[Call to Order]
          [00:00:24]
          GOOD. GOOD AFTERNOON. IT IS MARCH. THIS IS THURSDAY AFTERNOON, MARCH 5TH. MARCH 6TH. 
          I'M COUNCILMAN KEVIN CRAMER, CHAIR OF THE BUDGET COMMITTEE. I'M JOINED IN CHAMBERS BY COUNCILMAN, OWN COUNCILMAN, HUDSON, COUNCILMAN PIAGENTINI, COUNCILMAN LININGER AND 
          [Roll Call]
COUNCILMAN COUNCILWOMAN PARRISH. RIGHT. I'M ALSO JOINED ONLINE BY COUNCILMAN MARCUS WINKLER. 
          COUNCILWOMAN WOOLRIDGE. COUNCILWOMAN PARKER AND COUNCILWOMAN MCCRANIE. SO WE HAVE A WE HAVE A QUORUM. SO, MADAM CLERK, IF YOU'D PLEASE READ INTO THE RECORD THE STATEMENT ABOUT THIS MEETING IS BEING HELD PURSUANT TO KRS 61.826 AND COUNCIL RULE FIVE, A READ IN FULL. GREAT. THANK YOU. A COUPLE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA TODAY. THE FIRST IS RELATED TO 
          [1.
 O-042-25     AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. 100, SERIES 2024 RELATING TO THE FISCAL YEAR 2024-2025 OPERATING BUDGET BY APPROPRIATING $2,915,000 OF OPIOID SETTLEMENT FUNDS FOR VARIOUS PURPOSES THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELLNESS.
2/20/25 Budget Committee  Held
Action Required By: August 13, 2025
Sponsors: Kevin Kramer (R-11) Markus Winkler (D-17)]
THE OPIOID SETTLEMENT FUNDS. IT IS AN ORDINANCE. IT'S 04225. IT'S AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NUMBER 100, SERIES 2024 RELATING TO THE FISCAL YEAR 2024 2025 OPERATING BUDGET BY APPROPRIATING $2,915,000 OF OPIOID SETTLEMENT FUNDS FOR VARIOUS PURPOSES THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELLNESS. I'M. CAN I HAVE A MOTION? SECOND. OKAY. IT'S PRERLY BEFORE US. I'VE INVITED FOLKS FROM THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO COME FORWARD AND SPEAK TO THIS. AND IF YOU WOULD INTRODUCE YOURSELF FOR THE RECORD, AND THEN IF YOU HAVE A PRESENTATION. 
          THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON. IN THE SINGLE, I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF METRO HEALTH, AND I HAVE BEN GOLDMAN WITH ME. DIRECTOR OF ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF HARM REDUCTION SERVICES AT SHORT PRESENTATION. AND THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR ABOUT T YEARAND 'S GOI TO CONTIN. S WE THOUGHT WE CAN PU THE ART PPENED SO FARNDHERE ARE WE ADING? BEN GREAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU COUNCIL. THANK YOU, DOCTOR SINGHAL. SO JUST A QUICK OVERVIEW OF HOW WE GOT TO WHERE WE ARE. YOU KNOW, THE OPIOID SETTLEMENT IS BEING PAID OUT BY THE DISTRIBUTORS, MANUFACTURERS AND TRANSPORTERS OF OPIOIDS, PHARMACEUTICALS. THESE MEDICATIONS WAS IT WAS NOT A COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF EVERY COMPANY. SO WE DO ANTICIPATE THE MORE SETTLEMENTS WILL COME IN AND ADDITIONAL PAYMENT WILL COME IN. REALLY THE HARM THAT THIS ABATEMENT PACKAGE POINTS BACK TO IS THAT WAVE ONE, WHEN WE WERE EXPERIENCING AN INCREASE IN PRESCRIPTION OPIOID OVERDOSE DEATHS. BUT IT'S IMPORTANT AND THE SETTLEMENT ACKNOWLEDGES THIS, THAT IS NO LONGER THE WORLD THAT WE'RE IN TODAY. RIGHT NOW WE ARE PAST WAVE ONE, WHERE WE WERE SEEING OPIOID DEATHS RELATED TO PRESCRIPTION DRUGS. PATHWAY OF TWO, WHEN BLACK TAR HEROIN FILLED THE VACANCY LEFT BY THE CLOSING OF ALL OF THE PILL MILLS PAST WAVE THREE, WHERE HEROIN THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY BEING SOLD WAS SUPPLANTED BY SYNTHETIC OPIOIDS LIKE FENTANYL. 
          AND NOW WE FIND OURSELVES IN A FOURTH WAVE. THIS FOURTH WAVE IS SYNTHETIC FENTANYL. SYNTHETIC OPIOIDS LIKE FENTANYL. IN OUR ENTIRE ILLICIT, UNREGULATED DRUG SUPPLY. SO THAT INCLUDES STIMULANTS LIKE COCAINE AND METHAMPHETAMINE, AS WELL AS COUNTERFEIT PILLS THAT LOOK LIKE PRESCRIPTION PILLS BUT ARE IN FACT DEADLY LEVELS OF OPIOIDS. SO WE HAVE SEEN SORT OF THE CREST OF THIS OVERDOSE CRISIS. WE STILL ARE LOSING HUNDREDS OF OUR RESIDENTS EVERY YEAR TO FATAL OPIOID OVERDOSES. IN BOTH 2022 AND 2023, OUR COMMUNITY SAW A DECREASE IN THE OVERALL NUMBER OF RESIDENTS DYING OF OPIOID OVERDOSE. BUT WE SAW AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF OUR BLACK RESIDENTS IN JEFFERSON COUNTY WHO WERE DYING OF OPIOID OVERDOSES IN BOTH OF THOSE YEARS. 2024 DATA WILL BE RELEASED SOON. WE ARE CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC THAT WE WILL SEE ACROSS THE BOARD DECREASES THERE. BUT IT'S ALL PROVISIONAL DATA, SO I WILL NOT REPORT ON THAT YET. SO THE SETTLEMENT IS REALLY CLEAR ABOUT WHAT OUR ALLOWABLE USES FOR THESE FUNDS. 
          THEY TOOK A LESSON AWAY FROM THE TOBACCO SETTLEMENT, WHERE A LOT OF THAT MONEY FROM THE TOBACCO SETTLEMENT WAS SPENT ON INITIATIVES UNRELATED TO THE HARM CAUSED BY TOBACCO AND UNRELATED TO PREVENTING NEW INITIATION OF SMOKERS. SO THE OPIOID SETTLEMENT IS REALLY 
          [00:05:01]
CLEAR THAT YOU CAN USE THIS FUNDING TO ADDRESS PREVENTION, TREATMENT, RECOVERY, SAVING LIVES. THERE ARE PRINCIPLES THAT WERE PUBLISHED BY JOHNS HOPKINS SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH THAT ARE SORT OF THE NATIONAL GUIDANCE RELATED TO THE BEST USES. THEY FOCUS ON REALLY CLEAR GUIDANCE, LIKE USING EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICES, SPENDING MONEY TO SAVE LIVES, FOCUSING ON PREVENTION, AND DEVELOPING A TRANSPARENT PROCESS FOR SPENDING FUNDS. SO THESE AREAS ADD VERY NICELY TO THE EXISTING PUBLIC HEALTH EFFORTS AROUND HARM REDUCTION, TREATMENT, RECOVERY SUPPORT AND PREVENTION. THESE ARE PART OF A COMPREHENSIVE LONG TERM SOLUTION NOT ONLY TO THE OPIOID CRISIS, BUT TO REDUCE HARM FROM ALL SUBSTANCES IN THE FUTURE. SO OUR STRATEGY INCLUDES ALL OF THOSE PIECES. IT IS ALIGNED NOT ONLY WITH THE JOHNS HOPKINS MODEL, BUT ALSO ABATEMET ADVISORY COMMISSION. THAT'S THE STATE ENTITY THAT IS ALLOCATING THE STATE'S SHARE OF THOSE FUNDS. WE'RE AIMING TO PRIORITIZE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE MOST IMPACTED BY THE CRISIS AND INVEST IN LONG TERM STRATEGIES TO PREVENT OPIOID RELATED HARM. SO TO DATE, WE HAVE ALLOCATED FOUR TIMES. WE'RE BREAKING THEM DOWN INTO THREE ROUNDS, ONE ROUND BEING BROKEN INTO TWO PIECES. THE FIRST WAS REALLY TRYING TO STOP THE BLEEDING AND REDUCE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO WERE DYING IN OUR COMMUNITY IMMEDIATELY, SO THOSE FUNDS WENT TO NALOXONE DISTRIBUTION, OVERDOSE EDUCATION, OUTREACH SERVICES AND PRIORITY ZIP CODES AND OUTREACH TO OUR UNHOUSED RESIDENTS. AND THAT WAS $1.1 MILLION. THE NEXT ROUND, WE PUT OUT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS IN THE AREA OF TREATMENT AND RECOVERY, SUPPORTS HOMELESSNESS AND PREVENTION. WE RECEIVED OVER 60 APPLICATIONS, AND OUR OPIOID ABATEMENT ADVISORY BOARD WORKED TO EVALUATE THOSE AND SELECTED ULTIMATELY 21 PROJECTS FROM 20 DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS, FOR A TOTAL OF $4.8 MILLION OF FUNDING. $5 MILLION OF THE OPIOID ABATEMENT SETTLEMENT WENT TO EXISTING LOUISVILLE METRO GOVERNMENT FUNDED PROGRAMS, INCLUDING OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT'S WORK IN HARM REDUCTION AND MEDICATION FOR OPIOID USE DISORDER. EMS OVERDOSE RESPONSE AND THE EXPANSION OF THEIR CRISIS CALL DIVERSION AND THE GOODWILL AND OTHER WAY PROGRAM, FUNDED THROUGH OFFICE OF SOCIAL SERVICES. IN THAT FIRST ROUND OF FUNDING, ONE OF THE PROJECTS THAT HAD BEEN ALLOCATED WAS WORKING WITH UK TARGET FOR A PARTNER THAT PROVIDES SERVICES AROUND SUBSTANCE USE, AND THEY WERE GOING TO OPEN A SERVICE SITE PROVIDING OVERDOSE EDUCATION, NALOXONE DISTRIBUTION, HARM REDUCTION SERVICES AND LINKAGE TO TREATMENT FOR SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER. ULTIMATELY, UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY WAS UNABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT GRANT, AND SO OUR DEPARTMENT PROPOSED THAT WE IMPLEMENT THAT INTERNAL TO LMG AND FUND OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO CARRY OUT THAT PROPOSAL. WE BELIEVE IN THE IMPORTANCE OF IT. WE BELIEVE IN INCREASING ACCESS, PARTICULARLY TO MEDICATION FOR OPIOID USE DISORDER AND HARM REDUCTION SERVICES TO RESIDENTS. SO WE ALLOCATED THE FUNDING THAT HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN ALLOCATED TO UK FOR THAT, ALONG WITH SOME EXPANDED WRAPAROUND SERVICES TO PROVIDE RESIDENTS WHO RECEIVE SERVICES THROUGH THAT SITE. JUST BREAKING IT DOWN BY CATEGORY. AS YOU CAN SEE, THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF THE FUNDS HAVE GONE TO TREATMENT AND RECOVERY SUPPORTS. THAT'S NOT A SURPRISE BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE OUR COMMUNITY HAS THE LARGEST NUMBER OF ORGANIZATIONS WORKING. SO THE MAJORITY OF THE PROPOSALS THAT WE RECEIVED CAME FROM OUR TREATMENT AND RECOVERY PARTNERS. THOSE FUNDS WERE ALLOCATED ALMOST ENTIRELY IN ROUND TWO. WE ALSO, AS YOU CAN SEE, SPENT FUNDS ON EMERGENCY SERVICES, HOMELESSNESS, HARM REDUCTION, PRIMARY PREVENTION AND THEN ADMINISTRATION AND EVALUATION. EVALUATION IS REALLY EMERGING AS ONE OF THE CRITICAL EXPENDITURES IN THESE ABATEMENT. SETTLEMENT DOLLARS. COMMUNITIES ARE FINDING THAT IF YOU DON'T BUILD AN INFRASTRUCTURE WHERE YOU HAVE ACCOUNTABILITY AND REPORTING FROM THE ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE RECEIVING FUNDS, THEN YOU RISK MAKING INVESTMENTS WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO SHOW CONSTITUENTS AND RESIDENTS THE VALUE OF THOSE INVESTMENTS. SO YOU ALL MAY 
          [00:10:07]
REMEMBER THESE. THESE WERE THE ROUND ONE FUNDS THAT I MENTIONED. THE SAVE LIVES. NOW IN TOTAL, IT LED TO THE DISTRIBUTION OF OVER 9700 UNITS OF NALOXONE, BOTH IN OUR PRIORITY ZIP CODES THAT WERE EXPERIENCING THE HIGHEST RATES OF OVERDOSE EACH SIX MONTH PERIOD THAT THEY WERE DISTRIBUTED. AND IN OUR HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS AROUND THE CITY. WE ALSO SAW FUNDING FOR FEED LOUISVILLE AND CARE THAT PROVIDED OUTREACH TO AN AVERAGE OF 216 PEOPLE DAILY, AS WELL AS TRANSPORTING AND TRANSITIONING FOLKS INTO SHELTER AND HOUSING. 
