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Eastpointe council earmarks $40,000 to Live Right; directs remaining opioid-settlement funds to public-safety programs
Summary
On Jan. 20 the Eastpointe City Council agreed to earmark $40,000 of $346,777.63 in opioid-settlement funds for local recovery services provider Live Right and to direct the remaining balance to public-safety programs focused on research, youth education and quick-response outreach, pending eligibility under settlement exhibits.
Eastpointe — The Eastpointe City Council voted Jan. 20 to designate $40,000 of the city's $346,777.63 opioid-settlement payment to Live Right, a local recovery and outreach organization, and to direct the remainder for public-safety initiatives such as research, youth education and quick-response outreach, city staff said.
The decision came after a lengthy council discussion about eligible uses under the settlement agreements and proposals from council members and staff. Finance Director Randy Blum reported the city's incoming settlement total as $346,777.63; after the Live Right earmark the balance available is $306,777.63. Blum said staff would check proposed uses against the eligible-use lists in the settlement exhibits provided to the city.
Why it matters: opioid-settlement funds are restricted to specified categories in the settlement documents and cannot be used for unrelated municipal expenses. Council members said they wanted money to support programs that directly address overdoses and addiction locally, while also leaving flexibility for the police and fire departments to develop targeted responses.
Discussion and examples of eligible programs: Chief Haynes described a Quick Response Team (QRT) model run in partnership with Families Against Narcotics (FAN) in which officers accompany outreach workers to residences after a reported overdose to offer counseling and referrals. "We have officers go with them to residences where there has been a recent overdose and try to do outreach and get them into counseling," Haynes said. Councilmember Shadlick proposed directing some funds to Live Right, noting the organization's local outreach, NA meetings and housing assistance.
Council action: After debate and an amendment addressing program focus, the council approved the allocation by roll call. The council directed city staff to verify that planned uses — training, outreach overtime, youth education and research — fit within the settlement's allowable categories and to include the intended uses in the city's required report to the state.
What comes next: City staff said they will confirm eligible expenditures with the settlement's case manager and incorporate the council's direction into the required reporting. Council members and staff flagged that specific spending proposals from police, fire or local providers may be brought back for council review depending on whether they fall within settlement rules.
The council's action was recorded by roll call at the Jan. 20 meeting.
