Chair Anna Bullitt asks staff to research overdose prevention centers

Chair Anna Bullitt asked the Portland City Council Health, Human Services and Public Safety Committee on May 12 to authorize staff research into overdose prevention centers, saying the policy could help “not just prevent death from overdose, but to keep people alive until they can get to a detox bed and get to recovery.”

Bullitt said she had reviewed an out‑of‑state pilot and asked for a "gut check" from colleagues on whether researching the idea would be a worthwhile use of staff time. She described the Rhode Island pilot as a harm‑reduction model that required state law changes and combined supervised consumption with wraparound services procured through a public‑health RFP.

Councilor McNevich emphasized the need to clarify the legal landscape before proceeding, saying legal authority and potential changes would be "the very base level" to resolve. He also urged the committee to study likely impacts on surrounding neighborhoods and how to encourage individuals to enter a supervised facility rather than use publicly.

Councilor Pelletier said he was “emphatically in support” and urged staff to proceed with research, describing the centers as a way to bring people indoors where they can access support that could help move them toward treatment.

Mary Christie, associate corporation counsel, told the committee she had spoken with department staff and would begin researching the legal issues and return to the community with findings. Bullitt framed the request as an initial, staff‑time authorization and said the approach would include input from public health and community engagement if the legal review indicated the city could proceed.

Next steps: Corporation Counsel will review statutory and intergovernmental issues and report back to the committee; no formal motion or ordinance was advanced at the meeting.