          ROUND TWO. WE ARE FULLY IN PROGRESS. ALL OF THESE PARTNERS HAVE GRANT AGREEMENTS SIGNED. 
          THEY HAVE ALREADY COMPLETED THEIR FIRST QUARTER REPORTS. THEY'VE SUBMITTED THEIR FIRST INVOICES AND WILL CONTINUE PROVIDING SERVICES FOR ABOUT ANOTHER EIGHT MONTHS TO A YEAR, DEPENDING ON THEIR START DATES. WHILE WE'RE STILL GATHERING THE INITIAL DATA, WE CAN ALREADY REPORT THAT OVER 2750 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SERVED FOR IN THIS ROUND AROUND MEDICATION FOR OPIOID USE, DISORDER PREVENTION, CASE MANAGEMENT AND OTHER SERVICES. 41 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN MOVED INTO PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, 50 PROFESSIONALS HAVE BEEN EMPLOYED IN PROVIDING OPIOID ABATEMENT RELATED WORK, AND $1.3 MILLION OF THOSE ALLOCATED FUNDS HAS ALREADY GONE OUT THE DOOR. NOW, IT BEARS MENTIONING AT THIS POINT THE PAYMENT STRUCTURE FOR THESE GRANTS IS REIMBURSEMENT. SO WE'RE ALWAYS KIND OF 3 TO 4 MONTHS BEHIND IN OUR ACCOUNTING OF HOW MANY FUNDS, HOW MANY OF THESE DOLLARS HAVE BEEN SPENT. SO WE KNOW THAT ORGANIZATIONS HAVE SPENT MUCH MORE THAN THIS, BUT THIS IS WHAT'S BEEN INVOICED AND MOVED FROM THE COST CENTER THAT HAS THE ABATEMENT FUNDS IN IT. SO THIS ROUND, WE REALLY HEARD FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS, THE STATE ABATEMENT BOARD, AND EVERY ONE OF THE TOWN HALLS THAT WE ATTENDED. WE HEARD THIS THEME COME UP OVER AND OVER AGAIN WAS PREVENTION AND REALLY TAKING A THREE PART APPROACH TO PREVENTION. NUMBER ONE IS WHAT MANY PEOPLE THINK OF WHEN THEY HEAR THE WORD PREVENTION. THAT'S PRIMARY PREVENTION. IT'S OFTEN IN CLASSROOMS, IN SCHOOLS, IN AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS. BUT IT IS IMPLEMENTING PROVEN PRACTICES THAT REDUCE THE INITIATION OF SUBSTANCE USE BY YOUNG PEOPLE. 
          WE ALSO CONSIDER PREVENTION AS BEING A LITTLE BROADER. SO WE RECOGNIZE THAT UNTREATED MENTAL ILLNESS AND UNTREATED TRAUMA IN YOUNG PEOPLE IS HIGHLY CORRELATED WITH SUBSEQUENT INITIATION OF SUBSTANCE USE AND PROBLEMATIC SUBSTANCE USE, ALL THE WAY UP TO SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER. SO WE REALLY ALSO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE NEED FOR BETTER MENTAL HEALTH CARE, BETTER LINKAGE TO SERVICES FOR HIGH, HIGH RISK YOUNG PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED TRAUMA OR WHO ARE EXPERIENCING MENTAL ILLNESS AND DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. AND THEN LASTLY, THE THIRD IS MORE OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL GOAL. SO RECOGNIZING THAT YOUNG PEOPLE EXIST IN AN ENVIRONMENT AND THAT THE BEST WAY THAT WE CAN ENSURE THEIR HEALTH AND THEIR STABILITY IS BY MAKING SURE THAT THEY HAVE ACCESS TO MEANINGFUL EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AND A PLACE THAT THEY CAN BE THAT IS SAFE AND FREE OF HARM. SO OUR STRATEGY IS, AS I SAID, ALIGNED WITH JOHNS HOPKINS, THE STATE PRIORITIES, FEEDBACK WE'VE RECEIVED FROM THIS BODY AND FEEDBACK WE'VE RECEIVED FROM THE COMMUNITY. SO THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN ALREADY FUNDED AROUND PREVENTION, BUT THAT IS THE AREA THAT WE'VE FUNDED THE LEAST SO FAR. SO AND THIS DISBURSEMENT, WE'RE HOPING TO PRIORITIZE SOME SCHOOL BASED PROJECTS. THAT'S THE BROADEST OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO REACH YOUNG PEOPLE IN JEFFERSON COUNTY. AND JCPS, WITH 100,000 STUDENTS IS SORT OF THE EASIEST, LARGEST INSTITUTION WE CAN PARTNER WITH TO ENSURE WE'RE REACHING AS MANY YOUNG PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE. SO THE PROPOSAL THAT WE HAVE CENTERS AROUND THOSE THREE AREAS THAT WE DISCUSSED BEFORE, CLASSROOM EVIDENCE BASED PREVENTION PROGRAMING, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES LIKE MENTAL HEALTH CARE, LINKAGE TO TREATMENT FOR BOTH MENTAL ILLNESS AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER, AND THEN SOME AFTER SCHOOL WRAPAROUND SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING PROGRAMING. THERE'S A HUGE EVIDENCE BASE FOR YOUTH FOR PREVENTION, SCHOOL BASED PREVENTION, PRIMARY PREVENTION. IT'S INCREDIBLY COST EFFECTIVE. IF YOU'RE ABLE TO 
          [00:15:03]
PREVENT A YOUNG PERSON FROM DEVELOPING A SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER THAT IS FAR AND AWAY THE CHEAPEST WAY TO DEAL WITH THE SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER. ALL OF THE COST BENEFIT ANALYZES OF THE EVIDENCE BASED PROGRAMING THAT WE ARE ADVOCATING JCPS IMPLEMENT SHOW A HUGE RETURN ON INVESTMENT. SO IT'S ESTIMATED THAT FOR EVERY $1 THAT YOU SPEND ON PREVENTION, YOU SAVE $18 DOWN THE LINE IN MEDICAL CARE COSTS, TREATMENT COSTS, HOMELESSNESS COSTS AND INCARCERATION COSTS. 
          LONG TERM INVESTMENT FOR LONG LASTING IMPACT. THE SERVICES THAT WE'RE HOPING TO FUND IN JCPS WILL ULTIMATELY BE ABLE TO BE SUSTAINABLE THROUGH MEDICAID BILLING. A LOT OF THE STUDENTS WHO WOULD BE REACHED THROUGH THIS, ESPECIALLY THE PSYCHIATRIC NURSE PRACTITIONER HOURS, ARE STUDENTS WHO ARE EITHER ON MEDICAID OR ELIGIBLE FOR MEDICAID, AND JCPS WILL BE ABLE TO BUILD THOSE MOVING FORWARD. SO WE NO LONGER ARE ON THE HOOK FOR PROVIDING THOSE SERVICES. WE ALSO ARE REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO BUILDING INFRASTRUCTURE WITHIN JCPS. THERE ARE MANY GOOD COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS THAT WANT TO PROVIDE SERVICES IN JCPS USING THEIR OWN FUNDING. 
          BUT PLAYING MATCHMAKER BETWEEN SCHOOL AND ORGANIZATION HAS BEEN A BARRIER, AND THERE'S NO DEDICATED CAPACITY WITHIN JCPS TO IDENTIFY. OKAY, INSTEAD OF IT JUST BEING THIS TEACHER KNOWS SOMEBODY WHO DOES THIS SO THAT THAT SCHOOL HAS A PROGRAM, WHICH SCHOOLS HAVE WHAT NEEDS AND WHAT PROGRAMS ARE PROVIDING THOSE AND LINK THOSE IN FUTURE DISCERNMENTS WE ALSO RECOMMEND IN CONTINUING TO INVEST IN THESE EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICES AROUND YOUTH PREVENTION AND ADDRESSING SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH. OKAY. THANK YOU. I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND START WITH A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. AND THEN THE QUEUE IS OPEN. IF ANYONE HAS QUESTIONS. I THINK THE FIRST THING I WOULD AND AGAIN WE HAD A CONVERSATION BETWEEN THE PRIMARY SPONSOR. SO WE HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE AND WHAT IT WOULD DO, AND A BIT OF A CONVERSATION AROUND THE PREVENTION PIECE AND THE EVOLUTION OF THE OF THE PREVENTION, THE EVOLUTION OF THE PROBLEM THAT, THAT WE'RE SEEKING TO PREVENT. RIGHT. SO TO YOUR POINT, WE'RE NOT SEEING FOLKS BECOMING ADDICTED TO OPIOIDS THROUGH THE PHARMACEUTICAL PROCESS, RIGHT. LIKE DOCTORS ARE NO LONGER THE PRESCRIPTIONS AREN'T REALLY THE PROBLEM ANYMORE. AT LEAST NOT AS AS MUCH THE PROBLEM. RIGHT. SO CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE EVOLUTION, ABOUT HOW I THINK YOU KNOW WHAT I'M ASKING? YEAH. THANKS, BEN. I'M HAPPY FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS THAT. SO YES, AS THE CHAIR SAYS, WE DON'T SEE YOUNG PEOPLE INITIATING PRESCRIPTION DRUG USE WITH PILLS THAT ARE COMING FROM A PHARMACY NEARLY TO THE EXTENT THAT WE DID 20 YEARS AGO WHEN THERE WERE TONS OF PRESCRIPTIONS BEING WRITTEN FOR OPIOIDS. HOWEVER, AS I DISCUSSED WITH THE WAVES OF THE CRISIS, BECAUSE OF THAT FUNDING, BECAUSE OF THAT FLOODING OF OUR COMMUNITY WITH PRESCRIPTION DRUGS, OUR DRUG SUPPLY NOW IS FUNDAMENTALLY AND PERMANENTLY ALTERED. SO WHAT WE HAVE SEEN FOR THE FIRST TIME, TO MY KNOWLEDGE IN THIS COMMUNITY'S HISTORY, IS YOUNG PEOPLE EXPERIENCING OPIOID OVERDOSE AT SCHOOL, YOUNG PEOPLE DYING OF OPIOID OVERDOSE IN OUR COMMUNITY NOT BECAUSE THEY'RE TAKING A VICODIN OR A PERCOCET OR AN OXYCONTIN, BUT BECAUSE THEY'RE TAKING A PILL THAT THEY BELIEVE TO BE A PRESCRIPTION PILL, BUT IS, IN FACT, SYNTHETIC OPIOIDS, USUALLY ILLICITLY MANUFACTURED FENTANYL. SO THE ABATEMENT SETTLEMENT IS REALLY CLEAR, LIKE THE TOBACCO SETTLEMENT, BUT MUCH CLEARER THAT PREVENTING THE HARM THAT THE OPIOID CRISIS HAS CAUSED, INCLUDING MAKING SURE THAT YOUNG PEOPLE ARE NOT DYING OF OPIOID OVERDOSES TODAY WHEN THEY INITIATE SUBSTANCE USE OF ANY SORT. SO PRIMARY PREVENTION IS WONDERFUL BECAUSE IT CAN REDUCE NOT ONLY NEGATIVE OUTCOMES RELATED TO ONE PARTICULAR SUBSTANCE, BUT RELATED TO ALL SUBSTANCE USE, AS WELL AS A NUMBER OF NEGATIVE HEALTH OUTCOMES LIKE SUICIDE PREVENTION OR SELF-HARM. SMOKING, VAPING. BUT BECAUSE WE KNOW YOUNG PEOPLE ARE ACCESSING ILLICITLY MANUFACTURED OPIOIDS IN OUR COMMUNITY, RECOGNIZING THAT FACT AND TRYING TO GET AS MUCH INFORMATION TO YOUNG PEOPLE AND AS MUCH REDUCTION IN RISK OUT TO OUR SCHOOLS HAS BECOME A 
