Finance committee adopts East Side grant substitute adopting 'opioid model' after hours of debate over scope and oversight

The Finance Committee approved a substituted ordinance (20260036) on Feb. 3 that adopts an "opioid model" for distributing East Side Community Benefit Agreement (CBA) funds and makes several auditor-recommended clarifications to eligibility, oversight and funding timing.

The substitute moves oversight of the grant program to the city's Grants and Contract Compliance Division rather than the mayor's office, sets goals for committee member qualifications in economic development, workforce and housing-related experience, and revises applicant eligibility to require organizations to have been in existence for at least two years for the initial grant cycle and three years thereafter. Philip Peterson of the Office of General Counsel described the substitute as adopting the opioid model and noted the substitute "provides for oversight by the grants and contract compliance division" and revises eligibility and evaluation language.

Why it matters: The ordinance implements the portion of the supplemental community benefits agreement that channels stadium-related resources to the East Side. Committee members and public commenters repeatedly said the dollars are intended to be spent locally and to address long-standing disinvestment. Public commenters Latavia Harris and Kim Prior urged the committee to adopt the opioid model, with Harris saying the model brings "transparency, accountability, and responsibility" and Prior arguing that "keeping these funds in house provides better oversight." The substitute also carries budget and timing implications described by auditors and staff: $4 million previously allocated for 25–26 will be combined with 26–27 appropriations to align the first full grant cycle with the new body's start-up.

Debate highlights: Council members spent significant time arguing over whether certain activities — notably blight removal and home repair — should be treated as "economic development." Councilmember Paluso moved to define economic development to include blight removal and home repair, arguing those activities are vital to keep seniors and long-time residents in place and to prevent displacement. Opponents, including OGC staff, warned that expanding the term beyond how it appears in the supplemental CBA with the Jaguars could create contractual risk and might require a written amendment to the CBA. Councilmember Salem urged caution, recommending the council pass the ordinance as written and, if desired, seek a formal modification to the CBA later. After extended back-and-forth, Paluso withdrew his amendment pending written confirmation from the Jaguars.

Other substantive changes adopted: Auditors' recommended amendments approved by the committee clarified initial member terms, made administrative costs an annual council-approved budget item rather than a fixed dollar amount, allowed capital grants to be paid on completion, added past performance as a scoring subcomponent, clarified timing for initial scoring and allowed unused funds within a grant cycle to be moved to other categories when appropriate (a process staff described as modeled on the Public Service Grants approach). Staff said unawarded funds at the end of the award cycle will roll over into the next year.

What happened next: The committee voted to adopt the finance substitute (neighborhood substitute plus auditor-recommended amendments) and approved 20260036 as substituted, recorded as 5 yays and 1 nay. Committee members asked staff and the bill sponsor to seek written confirmation from the Jaguars about any changes that could raise contract issues before the ordinance reaches the full council.

Next steps: The substituted ordinance was approved by the committee and will proceed to the full council for a subsequent vote; committee members said they would continue conversations with the Jaguars and the administration on any requested clarifications or CBA amendments.

Closing: The committee approved the substitute and several companion amendments after public comment and multiple hours of discussion, then moved on to a slate of other routine bills before adjourning.