County ratifies participation in national opioid settlement and approves $25,000 for secure drug boxes

The Davis County Commission on June 23 ratified a participation agreement to join a national opioid settlement involving six remnant defendants and approved the use of $25,000 of opioid settlement funds by the South Davis Metro Fire District to purchase secure drug boxes.

Civil Attorney Michael Kendall asked the Commission to ratify the County’s participation in the settlement; the meeting materials list Neal Geddes, Chief Deputy in the Commissioners’ Office, as recommending the ratification. Commissioners approved the ratification as part of a combined motion that included the Rocky Mountain Power ordinance extension.

Separately, County Controller Scott Parke requested approval for the South Davis Metro Fire District to use $25,000 of opioid settlement funds previously set aside by statute (the minutes state these are not from the County General Fund). Parke said the funds would be used to purchase secure drug drop boxes to safely contain recovered illegal substances. The Commission approved that payment; the motion to approve Item 8 was made by Bob Stevenson and seconded by Lorene Kamalu, and all present voted aye.

The minutes do not specify long-term distribution plans or an exact policy framework for how future opioid settlement funds will be allocated; the $25,000 allocation to the fire district was described as payable from statutorily set-aside opioid settlement funds and has a project term through December 31, 2026.