          [00:20:06]
PRIORITY FOR US. SO WE'RE ALREADY IN A NUMBER OF JCPS SCHOOLS. WE'RE IN A NUMBER OF PRIVATE SCHOOLS, BUT RIGHT NOW IT'S ALL SORT OF OUR OUR DEPARTMENT'S WORK IS IDIOSYNCRATIC. IF THERE'S A SCHOOL THAT WILL LET US IN, WE GO IN. IF THERE'S A SCHOOL THAT HEARS ABOUT US THROUGH WORD OF MOUTH, WE GO. BUT OUR DREAM IS TO HAVE SORT OF A MORE SYSTEMIC INTERVENTION WHERE EVERY YOUNG PERSON IN JEFFERSON COUNTY IS RECEIVING FACT BASED INFORMATION, NOT SCARE TACTICS, BUT FACT BASED INFORMATION ABOUT THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH SUBSTANCE USE AND INFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO PROTECT THEMSELVES. THANK YOU. SO JUST, YOU KNOW, FOR FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I DON'T WANT US TO I KNOW WE'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION. I DON'T WANT US TO LOSE FOCUS ON, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE OPIOID CRISIS WAS AND IS AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR US GOING FORWARD. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE HAVE TO AT LEAST BE AWARE THAT THERE'S THIS PARALLEL TRACK. SO WE HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT AND KEEP AN EYE ON WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, WHAT THIS DOES TODAY IS HELP JCPS WITH PROGRAMS THAT AND AGAIN, I HEARD YOU SAY THAT THE GOAL HERE IS THAT WE PUT THE MONEY IN AND THAT THESE PROGRAMS WILL BEGIN, AND THEN THEY'LL BE FUNDED THROUGH INSURANCE RECOVERY AND THROUGH OTHER PROGRAMS. AND SO THIS IS NOT AN ONGOING EVERY YEAR WE CAN EXPECT TO SPEND ANOTHER $1.6 MILLION. THIS IS WE KNOW THIS IS AN ISSUE. WE KNOW THERE ARE FOLKS OUT THERE THAT ARE DOING THESE KINDS OF THINGS. WE KNOW THAT THEY'RE HAVING SOME SUCCESS AT IT. AND WE ALSO KNOW THAT THERE ARE WAYS TO FUND PIECES OF IT. RIGHT? MAYBE NOT ALL OF IT, BUT BUT CERTAINLY PIECES, WHICH GIVES US A CHANCE THEN TO DOUBLE BACK TO SOME OF THE NOT THE PREVENTION PIECE, BUT THE REHABILITATION PIECE AND RECOGNIZING AND UNDERSTANDING THAT NO ONE WHO GOES INTO TREATMENT, WELL, I SHOULDN'T SAY NO ONE. RARELY DO PEOPLE GO INTO TREATMENT AND COME OUT ON THE OTHER SIDE AND THEY'RE FINISHED AFTER ONE EFFORT. RIGHT? SO WE KNOW THAT THIS IS AN ONGOING. AND SO WE KNOW WE HAVE TO KEEP FOCUSING ON SUPPORTING, SUPPORTING, SUPPORTING. AND SO I WAS HOPING AND AGAIN, I'M I'M JUST HIGHLIGHTING SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU HAD MENTIONED. YOU POINT OUT THAT THERE'S A LOT OF MONEY IN THIS PARTICULAR ORDINANCE TO DO THE EVALUATION PIECE. I WOULD REMIND MY COLLEAGUES WHO HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR, WELL, COUNCILWOMAN MCCRANEY AND MAYBE COUNCILMAN WINKLER. OTHER THAN THAT, I CAN'T SAY MY COLLEAGUES HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR A WHILE. I DON'T KNOW, WERE YOU HERE WHEN WE DID THE LIVING ROOM? OKAY. THE SAME TIME. OH, THEN. OKAY, THEN, COUNCILMAN PIAGENTINI. SO WE TRIED TO. WE FUNDED A PROGRAM FOR JUST FOR HISTORIC SAKE. WE FUNDED A PROGRAM CALLED THE LIVING ROOM, AND WE WERE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE. BUT SOME OF THE STRUGGLE WE HAD WAS WE DIDN'T DO THERE WASN'T ENOUGH CLEAR EVALUATION OF THE PROGRAM TO IDENTIFY WHETHER IT WAS SUCCESSFUL OR NOT. AND SO IT BECAME A BIT OF A PROBLEM. SO MAKING SURE THAT THAT EVALUATION PIECE IS IN THERE, I JUST WANT TO REITERATE TO MY COLLEAGUES, MAKING SURE THAT EVALUATION PIECE IS IN THERE MAKES A DIFFERENCE. BECAUSE IF YOU CAN'T SHOW THAT IT'S SUCCESSFUL, IT'S HARD TO KEEP KEEP DOING IT. RIGHT. SO I JUST WOULD POINT THAT OUT. HAVING SAID THAT, THOSE ARE THOSE ARE MY PIECES. DID I SAY ANYTHING THAT CREATES DISCOMFORT WITH MY WITH MY GUESTS? IS THERE ANYTHING I THINK IT'S WORTH CLARIFYING? JUST IN THE INTEREST OF TRANSPARENCY, THE MEDICAID FUNDING, YOU KNOW, THE REIMBURSEMENT THAT WOULD MAKE THE SERVICE COMPONENT SUSTAINABLE. AND THAT IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE PART. AND CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, THE TIME OF A PSYCHIATRIC NURSE PRACTITIONER IS MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE THAN A PREVENTION SPECIALIST OR EDUCATION SPECIALIST. BUT OUR HOPE AROUND THE CLASSROOM BASED PREVENTION PROGRAMING IS THAT THE INFRASTRUCTURE GETS BUILT SO THAT COMMUNITY PARTNERS CAN COME IN AND PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES FREE OF CHARGE, BECAUSE THEY WOULD LIKE TO DO THAT AND THEY'RE JUST STRUGGLING TO DO IT. GREAT. THANK YOU. QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE. 
          COUNCILMAN PIAGENTINI. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I KNOW YOU CAN'T SEE THE QUEUE AT ALL. IT'S WEIRD. YEAH. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE. THANKS FOR ANSWERING SOME QUESTIONS. FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO COME BACK TO. AND WE DON'T HAVE TO BRING THE SLIDES BACK UP IF YOU WANT TO. 
          THAT'S FINE. YOU TALKED ABOUT METRICS AS IN HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE GOTTEN PERMANENT HOUSING. I ACTUALLY THINK THAT'S ONE A GOOD OUTCOME METRIC, RIGHT. THE OTHERS I'LL CALL THEM ACTIVITY METRICS. RIGHT. WE'VE TRAINED MY HEAD, SORT OF BACK OF THE NAPKIN, WE'VE COMMITTED ABOUT 20%, 10 MILLION OUT OF 50 MILLION AM I, GIVE OR TAKE A MILLION BUCKS, RIGHT? YEAH. SO I'M CURIOUS AS TO WHERE WE THINK WE ARE AND WHAT OUTCOMES WE'RE TRACKING AND BY OUTCOMES. I'M, 
          [00:25:03]
YOU KNOW, I'M THINKING THINGS LIKE REDUCTION IN DEATHS PER 100,000, A REDUCTION IN PEOPLE ADDICTED TO DRUGS, RIGHT, MAY BE MEASURED THROUGH THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE GOING THROUGH INPATIENT REHABILITATION. I DON'T KNOW, I'M MAKING THIS UP ON THE FLY, BUT WHAT OUTCOME METRICS LIKE THAT ARE WE TRACKING AND WHERE ARE WE RIGHT NOW IN SEEING ANY RESULTS. SO DEFINITELY YOU KNOW I AGREE 100%. THE OUTCOME FOR THE FIRST ROUND ESPECIALLY. BUT HONESTLY, FOR ALL OF THE ROUNDS THAT I'M MOST INTERESTED IN IS NUMBER OF LIVES SAVED. RIGHT. AND WE ARE VERY, VERY CLOSELY TRACKING OVERDOSE FATALITIES. AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, YOU KNOW, WE ONLY HAVE PROVISIONAL DATA, SO I'M NOT AUTHORIZED TO SPEAK ON 2024, BUT I WOULD LOVE FOR US TO COME BACK WHEN THOSE NUMBERS ARE RELEASED IN JUNE OR JULY. I CAN SAY SAFELY. WE ARE ANTICIPATING DRAMATIC OUTCOMES THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO POINT TO. AND IN TERMS OF SORT OF ROUND TWO, THE OUTCOMES RELATED TO THAT, WE'RE NOT YET AT A POINT WHERE WE'LL BE ABLE TO CAPTURE THOSE. BUT PART OF THE EVALUATION IS AIMED AT THOSE LONGER TERM PIECES OF DID DID WE MAKE AN IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY? YEAH YEAH YEAH. 
          AGAIN, MY FEAR, JUST TO BE CLEAR, MY FEAR ON THESE THINGS IS $50 MILLION LATER WE LOOK BACK AND WE SAY, WHAT DID WE DO? AND WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T PUT OUR FINGER ON IT. RIGHT. SO WHAT YOU JUST SAID, BECAUSE I GOT TO TELL YOU, I TURNED AROUND AND SAID TO COUNCIL COUNCILMAN OWEN HERE A MOMENT AGO, THE CHART ON DEATHS PER 100,000. I MEAN, IT MAKES ME WANT TO THROW UP, RIGHT? LIKE IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S A CHART, BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S HUMANITY BEHIND THE CHART. IT'S VERY, VERY HARD TO WATCH. SO I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE'LL SEE HOW IT GOES. BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. THAT'S EXCELLENT. REGARDING THE YOUTH PORTION OF THIS AND THE PREVENTION SIDE OF IT. YOU I'M A LITTLE JADED ON PREVENTION JUST BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN PREVENTION PROGRAMS IN THE PAST THAT THAT HAVE BEEN TRUE FAILURES. RIGHT. AND SO I GUESS MY JUST HAVE TWO QUESTIONS ON IT. MY FIRST QUESTION IS WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE IN THIS? AND YOU SAID THIS EVIDENCE BASED PROGRAM AND WHAT IS THE EVIDENCE. SO WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE IN HOW IT'S STRUCTURED COMPARED TO LIKE PAST PROGRAMS. AND THEN WHAT'S THE KIND OF EVIDENCE THAT YOU HAVE OR THAT THAT THOSE STUDIES HAVE THAT SHOW THAT IT'S DIFFERENT OR WHAT IMPACT IT HAS DOWN THE ROAD? ABSOLUTELY. SO I AM A GRADUATE OF THE DARE PROGRAM. THAT WAS MY GENERATION. 
