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LEAF director urges MOU for sharps collection, county meeting and support for permanent site
Summary
LEAF Harm Reduction presented services to council, requested MOU-based sharps-container placement and state pickup, possible fiscal support and consideration of property acquisition for a permanent site; council asked staff to convene county and community partners.
YPSILANTI, Mich. — LEAF Harm Reduction director Corin Williams told the city council that the grassroots organization provides a wide range of public-health services — "sterile needles, naloxone, hygiene, food, respite and basic wound care" — and urged local support to keep operations running and safe.
Williams said LEAF has submitted business-occupancy applications and that prior interactions with city staff had produced inconsistent outcomes. She asked the city to meet LEAF "halfway," proposing an MOU that would allow sharps-collection containers on city property with state pickup, fiscal support to cover operational costs, and help convincing the county to acquire a building LEAF could use as a permanent shelter or operations base.
Council members pressed Williams on operational details: where sharps containers could be sited, what an MOU would require, how many people LEAF serves per day (Williams said peak demand was about 75 requests per day before other sites opened), and how LEAF helps people access treatment. Williams said LEAF would provide a budget for operational costs and that much of any funding would go directly to service delivery.
The council and manager agreed to keep enforcement suspended while LEAF and Design House resolve occupancy issues, and several council members asked staff to convene a meeting with county administrators and partner agencies to address shelter gaps and operational supports.
What happens next: Staff and LEAF will explore an MOU for sharps containers, discuss location and pickup scheduling with public works and fire departments, and schedule a county-level meeting to plan winter shelter and support services.
