictions would jointly solicit proposals for eligible programs, with representation from both the city and county on evaluation teams. The agreement sets a framework for returning recommended awards to each governing body for approval and allows the county to retain up to 10% of pooled funds for administration.
City staff also noted a recurring allocation to a harm-reduction program that would be funded annually, where the city would contribute 10% and the county 90% of that line item. The county has already approved its signature and staff recommended the city manager be authorized to execute the interlocal agreement and related budget adjustments.
Council moved, seconded and approved the agreement; recorded votes included majority support with two opposed votes noted in roll call.