          THAT WAS LIKE A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF A NON EVIDENCE BASED PROGRAM. SO THAT WAS IT WAS PEOPLE WHO WERE NOT EXPERTS IN EDUCATION OR CHILD PSYCHOLOGY OR SUBSTANCE USE, OR ANY OF THE AREAS THAT YOU WOULD WANT SOMEONE TO KNOW ABOUT IN DESIGNING A PROGRAM. RIGHT. IT WAS WELL INTENTIONED, OF COURSE, BUT SCARE TACTICS ULTIMATELY TEND TO BACKFIRE. SO WHEN I WAS TOLD THAT IF I SMOKED CANNABIS EVEN ONCE, THAT I WOULD, YOU KNOW, LIVE A LIFE OF ADDICTION AND I WOULD WIND UP UNHOUSED. AND THEN I SAW PEOPLE ALL AROUND ME USING SUBSTANCES IN A WAY THAT DIDN'T PLAY OUT, THAT I HAD BEEN TOLD. IT UNDERMINED ALL OF THE CREDIBILITY OF WHAT THAT PROGRAM WAS SAYING. SO THE EVIDENCE BASED MODELS, REALLY THERE ARE A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT APPROACHES, BUT WHAT THEY ALL HAVE IN COMMON IS THEY'RE RIGOROUSLY TESTED. SO WHEN THEY IMPLEMENT THOSE PROGRAMS, THEY FIRST SORT OF TAKE MEASUREMENTS OF THE STUDENT BODY OF WHO ALREADY REPORTS SUBSTANCE USE, WHO REPORTS KNOWLEDGE ABOUT SUBSTANCES AT THE END OF THE IMPLEMENTATION, THEY DO A POST EVALUATION. SO THEY ASK QUESTIONS AGAIN ABOUT WHO'S USING SUBSTANCES, BUT IMPORTANTLY ABOUT PEOPLE'S KNOWLEDGE LEVEL AROUND SUBSTANCES, AROUND FACTS VERSUS MYTHS, AROUND RESOURCES, AND TO BE EVIDENCE BASED, YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO SHOW THAT THE INFORMATION THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO CONVEY IS CONVEYED. AND THEN THE BEST PROGRAMS HAVE LONGITUDINAL DATA WHERE THEY THEN TRACK THOSE KIDS AND THEY SAY, OKAY, WELL, THAT'S FINE, BUT THEN WHAT ABOUT WHEN THEY GET OUT INTO THE WORLD, RIGHT. AND THEY LOOK, YOU KNOW, EITHER AT ONE SCHOOL THAT RECEIVED THE INTERVENTION AND ANOTHER SCHOOL THAT DIDN'T, OR ONE CLASS THAT RECEIVED IT AND ANOTHER THAT DIDN'T, AND THEY TRACK THOSE EXACT OUTCOMES THAT YOU WOULD CARE MOST ABOUT. DID YOUNG PEOPLE INITIATE SUBSTANCE USE? DID YOUNG PEOPLE EXPERIENCE NEGATIVE HEALTH OUTCOMES? DID YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE INVOLVEMENT WITH THE LEGAL SYSTEM, OR WERE THEY EXPELLED OR SUSPENDED FROM SCHOOL FOR SUBSTANCE USE? AND WE AS A HEALTH DEPARTMENT ARE ONLY PROMOTING PROGRAMS THAT HAVE HAD MULTIPLE STUDIES WHERE DIFFERENT RESEARCHERS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO 
          [00:30:09]
POINT TO A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN THE OUTCOMES THAT WE CARE MOST ABOUT. OKAY, SO THE STATE HAS TWO THAT THEY RECOMMEND THAT HAVE LARGE EVIDENCE BASES. THOSE AREN'T THE ONLY TWO PROGRAMS. SO THERE ARE OTHERS THAT WE WOULD ALSO ENCOURAGE J-C-P-S TO DO. 
          BUT WE HAVE JCPS COMMITMENT THAT THEY WILL LOOK TO OUR DEPARTMENT AS THE SORT OF KNOWLEDGE BASE FOR WHAT IS LIKELY TO WORK, AS OPPOSED TO WHAT FEELS LIKE IT WOULD WORK. LAST QUESTION. THE ONLY THE ONLY THING THAT MAKES ME A LITTLE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GOING DIRECTLY TO KIDS HERE AND OKAY, BUT THERE'S THIS GROUP OF PEOPLE CALLED PARENTS THAT USUALLY SIT IN BETWEEN. NOW, I WILL CAVEAT THAT WE HAVE I'LL SIMPLIFY THIS VERY EASILY, BUT WE'LL HAVE KIDS THAT DON'T HAVE PARENTS IN THEIR LIVES FOR WHATEVER REASON. THEY'RE IN THE THEY'RE IN THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM CURRENTLY. RIGHT. OR OR THE STATE CUSTODIAL SYSTEM MIGHT HAVE KIDS WHOSE PARENTS THEMSELVES ARE ADDICTED. VERY HIGH RISK GROUP, PROBABLY. RIGHT. IF NOT THE MOST HIGH RISK GROUP. AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO HAVE KIDS, RIGHT. THE VAST MAJORITY, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME PARENT AT HOME PARENT OR PARENTS. RIGHT. AND ALL THIS. SO HELP ME UNDERSTAND HOW THESE PROGRAMS ENGAGE WITH THEM. AT A MINIMUM, MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE NOT IN THE DARK ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON. AND AT A MAXIMUM, THEY'RE I MEAN, YOU KNOW, KNOCK ON WOOD. 
          I'D LIKE TO THINK THAT PART OF THE REASON I DIDN'T GO DOWN THAT PATHWAY IS MY PARENTS GUIDED ME THERE. NOT SO MUCH MY SCHOOL, BUT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I CONCEDING THERE ARE HIGH RISK GROUPS THAT WE HAVE, PARENTS THAT AREN'T MAYBE GIVING THAT SAME EDUCATION TO THEIR CHILDREN. AND WE HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY TO HELP OUT HERE. BUT I ALSO DON'T WANT TO IGNORE THAT. 
          SO HOW ARE WE PARTNERING WITH PARENTS OR ENGAGING WITH THEM? CAN YOU EXPLAIN HOW THAT WORKS? SURE. YEAH. I MEAN, I THINK THAT THE PARENTS ARE A CRITICAL PIECE OF THE PUZZLE, RIGHT? I THINK THIS PARTICULAR PACKAGE IS FOCUSED ON SERVICES AND PROGRAMING FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. BUT OUR DEPARTMENT ALREADY DOES PARENT EDUCATION, AND I THINK IT WOULD BE VERY WISE OF US AS A CITY TO INVEST FUTURE PIECES OF THE OPIOID ABATEMENT IN PARENT EDUCATION AS WELL. THE EVIDENCE BASE THERE IS A LITTLE THAT THE EFFECTS ARE PRESENT, BUT IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE CHALLENGING. AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE AT HIGHEST RISK ARE ALSO THE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO IT'S HARDEST TO ENGAGE PARENTS TO COME TO PROGRAMING. RIGHT. BUT I YOU KNOW, I'M 100% IN SUPPORT OF US PROVIDING AS MUCH EDUCATION AS POSSIBLE. I'M A PARENT AND FOR ME IT'S TERRIFYING. AND I FEEL REALLY, REALLY PRIVILEGED AND LUCKY THAT I HAVE THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE AND THE KNOWLEDGE TO AT LEAST GO INTO THIS AWARE OF WHAT THE RISKS ARE FOR MY CHILD AND HOW TO TALK TO MY CHILD, AND KNOWING THAT TALKING WITH MY CHILD ABOUT SUBSTANCE USE IS NOT GOING TO PUT THE IDEA IN HER HEAD AND CAUSE HER TO EXPERIMENT WITH SUBSTANCES, BUT IT WILL PROVIDE HER MEANINGFUL FACTS THAT SHE CAN USE TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS. YEAH, I YEAH, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT GLOBALLY, I'VE ASKED ABOUT WITH OTHER PROGRAMS, WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS, RIGHT, WHERE WE'RE ENGAGING WITH YOUTH, I GET VERY NERVOUS THAT WE'RE MISSING A STEP HERE AGAIN. WITH THAT SAID, THERE ARE, I'M SURE, MANY CHILDREN IN THE HIGHEST RISK. 
          CHILDREN ARE PROBABLY IN CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE THEY DON'T HAVE THAT LEVEL OF PARENTAL INFLUENCE. RIGHT. BUT THOSE THAT DO, WE JUST I JUST ALWAYS WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S SOME ENGAGEMENT THERE AT A MINIMUM, AT A KNOWLEDGE BASE AND A MAXIMUM. THEY'RE CARRYING THE MESSAGE FORWARD. RIGHT. THEY'VE GOT BECAUSE THEY'RE SPENDING BY FAR THE MOST TIME. SO WITH WITH THEIR CHILD. SO AND THAT THAT THIRD PIECE THAT WE TALKED ABOUT WITH THE PREVENTION STRATEGY OF THE ENVIRONMENT, REALLY THAT AIMS TO ADDRESS NOT ONLY THE PARENTS, BUT HAVING MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS WITH TRUSTED ADULTS AS WELL. SO ALREADY SOME OF THE PREVENTION WORK THAT WE'VE ALREADY FUNDED WAS SORT OF GETTING SOME PREVENTION WORK INTO EXISTING SPORTS LEAGUES AND SITUATIONS WHERE IT'S YOUNG PEOPLE WHO MAYBE THEY'RE NOT GOING TO THEIR PARENT FOR THIS INFORMATION, BUT THEY HAVE A COACH WHO'S ABLE TO PLAY THAT ROLE IN THEIR LIFE. AND I THINK THAT THAT AREA IS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY WHERE WE CAN EXPAND OUR WORK. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN. COUNCILWOMAN. I'M SORRY. PERISH. RIGHT. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENTATION. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE NEED TO DO OVER AND OVER AGAIN FOR THE WIDER COUNCIL BODY, BECAUSE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ABATEMENT FUNDING, WE DON'T TALK ABOUT THAT. THIS IS 18 YEARS THAT THIS MONEY WILL BE DISTRIBUTED. AND WE LOOK AT THE AMOUNT. AND IF YOU BREAK THAT 50 MILLION DOWN, IT'S REALLY NOT A 
          [00:35:05]
LOT OF FUNDING. AND SO JUST LISTENING TO THIS PART OF IT, I THOUGHT ABOUT, I'M ONE OF THOSE SURVIVORS OF ALL THOSE ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES. BUT EVEN TODAY IT'S A LOT OF DISCRIMINATION BASED ON SUBSTANCES AND THE TYPES OF SUBSTANCES PEOPLE USE. SO FUNCTIONING ALCOHOLICS, I SEE THEM EVERYWHERE, IN EVERY LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT AND EVERY LEVEL OF OUR COMMUNITIES, BUT THEY ARE AWARE OF THEIR SERVICES THAT ARE OUT THERE. THEY'RE AWARE OF PREVENTION AND TREATMENT, AND THERE'S THESE OPTIONS. THERE'S NO COOKIE CUTTER WAY TO KIND OF SOLVE ALL OF THESE ISSUES. BUT THIS IS, IN FACT, BLOOD MONEY THAT PEOPLE DIED IN OUR IN OUR STATE. AND MANY PLACES LIKE IT HAVE SUFFERED FOR A LONG TIME. AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO ME THAT AS WE COME UP WITH THESE STRATEGIES ON HOW TO ALLOCATE IT, THAT WE'RE PREVENTION SHOULD BE A PART OF THAT, BECAUSE NOTHING WORKS ON THE DEAD. IF SOMEBODY'S DEAD, IT JUST DOESN'T WORK. SAVING LIVES. AND I'M GLAD YOU ACKNOWLEDGED THAT SHOULD BE OUR PRIORITY NO MATTER WHAT. AND GIVEN THAT, AS WE SEE, IT'S NOT JUST PEOPLE WITH SINGLE PARENT HOMES OR COMING FROM POOR AND MARGINALIZED NEIGHBORHOODS. THERE ARE PEOPLE FROM AFFLUENT HOMES WHO ARE TAKING WHAT THEY THINK ARE ASPIRIN OR SOME PAIN RELIEVER FROM A FRIEND AND FINDING OUT THAT NOTHING IS PURE. AND THESE THINGS HAVE BEEN DUPLICATED. SO MUCH SO THAT IS THE SCARIEST TO ME, BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE THINK THAT THEIR COMMUNITIES WON'T BE TOUCHED BY THIS. OVERDOSES ARE STILL HAPPENING. I KNOW THE REDUCTION IS GOING DOWN. THEY'RE STILL HAPPENING. SO WITH THAT HAPPENING AND NOTHING BEING PURE, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T GET AWAY FROM THE ORIGINAL THINGS THAT YOU ALL DID. I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU PLAN TO CYCLE THIS OUT IN THE NEXT 18 YEARS, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THAT YOU'RE STILL GOING TO GO BACK TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE SMALLER ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE ON THE GROUND DEALING WITH THIS ISSUE ARE GETTING FUNDING, TOO, BECAUSE I SEE A LOT OF SUPPLANTING OF THIS FUNDING TO FUND THINGS. THAT AND POSITIONS THAT WERE ALREADY FUNDED BY OUR GOVERNMENT. AND NOW WE WANT TO SUPPLANT IT BECAUSE WE HAVE THIS MONEY THAT'S COMING OVER 18 YEARS, WHICH WE ALL AGREE ISN'T ENOUGH MONEY. SO I DO