Delray Beach commission funds paramedicine startup and small grant pool from opioid settlement

The Delray Beach City Commission on June 9 approved a spending plan for $395,524.93 in opioid‑related settlement funds to cover 50% of startup costs for a city-run mobile integrated health unit and to create small grant pools for workforce assistance and supportive housing.

Assistant City Manager Jeff Orus told the commission the city must submit an annual intent to the state and outlined four options: (1) fund half of the paramedicine unit start‑up and split remaining dollars between workforce and housing grants; (2) emphasize grants and housing; (3) open a mixed grant pool and choose the highest‑value proposals; or (4) other mixes the commission might prefer. Orus said the city currently had $395,524.93 available and noted an advisory committee and the Delray Beach Drug Task Force favored the mobile integrated health unit.

Why it matters: Residents and service providers told the commission they wanted money aimed at keeping people in recovery rather than duplicating prevention programs that already have county and foundation funding. Several speakers said the proposed paramedicine unit — designed to follow up on people transported from local 911 calls and link them to social services and recovery resources after hospital discharge — could reduce repeated emergency transports and hospital visits.

Supporters in the public comment period included Holly Stewart of the Recovery Hub, who said, “I am strongly in favor of the mobile integrated health unit,” and Lisa Franklin of the Delray Beach Drug Task Force, who argued that settlement funds should be used where gaps exist and not to duplicate near‑$1 million in school prevention funds. Steve English, a Delray Beach resident, urged the Commission to fund paramedicine and asked for 90‑day reporting on demonstrable cost savings.

Commission discussion focused on trade‑offs — especially whether the city should seed an in‑house paramedicine effort or instead fund existing nonprofits that provide similar follow‑up services. Fire Chief Martin explained the unit’s role: when a resident is transported and discharged from the hospital without follow‑up arrangements, the unit would insert itself at discharge to arrange referrals, patient education, and social‑service coordination.

The Commission voted to adopt the staff framework identified as Option 1: allocate up to 50% of start‑up costs to the mobile integrated health unit and split remaining settlement funds among workforce and supportive‑housing grants. The motion directs staff to return with RFP/grant guidelines and reporting metrics for the advisory committee and state submission.

What’s next: Staff will draft the grant framework and metrics, advertise any grant opportunities, and submit the adopted intent to the state by the applicable deadline. The opioid advisory committee was asked to recommend specific RFP language and performance measures for the grant processes.