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Board approves $146,483.95 in opioid-settlement funds for CLEAR deflection program
Summary
The Board of Finance approved appropriating $146,483.95 in opioid settlement funds to support opioid deflection and prevention services, including joining the CLEAR initiative and partnering with McCall and the Farmington Valley Health District; Chief Paul Melanson said the town logged 12 overdose deaths in the past nine years.
The Avon Board of Finance on April 28 approved a supplemental appropriation of $146,483.95 in opioid settlement funds to support opioid deflection, prevention and related services.
Chief of Police Paul Melanson described the CLEAR initiative — a coordinated deflection program operating with the Farmington Valley Health District and providers such as McCall — as a priority use of the settlement monies. "We received over $146,000 in opioid settlement funds," Melanson said, and he told the board that "in the last nine years, we've had 12 overdose deaths, the most recent being in February, so nobody is immune, no community is immune to addiction." Melanson estimated the partnership and related training would cost about $30,000 per year but said the larger appropriation allows multi-year commitments, school prevention work, and associated overtime or staffing needs.
Board member Micah Rousey asked, "You said it was about $30,000 a year and we're appropriating $146,000, what's the rest of it?" Chief Melanson replied the larger sum allows the town to commit to multi-year services, account for school programming costs that are not yet priced, and to work with the finance director to ensure reporting compliance. The motion to appropriate up to $146,483.95 (from General Fund, Other Local Revenues, Opioid Settlement (Restricted) and transfers between specified accounts) was made by Brian Loveless, seconded by Micah Rousey, and carried 7-0-0.
The appropriation language directs the funds to the Capital & Nonrecurring Expenditures Fund for "Opioid Settlement, Opioid Remediation" to be used for programs and services to remediate the impacts of the opioid crisis and mitigate future risk in Avon.