LIKE THE EMPHASIS ON MORE SUPPORT FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. AND BUT I ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT MEDICALLY ASSISTED TREATMENT DOESN'T GET LOST IN THAT. SO MY QUESTION IS, LIKE THE CHAIR TALKED ABOUT WITH THE LIVING ROOM, WE DIDN'T GIVE IT ENOUGH TIME. WE'RE GOOD AT STARTING PILOT PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS, BUT WE HAVE TO INVEST IN THEM OVER TIME. SO JUST AS THIS MONEY IS GOING TO BE DISTRIBUTED OVER 18 YEARS, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE BEEN SUPPORTING AND YOU ALL HAVE BEEN ADVOCATING FOR GETS THAT SAME AMOUNT OF SUPPORT, BUT PREVENTION SHOULD ALREADY BE WOVEN INTO THAT. SO NOT SAYING THIS ISN'T A GOOD PART OF THE PLAN AT THIS STAGE. RIGHT NOW, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THE OTHER THINGS YOU DID THAT YOU HAVE BASICALLY EXPLAINED WORKED GET THE SAME SUPPORT GOING DOWN THE LINE. BECAUSE THIS IS ARE YOU THIS IS THIS BEING DISTRIBUTED LIKE 2 OR 3 TIMES A YEAR? IS IT TWO TIMES OR THREE TIMES? THE SCHEDULE HAS BEEN REALLY UNPREDICTABLE. YEAH. OKAY. SO WE'LL WE'LL PAUSE THERE. BUT WHATEVER IT'S WHENEVER IT'S BEING DISTRIBUTED YOU MIGHT HAVE TO GO BACK AND REORDER THOSE PRIORITIES BASED ON THAT. BUT MAKING SURE THAT YOU WEAVE IN THERE. SO TO GET TO MY QUESTION, I NOTICED THAT ENCAMPMENT OUTREACH WAS ON HERE. THIS IS SOMETHING I'M VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT. I DID NOT I NEVER HID IT. HOUSING STABILIZATION, EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES. THOSE THREE THINGS TO ME DON'T SEEM TO BE FLESHED OUT. I WHAT I, WHAT I WORRY ABOUT IS THAT WE HAVE THE SAME USUAL SUSPECTS THAT GET ALL OF THE FUNDING IN OUR CITY, AND I KNOW IT'S BECAUSE SOME OF THEM ARE BIGGER OUTFITS AND THEY'RE ABLE TO OFFER AND DIVERSIFY AND ASSIGN PEOPLE TO DO IT, BUT THERE ARE SOME SMALLER ENTITIES THAT WE ARE NOT ENCOURAGED TO APPLY FOR THIS FUNDING, WHICH REALLY SHOULD THAT ARE DOING THE WORK ON THE GROUND. SO I WANT TO KNOW IN THIS PART, WHAT DOES THE ENCAMPMENT OUTREACH LOOK LIKE? BECAUSE WHAT I'VE SEEN IS ENCAMPMENT CLEARINGS AND OR WHAT ARE LABEL RELOCATIONS, BUT ARE REALLY CLEARINGS. WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? AND THEN THE HOUSING STABILIZATION IS THAT FOR TRANSITIONAL ONGOING HOUSING, WHEN PEOPLE NEED SUPPORT BECAUSE THEY COME OUT OF TREATMENT. IF YOU ALL DON'T KNOW, I JUST GOT A MESSAGE EARLIER TODAY. SOMEONE'S COMING OUT OF TREATMENT AFTER SIX MONTHS AND THEY DON'T HAVE A PLACE TO LIVE. AND, YOU KNOW, AS YOU TALKED ABOUT ENVIRONMENT, IF YOU DON'T CHANGE THE ENVIRONMENT, IF THEY CAN'T CHANGE THE ENVIRONMENT, THEY'RE GOING BACK TO THE LIKELIHOOD OF THEM COMING BACK AND HAVING TO DEAL WITH ANOTHER ISSUE IS INCREASED. SO WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? AND THE LAST THING I WOULD LOVE FOR PEOPLE IMPACTED BY OPIOID, THE OPIOID CRISIS, TO ACTUALLY BE RECEIVING SOME OF THIS FUNDING. I KNOW THAT'S HARD TO WATER IT DOWN TO THE GROUND, BUT THE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY SEEMS LIKE A WAY TO DO THAT. SO IF YOU COULD JUST BRIEFLY SAY WHAT THOSE THREE THINGS LOOK LIKE. ABSOLUTELY. SO IN TERMS OF THE ENCAMPMENT OUTREACH THAT WAS FUNDING IN THAT FIRST ROUND FOR AT THE TIME WAS LOUISVILLE. OUR DEPARTMENT HAD A SPECTACULAR HEALTH EDUCATION SPECIALIST WHO 
          [00:40:07]
BUILT FROM THE GROUND UP A PROGRAM TO BRING HARM REDUCTION SERVICES INTO OUR ENCAMPMENTS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH A NUMBER OF OTHER STAKEHOLDERS. UNFORTUNATELY, ONE OF MY FAVORITE LMPD STAFF MEMBERS OF ALL TIME LEFT OUR DEPARTMENT TO WORK AT ANOTHER LOCAL ORGANIZATION, AND WITH THE LOSS OF THAT STAFF MEMBER, WE FOUND WE DID NOT HAVE CAPACITY TO CONTINUE OUR HARM REDUCTION OUTREACH SERVICES INTO ENCAMPMENTS. SO FEED LOUISVILLE TOOK THAT OVER AND SORT OF BROUGHT THOSE SERVICES OUT INTO CAMPS WHEN WE WERE UNABLE TO DO IT. AND THEN THE TRANSITION TO HOUSING INCLUDES A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS. IT INCLUDES CARE OPERATING SERVICES AT THE ARTHUR STREET HOTEL. IT'S WORK AT SAINT JOHN CENTER, SAINT VINCENT, AND A COUPLE OF OTHERS. BUT IT'S A DIVERSITY OF APPROACHES THAT THEY'RE TAKING ALL THE WAY FROM, YOU KNOW, NO, NO BARRIER HOUSING FIRST PROVISION OF ROOMS TO PEOPLE WHO ARE IN IMMEDIATE NEED ALL THE WAY UP TO SORT OF, SORT OF THAT FULL PROCESS THROUGH TO PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING. AND THEN I APOLOGIZE. THE THIRD QUESTION, THE THANK YOU FOR THAT. THE THIRD QUESTION WAS AROUND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES. AND THEN I SEE DEPUTY MAYOR GEORGE STEPPED UP ABOUT THE HOMELESS, THE ENCAMPMENT OUTREACH. SO THE EMPLOYMENT, HOW IS THIS GOING TO GET TO THE PEOPLE IMPACTED MOST AND WHERE THAT CONNECTS TO THE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE LISTED? AND THEN THE ENCAMPMENT OUTREACH? SURE. SO DEFINITELY, IT'S A BEST PRACTICE TO RECRUIT AND HIRE PEOPLE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE. SOME OF THE POSITIONS FUNDED BY OPIOID ABATEMENT WERE EXPLICITLY SET OUT FOR CERTIFIED PEER SUPPORT SPECIALISTS. OTHERS JUST HAPPENED TO HAVE THE GOOD LUCK TO RECRUIT PEOPLE WHO HAVE LIVED EXPERIENCE. I DEFINITELY THINK THERE'S LOTS OF ROOM STILL AROUND BUILDING CAPACITY IN OUR RECOVERY WORKFORCE, AND THAT'S SOMETHING OUR DEPARTMENT IS CONTINUING TO WORK ON, AND I THINK FUTURE ALLOCATIONS WOULD BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO SHORE THAT UP AND EXPAND. DEPUTY MAYOR GEORGE, HAPPY TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF. THANK YOU CHAIR. AND THAT DOES COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY GIVE US SOMETHING INTERESTING TO THINK ABOUT AROUND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. SO CERTAINLY NOTED I WOULD JUST TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT YOUR GENERAL DOLLARS GO TO SUPPORT A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF OUTREACH OR CONNECTION THAT HAPPENS IN THE COMMUNITY, THANKS TO OUR OFFICE OF SOCIAL SERVICES. SO AS A REMINDER, OUR OFFICE OF SOCIAL SERVICES HAS THE HOMELESS SERVICES DIVISION. THAT INCLUDES VERY STRONG OUTREACH AND CONNECTION EVERY DAY INTO OUR ENCAMPMENTS. IN ADDITION TO ENCAMPMENT RESPONSE, WHICH IS A MUCH SMALLER TEAM DEVOTED TO ASSESSING RISK AND ENCAMPMENTS. THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER. IN A SIMILAR VEIN, I FEEL THAT THE 1.6 MILLION FOR JEFFERSON COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOR THE PREVENTION YOUTH PROGRAM, WHICH I AGREE IS SOMETHING WE CAN LOOK AT WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN SPENT, AND WE'RE SPENDING AS MUCH ON EVALUATION AS WE ARE ON DIRECT YOUTH PREVENTION RIGHT NOW, WHICH WE NEED TO CORRECT. BUT THAT'S IN YOUR PRESENTATION. IT'S VERY CLEAR WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO, AND YOU'VE ANSWERED BEAUTIFULLY, IN MY OPINION, ABOUT EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICES AND HOW WE CAN IMPROVE ON FAILURES OF THE PAST IN YOUTH PREVENTION. THE 700,000 TO CONTRACT WITH A THIRD PARTY TO CREATE A DISTRICT COURT DIVERSION PROGRAM FOR INDIVIDUALS CITED AND ARRESTED FOR UNLAWFUL CAMPING. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE THAN JUST THAT SENTENCE OR EVEN CLAUSE RATHER ABOUT WHAT WE'RE PLANNING TO SPEND $700,000 ON. EXCUSE ME. 
          YEAH, THANK YOU. SO I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT AS WE THINK ABOUT DIVERSION, UNDERSTANDING FIRST THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR GOAL IN THIS IS REALLY TO ONE, ENHANCE EFFICIENCY WITHIN THE UNLAWFUL CAMPING DOCKET. AND TWO, BE ABLE TO MAXIMIZE CONNECTION AND CREATE THAT POINT OF INTERVENTION FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT IT. THIS IS ONE TOOL OF DIVERSION OFFERED TO PEOPLE WHO WILL COME BEFORE THE COURT. RIGHT. SO THIS IS ONE TOOL AND ONE FORM OF INTERVENTION. DIVERSION WILL INCLUDE SERVICES LIKE SCREENING AND ASSESSMENT. AND FOR THOSE WHO SCREEN IN OR ARE FOUND TO HAVE ABUSE OR DEPENDENCY TREATMENT SERVICES WOULD BE PROVIDED FOR TREATMENT. THAT COULD ALSO INCLUDE FOR THOSE WHO MAYBE DON'T HAVE OR AREN'T FOUND TO HAVE HAD DEPENDANCE OR ABUSE. THAT WOULD INCLUDE SUPPORT SERVICES INVOLVING CASE MANAGEMENT, FOR INSTANCE. SO THE IDEA IS THAT THE DIVERSION WOULD GO OUT IN A COMPETITIVE BID. AND 
          [00:45:04]
SO WE WOULD BE DRAFTING THAT RFP AND FOLKS WOULD BE BIDDING ON THAT BASED ON WHAT THEY CAN PROVIDE. AND, YOU KNOW, SORT OF IN LINE WITH COUNCILWOMAN PARISH RIGHT'S POINT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS BLOOD MONEY BECAUSE IT IS. AND, YOU KNOW, I I'VE BEEN PRETTY HONEST WITH PEOPLE ABOUT THIS OUT IN THE COMMUNITY BEFORE I WAS ELECTED, SO I MIGHT AS WELL BE HONEST. IN CHAMBER, THE OPIOID CRISIS HAS DIRECTLY IMPACTED MY FAMILY, SO WHAT I'M HEARING IS PART OF THAT 700,000 WOULD NOT GO TOWARDS SERVICES. STRICTLY SPEAKING, ADDRESSING THE OPIOID CRISIS. INSTEAD, WE'RE ADDRESSING THE NEED FOR THE DOCKET CREATED BY HOUSE BILL FIVE AND THE UNLAWFUL CAMPING WHERE THIS IS THIS IS PART OF AT LEAST SOME PART OF THIS 700,000 IS ADDRESSING, NOT THE OPIOID CRISIS OR OR PREVENTION OR ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE OPIOID CRISIS, BUT IS INSTEAD ADDRESSING THE UNLAWFUL CAMPING. SO LET ME BE CLEAR, AND I'LL DEFER TO MY PUBLIC HEALTH COLLEAGUES. BUT I THINK PART OF WHAT WE HOPE TO SEE AGAIN IS FOR PEOPLE WHO WE KNOW ARE AT GREATER RISK OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND DEPENDENCY, AND PARTICULARLY FOR FOLKS WHO ARE LIVING ON THE STREETS, WHO, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE SUBJECTED TO AN OVERDOSE AND NOT BE TREATED THAT THIS THESE SERVICES WOULD BE OFFERED TO THEM. SO AGAIN, THE IDEA IS THAT THIS IS A POINT OF INTERVENTION. THIS THIS DIVERSION TOOL IS NOT FOR EVERYONE. IT WILL BE FOR A CERTAIN INDIVIDUAL WHO MEETS THE CRITERIA AND WANTS TO DO THIS AS AN OPTION. AND IN WORKING WITH THEIR COUNSEL. AND AS PART OF THAT, THOSE SERVICES AGAIN WOULD INVOLVE SCREENING AND ASSESSMENT AND THEN THE SUPPORT SERVICES THAT THEY NEED, WHETHER THAT'S TREATMENT OR CASE MANAGEMENT OR WHATEVER GETS THEM HOPEFULLY TO MORE HEALTHY, STABLE SITUATION, THAT THAT'S WHAT THE GOAL IS. 
