Eastpointe Council approves opioid‑settlement allocations for recovery services, school programming and public safety

Eastpointe City Council on Feb. 3 voted to allocate opioid‑settlement funds to local recovery, school programming and public safety after a contentious discussion about how specific the designations should be.

The motion—approved on a 3–2 roll call—designates $40,000 to Live Right recovery court, $40,000 to a school or youth program named in the motion (transcript spelling of that organization is uncertain in the record), and the remaining $266,777.63 to a public‑safety designation. Council members debated whether to frame the school and recovery allotments as 'up to $40,000' or as fixed amounts; some members preferred the 'up to' language to preserve flexibility while others said a straightforward allocation would be clearer.

Council member Scott, Mayor Kleinfeld and Council member Baker voted in favor; Councilman Curley and Council member Shadlick voted no. Supporters said the funding would support local recovery and youth education programs tied to opioid prevention and treatment; opponents expressed concern about earmarking and preferred broader public‑safety flexibility or different recipients.

Council discussed administrative steps: if funds are not spent by a designated grantee, they would likely be returned to the city and could be reallocated by future council action. Members noted that contracts and explicit documentation would be required for higher dollar amounts and that final budgetary allocations would be refined when the city sets the annual budget.

The meeting record shows councilors asked administration to reach out to proposed recipients and to return with details on contracts, program scope and reporting to ensure appropriate use of settlement funds.