          BUT I THINK THERE IS A REAL CLEAR CONNECTION IN THAT. AGAIN, FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING ON THE STREETS AND ARE AT RISK, THEY'RE CERTAINLY NOT AT RISK JUST FOR DEPENDANCE, BUT ALSO FOR OVERDOSE. AND I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANYTHING ADDITIONAL OR. YEAH, I MEAN, GENERALLY ANYONE USING UNREGULATED SUBSTANCES IS AT RISK OF OPIOID OVERDOSE. AND UNHOUSED FOLKS WHO ARE NOT INTENDING TO USE OPIOIDS, NOT SETTING OUT TO USE OPIOIDS, MAY NOT HAVE AN OPIOID USE DISORDER, ARE AT HEIGHTENED RISK FOR OVERDOSE. SO ANY INTERVENTIONS THAT REDUCE THAT RISK OF OVERDOSE WOULD BE CONSIDERED ALLOWABLE UNDER THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT. AND I DON'T THINK IT WOULD SHOCK ANYONE IN THE CHAMBER TO SAY THAT I AM. YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO OPEN UP THE VAULT AND SPEND MORE ON PREVENTION AND ON HOUSING AND ON ALL SORTS OF THINGS ON SOCIAL SERVICES. BUT AGAIN, TO COUNCIL COUNCILWOMAN WHITE'S POINT, THIS IS A VERY LIMITED POOL OF MONEY THAT WE ARE, AS WE'VE JUST COVERED ALREADY 20% OF THE WAY THROUGH. AND I, I GUESS I JUST FEEL THAT THAT 700,000 DOES NOT HAVE THE LEVEL OF DETAIL THAT THE 1.6 MILLION DID. AND SO I'M A LITTLE I'M A LITTLE HESITANT ON THAT PART. BUT THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILWOMAN PARKER. 
          YES. THANK YOU. I KNOW YOU GUYS MENTIONED DETAILING OUTCOMES, AND I THINK IT WAS MENTIONED THAT AT THIS POINT IN TIME THAT YOU DIDN'T REALLY OR COULDN'T SHARE YOUR MEASURABLE OUTCOMES. 
          SO WHENEVER YOU CAN DO THAT, I THINK A LOT OF US WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SOME DETAIL AS FAR AS WHAT DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS AND AGENCIES ARE ACTUALLY LIKE, HOW MANY THEY'RE SERVING AND WHAT THEIR RELAPSE RATE IS, WHAT THEIR SUCCESS RATE IS. AND, WELL, JUST OFF THE CUFF. DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MANY ORGANIZATIONS WE ARE FUNDING? YES, IT'S 20 BETWEEN 23 AND 27. 
          OKAY. SO IT WOULD BE NICE TO KNOW, LIKE WHICH O HAVE A GREATER SUCCESS RATE AND NATURALLY WHICH ONES DON'T. I MEAN, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE LIKE WHAT THE RECIDIVISM RATE IS OR THE RELAPSE RATE IS. I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL INFORMATION AND ALSO THAT BROKEN DOWN FOR EACH ORGANIZATION AND MAYBE THINGS LIKE HAVE WERE PEOPLE UNEMPLOYED? HAVE THEY GAINED EMPLOYMENT. HAVE THEY RELAPSED. ARE THEY FINISHING SCHOOL I MEAN, I YOU HAVEN'T REALLY SHARED WHAT WHAT THINGS YOU'RE LOOKING AT. SO I'LL JUST GIVE YOU A FEW OF MINE AND. SO I 
          [00:50:13]
GUESS THAT'S REALLY ALL I WANTED TO ASK WAS THE NUMBER OF AGENCIES. AND THEN THE COMMENT OF WHAT TYPE OF THINGS OUTCOMES WE'RE LOOKING AT. AND I THINK TO, TO DATE, I CAN SAY PRESENTLY, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, NO TREATMENT PROVIDER IN JEFFERSON COUNTY ROUTINELY REPORTS THEIR SUCCESS RATES OR RATE OF RELAPSE RETURN TO USE, IN PART BECAUSE THOSE NUMBERS ARE INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT TO TRACK. SO IF SOMEBODY COMPLETES A COURSE OF TREATMENT HERE AND THEN RETURNS TO USE AND GOES TO A DIFFERENT PROVIDER, OR RETURNS TO A DIFFERENT STATE OR COUNTY, SORT OF HAVING THE CAPACITY TO DO A LONGITUDINAL STUDY AND TRACK PEOPLE DOWN EVEN 6 TO 12 MONTHS AFTER COMPLETION OF TREATMENT. WOULD THERE BE A WAY TO GIVE EACH PERSON, LIKE AN ANONYMOUS TAG NUMBER THAT'S SHARED BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, THE REMAINS PRIVATE, BUT THAT'S SHARED BETWEEN ORGANIZATIONS? I WOULD REQUIRE BUILDING A FAIR AMOUNT OF INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WOULD COST ADDITIONAL MONEY TO WHAT WE'VE ALREADY BUDGETED FOR ASSESSMENT. OKAY, I GUESS IT'S JUST SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT JUST FOR JUST TO, YOU KNOW, HELP TRACK OUR STATISTICS. THANK YOU. 
          OKAY. COUNCILWOMAN PARISH. RIGHT. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I WANT TO FOLLOW UP. I LOOKING AT THIS, AND I'VE WENT OVER IT A COUPLE TIMES. I'M MY BIGGEST QUESTION IS AROUND THAT 700,000 BECAUSE I'VE SEEN HOW THAT THAT KIND OF FUNDING, WHEN IT'S NOT SPELLED OUT CAN JUST GO TO THE SAME FOLKS. AND I REALLY WANT TO SEE IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE. I REALLY WANT TO SEE IT GET CLOSEST TO THE GROUND. I DO WANT TO REITERATE THAT NOT EVERYBODY THAT IS HOMELESS IS USING SUBSTANCES OR OPIOIDS. I AM AN EXAMPLE OF THAT. AND NOT EVERYBODY THAT IS HOMELESS IS GOING TO CITATION COURT, WHICH WAS CREATED BY HOUSE BILL FIVE, THE SAFER KENTUCKY ACT, WHICH IT SEEMS LIKE WE PICK AND CHOOSE WHAT PARTS OF THAT BILL THAT WE WANT TO PUSH FOR. SO WE'RE PUSHING FOR THE AGGRESSIVE CITATIONS, AND NOW WE'RE CREATING A COURT, AND WE WANT TO USE THE BLOOD MONEY FROM THE OPIOID CRISIS TO FUND SOME OF THE SERVICES THAT ARE HAPPENING. 
          WHEN THE COURTS HAVE SAID IT HASN'T COST THEM MUCH MORE MONEY, AND WE ALREADY HAVE GROUPS THAT ARE CONNECTED TO IT THAT ARE WORKING TO HELP MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE CONNECTED TO SERVICES AND CARE. HOUSE BILL FIVE ALSO HAS A PART IN THERE THAT SAYS CITIES ARE ALLOWED TO CREATE THEIR OWN OUTDOOR ENCAMPMENTS AND OTHER SERVICES, AND IF WE'RE GOING TO SPEND 700,000, WHY AREN'T WE SPENDING THAT TO LIFT UP SOME OF THE OTHER PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE THAT ARE HELPING PEOPLE GET HOUSED? I MEAN, I SAW WHERE ARTHUR STREET HOTEL, FEED LOUISVILLE, HOPE VILLAGE AND ALL OF THEM ARE ACTUALLY HELPING PEOPLE GET INTO HOUSING MUCH FASTER THAN THE CITY HAS IN THE LAST TWO YEARS. AND THEN BUT WHAT WE DO SEE IS THAT THE MOST ENCAMPMENT CLEARINGS, AND WE'RE USING THAT AS A TALKING POINT NOW TO SAY THAT ENCAMPMENTS ARE DOWN, BUT HOMELESSNESS IS NOT DOWN. AND SO IF WE'RE GOING TO USE THIS MONEY THAT'S SLATED FOR THE OPIOID CRISIS AND PEOPLE IMPACTED BY IT, WHY ARE WE USING IT TO FUND SOMETHING THAT OUR STATE LEGISLATORS PUT FORTH, AND THEY DIDN'T PUT ANY REAL STRUCTURE OR REAL FUNDING TO SUPPORT, AND NOW WE ARE FUNDING A PROBLEM THAT WAS CREATED AND AGGRAVATED BY THEM. IT WAS ALREADY HERE, BUT IT WAS ACTIVATED AND FUELED BY WHAT THEY DID. SO WHAT IS THE WHAT IS THE END GAME HERE? DO WE STILL KEEP DOING THESE CLEARINGS AND RELOCATIONS AND SPENDING THE MONEY THAT WAY, AND KEEP ASSESSING THE PROBLEM THAT WE KNOW IS THERE? WE'VE HAD ENOUGH EVIDENCE BASED STUDIES AND PRACTICES THAT HAVE SHOWN US WHAT WORKS AND WHAT DON'T WORK. WHY AREN'T WE USING THIS OPPORTUNITY TO FUND MORE OF THAT? I AM FOR MOST PARTS OF THIS. I HAVE MIXED FEELINGS ABOUT CASEY'S LAW BECAUSE THAT'S FORCED TREATMENT AND THERE'S A LOT OF LACK OF UNDERSTANDING AROUND IT, BUT I CAN DEAL WITH THE SUPPORT OF THAT. WHAT I CAN'T DEAL WITH IS THIS 700,000, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW THIS PART COULD BE SEPARATED OUT. AND SO WE CAN VOTE FOR THE MAJORITY OF WHERE THIS FUNDING SHOULD GO. I HAVE SOME REAL CONCERNS ABOUT WHERE THIS IS GOING TO GO, WHO'S GOING TO BE, WHO'S GOING TO COME OUT OF THAT RFP PROCESS? IS IT GOING TO BE VOA AGAIN? IS IT GOING TO BE THESE SAME FOLKS WHO ARE NOT ON THE GROUND DOING THE WORK THAT THESE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, SOME OF WHICH YOU'RE FUNDING NOW, ARE DOING? OKAY, OKAY. THANK YOU. A COUPLE THINGS TO THINK ABOUT. ONE, YOU ARE CORRECT THAT EVERY PERSON WHO WOULD COME BEFORE THE UNLAWFUL CAMPING DOCKET WOULD NOT BE SOMEONE THAT HAS AN ABUSE OR DEPENDANCE AROUND CHEMICALS AND SPECIFICALLY OPIOIDS. WITH THAT BEING SAID, THAT'S WHY THE AGAIN, THIS IS ONE TOOL AND ONE 
          [00:55:07]
FORM OF DIVERSION. AND FOR THAT IT IS ONE POINT OF INTERVENTION. SO AS PART OF THIS AND FORGIVE ME, I DON'T HAVE THE ORDINANCE IN FRONT OF ME, BUT I BELIEVE WHAT IS SPELLED OUT IN THERE IS, AGAIN, FUNDING TO SUPPORT SCREENING AND ASSESSMENT, FACILITATION OF SUPPORT SERVICES AND TREATMENT FOR THOSE WHO NEED IT. SO IF SOMEONE IS NOT FOUND TO AGAIN NEED TREATMENT, THEN THAT WOULD GO TO GO TO FUND SUPPORT SERVICES FOR THINGS LIKE CASE MANAGEMENT. I WOULD IMAGINE THAT AS PART OF THE RFP PROCESS, I WOULD HOPE WE WOULD GET WE WOULD IT WOULD BE AS COMPETITIVE AS POSSIBLE AND THAT WE WOULD GET A LOT OF PROVIDERS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN THAT. I'M JUST GOING TO SAY HOUSE BILL FIVE IS WITH US WHETHER WE DO THIS OR NOT, THERE WILL BE AN UNLAWFUL CAMPING DOCKET. THIS IS A POINT OF INTERVENTION, AND IT IS ONE TOOL FOR A AGAIN, FOR FOLKS WHO MEET CRITERIA, WHO FOLKS IN WORKING WITH THEIR COUNCIL, AS EVERYONE IS ENTITLED TO BE ABLE TO TAKE THAT AS AN OPPORTUNITY. AGAIN, UNDERSTANDING THAT NOT EVERYONE WHO COMES BEFORE WILL NECESSARILY FALL INTO THE CRITERIA FOR TREATMENT, BUT THEY WOULD BE AT RISK. I THINK I ANSWERED THE QUESTIONS OKAY, THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN PIAGENTINI. THANK YOU. FIRST OF ALL, JUST TO SPECIFICALLY ADDRESS SOMETHING, MANY OF THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WERE MENTIONED BY BY MY COLLEAGUE FROM DISTRICT THREE WERE LIKE THE HOPE VILLAGE, FOR EXAMPLE. I MEAN, THEY WERE FUNDED BY METRO COUNCIL. SO I MEAN, THESE ORGANIZATIONS DIDN'T JUST, LIKE ORGANICALLY SPRING UP OUT OF THE DIRT. THEY GOT BIG FUNDING FROM US AND WE'VE SPENT, I THINK, MILLIONS. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, IT'S IN THE TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. I THINK AT THIS POINT, AT LEAST SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL ON BEEFING UP SERVICES, PARTICULARLY TRANSITIONAL HOUSING, RIGHT. LIKE TEMPORARY HOUSING AND TRANSITIONAL HOUSING FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. SO, YOU KNOW, I, YOU KNOW, I'M AND LOOK, WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO IMPROVE THAT. 
          I'VE MET WITH DEPUTY MAYOR GEORGE ON ON HOW TO BE MORE STRATEGIC AND MAKE SURE THAT IS ALL WORKING TOGETHER. BUT JUST TO MAKE SURE WE'RE OUT THERE, YOU'RE STILL THERE, OKAY. JUST TO COME BACK TO THE THIS DIVERSION PROGRAM, I MEAN, FIRST OF ALL, I, I WANT TO SAY I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENT ABOUT LIKE, LOOK, WE HAVE TO LIVE IN REALVILLE. WE MIGHT DISAGREE WITH THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON SPECIFIC POLICY ISSUES, BUT ONCE IT'S IMPLEMENTED, WE'RE LIVING IN THE SOCIETY WE LIVE IN AND WE HAVE TO ADDRESS IT. I'M LOOKING AT SAMHSA DATA. OKAY. SO THE SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ADMINISTRATION, THE GOLD STANDARD ON HOUSING DATA AROUND SUBSTANCE USE AND MENTAL HEALTH, AND THEY POINT OUT, QUOTE, AND I'M QUOTING HERE, ONE STUDY FOUND THAT HOMELESS PEOPLE. SO QUOTE, SAMHSA POINTS OUT THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE HOMELESS HAVE A HIGH RISK OF OVERDOSE FROM ILLICIT SUBSTANCES, HIGH RISK OF OVERDOSE FROM ILLICIT SUBSTANCES. ONE STUDY FOUND THAT HOMELESS PEOPLE HAD A HIGHER RISK OF OPIOID OVERDOSE, WITH AN ADJUSTED RISK RATE OF 1.8% FOR HOMELESS VERSUS 0.3% FOR LOW INCOME PEOPLE WHO HAD HOUSING. IT'S LITERALLY SAYING THEY HAVE A JUST DOING THE MATH IN MY HEAD, LIKE A 600% IS SIX X INCREASED RISK FOR ILLEGAL DRUG USE, RIGHT? AND ULTIMATELY OVERDOSE 100%, NOT 100% OF PEOPLE WHO ARE HOMELESS. THAT THAT IS NOT TRUE. BUT TWO THIRDS OF HOMELESS PEOPLE. QUOTING SAMHSA. AGAIN, I'M NOT MAKING THIS UP. HAVE A LIFETIME HISTORY OF DRUG OR ALCOHOL USE DISORDERS. SO I'M UNDERSTANDING. I MEAN, AGAIN, WE HAVE TO GO WHERE WE THINK THE HIGHEST RISK IS. AND I THINK WHAT YOU'RE ATTEMPTING TO DO THERE, RIGHT, IS TAKE FOLKS THAT ARE CAUGHT UP IN THIS SYSTEM THAT AGAIN, WE DIDN'T CREATE, IT WAS CREATED, BUT WE HAVE TO ENFORCE THE LAW. AND THEN WE'RE TAKING THEM AND SAYING, OKAY, THERE ARE OPTIONS HERE. AND IF YOU KNOW, THERE IS A FAIRLY HIGH PERCENTAGE, I MEAN, IT'S NOT A TINY PERCENTAGE THAT MAY HAVE RISKS HERE. AND WE'RE TAKING THEM AND MOVING THEM INTO TREATMENT PROGRAMS AND MOVING THEM INTO SERVICES. THAT'S THE POINT HERE, RIGHT? YES. POINT OF INTERVENTION. YES. 
          FOR THOSE FOR WHOM WOULD BENEFIT. AND JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY, IS THAT IS THE ONLY THING WE'RE DOING RELATED TO THAT POINT OF INTERVENTION RELATED TO SUBSTANCE USE PREVENTION OR REHABILITATION? OR IS IT ALSO CONNECTION WITH OTHER SERVICES, HOUSING, RIGHT. MAYBE MENTAL HEALTH STABILITY, ALL THESE OTHER THINGS? YES. SO AGAIN, ONE OF THE THINGS YOU'LL HEAR AND YOU'LL CERTAINLY HEAR FROM OUR COURTS IS THAT THIS IS ONE FORM OF DIVERSION, ONE FORM OF SERVICES. THERE'S CURRENTLY INFORMAL DIVERSION BEING OFFERED FROM AN ARRAY OF SERVICE PROVIDERS. OUR HOMELESS SERVICES DIVISION ALSO SITS IN THE COURTROOM. SO AGAIN, THIS IS ONE TOOL FOR ONE PART OF THE POPULATION. AND I GUESS MY POINT IS I'M CONFUSED ABOUT WHY THAT'S 
          [01:00:04]
EVEN REMOTELY CONTROVERSIAL. BECAUSE AGAIN, WHAT I HEAR YOU DOING IS, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY HAS GOTTEN CITED AGAIN ON A LAW THAT WE DIDN'T EVEN CREATE, BUT WE HAVE TO ENFORCE THE LAW, AND WE ARE TRYING TO PREVENT THEM FROM GOING INTO MAYBE OR, YOU KNOW, THE LONG TERM IMPLICATIONS OF THAT CITATION AND THEN DIVERT THEM INTO THESE PROGRAMS. I REMEMBER DOING THIS DURING COVID RELATED TO DIVERSION PROGRAMS RELATED TO PEOPLE THAT WERE AT RISK FOR EVICTIONS. RIGHT? I MEAN, TO ME, THIS IS IT SEEMS LIKE, LIKE A VERY HUMANE WAY TO TRY TO GET PEOPLE OUT OF THE SORT OF, YOU KNOW, HAMSTER WHEEL OF ISSUES AND MOVE THEM INTO PROGRAMING. RIGHT. AM I MISSING SOMETHING HERE? NO. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE IT, MR. CHAIR. COUNCILMAN WINKLER, THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I THINK COUNCILMAN ANTHONY MADE MANY OF MY POINTS. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, REALLY THE KEY WITH THIS PROGRAM IN MY FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, RIGHT, IS COUNCILWOMAN RIGHTS. ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. NOT EVERYBODY WHO'S HOMELESS HAS SUBSTANCE ABUSE ISSUES, AND NOT EVERYBODY WHO HAS SUBSTANCE ABUSE ISSUES IS HOMELESS. HOWEVER, THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE POPULATION THAT ARE I MEAN, I WAS JUST REVIEWING, YOU KNOW, WE GET A MONTHLY REPORT FROM ANOTHER WAVE PROGRAM, AND PART OF WHAT THEY DO IS A QUALITATIVE ASSESSMENT AND ASK THE INDIVIDUAL, YOU KNOW, WHAT AT LEAST IS, YOU KNOW, MAYBE NOT THE EXACT CAUSE, BUT AT LEAST A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THEIR HOMELESSNESS. AND TIME AND TIME AGAIN, YOU SEE, YOU KNOW, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, YOU KNOW, DOESN'T NECESSARILY SAY OPIOIDS. 
          IT COULD BE ALCOHOL AS WELL. SO WE'LL USE SUBSTANCE ABUSE BROADLY. BUT IS IT A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IF NOT A CAUSAL FACTOR. AND SO I THINK TO COUNCILMAN PIAGENTINI POINT, HAVING A PROGRAM AVAILABLE TO MEET THEM WHERE THEY ARE TO TRY TO HELP ALLEVIATE THE CHALLENGE OF ADDICTION, I THINK IS A GOOD USE OF FUNDS AND HOPEFULLY HELP CONTINUE THEM ON ON THE PATH TO RECOVERY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. JUST ONE COMMENT ON ON THE TOPIC AT HAND. AND THEN I WANTED TO ASK MR. COLEMAN A QUESTION. I WOULD POINT OUT THAT NONE OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE FUNDING TONIGHT ARE LIMITED EXCLUSIVELY TO FOLKS WHO ARE IMPACTED BY THE OPIOID CRISIS. SO TO SINGLE OUT THE 700,000 AND SAY THAT NOT ALL OF THAT IS DIRECTLY AFFECTING, WELL, NONE OF IT IS DIRECTLY AFFECTING ONLY FOLKS AFFECTED BY THE OPIOID CRISIS. WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE IDENTIFIED A POPULATION AND AUDIENCE, IF YOU WILL, WHERE THERE'S THE WHERE THERE IS A GREAT RISK, WHERE IT'S WE RECOGNIZE THAT THERE IS A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THAT POPULATION THAT WERE IN FACT AFFECTED BY THIS. AND WE'RE REACHING OUT TO THAT POPULATION. AND ONCE WE REACH THAT POPULATION, IF SOMEBODY IN THAT POPULATION DOESN'T FIT NEATLY INTO OUR LITTLE BOX OF OPIOID CRISIS, WE'RE NOT GOING TO EXCLUDE THEM AND SAY, OH, NO, WE CAN'T HELP YOU. THIS WAS OPIOID MONEY. ONCE WE'VE IDENTIFIED THEM, BECAUSE WE CREATED THE PROCESS, WE CAN'T WE CAN'T THEN GO IN AND SAY, NO, WE'RE NOT GOING TO HELP YOU. SO THE $700,000 THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RECOGNIZES AGAIN, AND I'M GOING TO STOP, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO REITERATE EVERYTHING THAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE SAID. BUT I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT IT'S NOT IT'S I DON'T THINK IT'S BENEFICIAL, EVEN IF IT WERE POSSIBLE TO GO IN AND SAY TO SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE WHO ARE BEING ASSISTED, WE'RE NOT GOING TO HELP YOU BECAUSE YOU DON'T FIT. IT JUST DOESN'T SEEM APPROPRIATE TO ME. SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I WOULD LEAVE THAT. MR. GOLDMAN EARLIER WHEN YOU WERE SPEAKING ABOUT. AND I'M SORRY, I'M SHIFTING GEARS WAY BACK. THERE'S NO ONE ELSE IN THE QUEUE. SO YOU JUST JOINED. I'M SORRY. WHEN I STARTED MY COMMENT, THERE WAS NO ONE ELSE IN THE QUEUE. SO? SO WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE EDUCATION PIECE, WHICH IS THE BIGGEST PORTION OF THIS, THE PROGRAMS ARE LARGELY FUNDED THROUGH CPS. 
          I THOUGHT I HEARD YOU SAY SO I DON'T WANT TO PUT WORDS IN YOUR MOUTH. I WANT TO MAKE CLEAR, MAKE SURE I UNDERSTOOD YOU IN YOUR COMMENT. YOU TALKED ABOUT A WILLINGNESS, A DESIRE TO WORK WITH ANYBODY WHO'S INVOLVED IN EDUCATION. SO THIS WASN'T LIKE YOU HANDPICKED JCPS TO EXCLUDE. 
          IT WAS MORE THAT THIS IS WHERE THE POPULATION IS. IT'S WHERE WE CAN START. BUT CAN YOU SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO THAT? THE EDUCATION PIECE BEYOND JUST. JK YES, SURE. SO I GUESS THE DISTINCTION IS BETWEEN THIS PROPOSAL AND SORT OF OUR DEPARTMENT'S LONG STANDING WORK AROUND SUBSTANCE USE. SO WE WILL FIELD AND ANY REQUEST FOR US TO COME SPEAK TO ANYONE IN JEFFERSON COUNTY. SO WE'VE DONE PARENTS NIGHTS AT PUBLIC SCHOOLS. WE'VE DONE PARENTS 
          [01:05:01]
NIGHTS AT PRIVATE SCHOOLS. WE'VE VISITED CLASSROOMS AND PUBLIC SCHOOLS. WE'VE VISITED CLASSROOMS IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS WHERE WE'VE SEEN SORT OF THE SYSTEMIC BARRIER TO LARGE SCALE IMPLEMENTATION IS MUCH MORE IN JCPS, JUST BECAUSE OF THE SIZE OF THE INSTITUTION AND THE RESOURCES OF THE INSTITUTION. SO I WOULD CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, WANT TO AMPLIFY OUR DEPARTMENT'S WILLINGNESS, IF THERE IS ANY, YOU KNOW, EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION, PUBLIC SCHOOL, PRIVATE SCHOOL, AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM, COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATION, WE ARE ABLE TO GO THERE. MOST OF THE NON PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEMS DON'T HAVE SORT OF THE SAME VOLUME OF EXPECTATIONS FROM SORT OF THE SYSTEM AND THE STRETCHING OF RESOURCES. SO WE FOUND THAT WHEN WE ARE INVITED TO BETTER RESOURCED SCHOOL SYSTEMS, IT'S MUCH EASIER TO DEAL WITH THE SORT OF WORK THAT NEEDS TO GO INTO TO COLLABORATE. SO ON AN INDIVIDUAL LEVEL, WE'RE HAVING GREAT SUCCESS IN INDIVIDUAL, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS, BUT THERE'S NO SYSTEM LEVEL THAT WE'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL ON. THANK YOU. AND SHOULD THEY SHOULD THAT BE BROUGHT TO YOUR ATTENTION I AND I'M AGAIN I'M, I'M I THINK I'M CLARIFYING YOU'VE YOU'VE IDENTIFIED THAT THERE ARE COMMUNITY PARTNERS THAT ARE WILLING TO HELP IN CERTAIN WAYS. AND IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE YOU GUYS ARE WILLING TO CONNECT UP ANYBODY YOU CAN CONNECT UP IF WE CAN MAKE THIS WORK. SO IF THERE IS A SCHOOL SYSTEM OUTSIDE OF JCPS OR AN INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL, IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE YOU'RE SAYING, PLEASE CALL US. YEAH, I WOULD SAY INDEPENDENTLY OF THIS FUNDING PACKAGE, PLEASE, PLEASE CALL OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT. WE'LL GO TO ANY SCHOOL IN THE COUNTY BECAUSE THE GOAL IS TO GET THE PREVENTION OUT THERE, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER WE'RE PAYING FOR IT THIS WAY OR ANOTHER ONE. OKAY, GREAT. THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN PIERCE. RIGHT. THANK YOU. I'LL KEEP MY COMMENT BRIEF. I DO WANT TO SAY THAT AS COUNCILMAN WINKLER WAS ENDING HIS SPEAKING ON THIS, I DID PRESS IT. THE SYSTEM FROZE UP. SO THAT'S WHY IT CAME THROUGH LATER. BUT I'M NOT HERE TO PLAY GAMES WITH PEOPLE'S LIVES. THIS IS NOT FUNNY TO ME. THIS IS PEOPLE ARE HAVE BEEN IMPACTED. 
          THIS MONEY IS NOT PHILANTHROPY. AND I TRULY BELIEVE THAT THE $700,000 COULD BE SPENT BETTER. 
          WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER HOW 18 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD, WE DON'T WANT TO LOOK LIKE WE WASTED MONEY. I'M JUST SAYING THIS CITY HASN'T HAS DONE THIS OVER AND OVER AGAIN, WHERE WE SPEND AROUND THE SAME OLD THINGS AND SAID WE HAVE PROVEN THINGS THAT ARE WORKING FOR PEOPLE. I JUST WANT THEM TO GET THE FIRST CONSIDERATION BEFORE WE START A NEW THING. YOU ALREADY HAVE A PROCESS FOR PEOPLE TO APPLY FOR OPIOID AND ABATEMENT FUNDING THAT CAN VERY MUCH DO EVERYTHING THAT DEPUTY MAYOR GEORGE TALKED ABOUT. YOU ALREADY HAVE GROUPS THAT ARE VERY WELL DOING EVERYTHING THAT DEPUTY MAYOR GEORGE TALKED ABOUT. SO WHY AREN'T WE USING THIS OPPORTUNITY TO FUND MORE OF THOSE GROUPS INSTEAD OF JUST SAYING, HERE'S ANOTHER 700,000 HERE, WHAT WILL IT BE NEXT YEAR? ANOTHER MILLION? WHAT WILL IT BE NEXT YEAR WHEN WE'VE ALREADY SAID OVER 18 YEARS, 20% OF THAT IS SPENT? I DON'T I DON'T PLAN TO BE HERE IN 18 YEARS. BUT WHILE IT'S MY TURN AND I'M PUTTING IT ON RECORD, I DO NOT AGREE WITH HOW SOME OF THIS HAS BEEN LAUNCHED TO US, AND IT ISN'T SPELLED OUT ENOUGH. AND WE ALL KNOW THAT THE SAME GROUPS GET FUNDED. WHAT ARE WE DOING TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT TO MAKE THIS BETTER? WHILE IT'S ON MY WATCH? I TAKE IT VERY SERIOUS BECAUSE I KNOW HOW THIS ISSUE HAS IMPACTED TOO MANY FAMILIES. IT'S NOT A LAUGHING MATTER TO ME. IT IS. IT IS SERIOUS THAT WHILE WE HAVE THIS ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY TO FUND THE PEOPLE IMPACTED BY THIS THE MOST, THAT THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING, THERE IS NOTHING BEING PROPOSED WITH THAT 700,000 THAT ISN'T ALREADY HAPPENING. AND IF YOU CAN SHOW ME THAT IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT IS ALREADY THAT ISN'T ALREADY HAPPENING, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT IT IS. I WANT TO SUPPORT THIS WHOLEHEARTEDLY, BUT I'M HUNG UP ON WHERE THIS 700,000 IS GOING BECAUSE THE SUPPLEMENTATION, THAT'S NOT JUST HAPPENING HERE. 
          ALL OVER THIS NATION, PEOPLE HAVE USED OPIOID ABATEMENT FUND TO FUND A ICE RINK SAYING, OH, THIS WILL BE GOOD. AND KIDS CAN GO SKATE ON AN ICE RINK, ICE RINK. AND THAT'LL BE PREVENTING. 
          SO AND PEOPLE HAVE USED IT TO PAINT CARS FOR JUNETEENTH. THAT IS NOT WHAT THIS BLOOD MONEY IS FOR. WE NEED TO BE GOOD STEWARDS OF THE MONEY AND MAKE SURE WE'RE DOING RIGHT. I DON'T HAVE I DON'T WANT TO BE IN OPPOSITION EVERY TIME I SPEAK ON THIS ISSUE. I'M SPEAKING BECAUSE THIS IS A FIELD OF EXPERTISE THAT I COME FROM, AND I DON'T WANT TO PLAY WITH PEOPLE'S LIVES WHILE WE HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY. I JUST WANT TO KNOW OUT OF THIS WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING, WHAT ISN'T ALREADY HAPPENING, BECAUSE CONNECTION TO SERVICES, GROUPS DOING WRAPAROUND SUPPORT WITHOUT MONEY FROM YOU ALL ARE STILL ALREADY DOING THIS WORK. HOW CAN YOU LIFT UP WHAT'S ALREADY HAPPENING INSTEAD OF LIKE WE LOVE TO DO, START A NEW THING THAT WON'T BE INVESTED IN THE SAME AS WE GO IN THE FUTURE? I JUST WANT TO KNOW, WHAT WOULD THIS $700,000 FOR WHATEVER YOU'RE TRYING TO DO, WHAT ISN'T ALREADY HAPPENING? DEPUTY MAYOR GEORGE. THANK YOU. CHAIR, I 
          [01:10:09]
WOULD SAY, FIRST OF ALL, YOU ARE CORRECT. LOTS OF PEOPLE ARE ALREADY IN THIS SPACE. LOTS OF PEOPLE ARE DOING REALLY GOOD WORK. SO WHAT'S WHAT THIS WOULD BE PROVIDING AGAIN IS ONE MORE SERVICES TO A FOCUSED POPULATION, TO A TARGETED GROUP. AND IT WOULD BE FUNDING THOSE SERVICES. SO I SEE A LOT OF GOOD WORK HAPPENING IN FORMAL DIVERSION, AT LEAST IN THE IN THE TWO DOCKETS THAT HAVE ALREADY OCCURRED. BUT THERE ISN'T FUNDING BEHIND THAT TO SUPPORT. THERE'S NO ADDITIONAL DOLLARS AND NO SPECIFIC DOLLARS FOR TREATMENT AS I SEE IT. AND SO WITH THAT, I THINK AGAIN, THIS IS JUST FOCUSING ON A ON A SPECIFIC GROUP FOR A POINT OF INTERVENTION. AND IT IS ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO SUPPORT THE WORK THAT, YES, IS BROADLY HAPPENING OUT IN THE COMMUNITY. THE LAST THING I'M GOING TO SAY IS, AGAIN, IN THE ORDINANCE IT TALKS ABOUT, OR IT SHOULD TALK ABOUT LIKE ASSESSMENT, SCREENING AND ASSESSMENT. IT SHOULD TALK ABOUT CONNECTIONS, TREATMENT AND SOCIAL SUPPORTS AROUND THINGS LIKE CASE MANAGEMENT. IF THERE'S SOMETHING ADDITIONAL THAT AS WE'RE DRAFTING AN RFP, FOLKS WANT TO SEE CONSIDERED, WE'RE OPEN TO IDEAS. I THINK IT YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE'S GENERAL CONSENSUS THAT SOMETHING SHOULD INVOLVE THOSE THREE CATEGORIES. BUT IF THERE'S SOMETHING ADDITIONAL, YOU KNOW, WE'RE OPEN TO IDEAS. CAN I JUST SAY THE ADDITION? YES. AS A SOLUTION. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. THE WHAT I TALKED ABOUT EARLIER WITH THE ONE FINDING WAYS FOR OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROUPS ARE ALREADY FUNDED. COUNCILMAN PIAGENTINI SAID THAT WE FUNDED HOPE VILLAGE. THAT WAS A REIMBURSED REIMBURSEMENT PROCESS FOR A SMALLER GROUP WHO DON'T HAVE BUCKETS OF MONEY LAYING AROUND THE POOL FROM UNTIL THEY WAIT TO GET FUNDED. ALL OF THAT SUPPORT HAS ON THEIR OWN PROCESS. SO I GET IT. WE DON'T WANT TO FUND THIS OUTDOOR THING. A ONE TIME FUNDING OF SOMETHING IS JUST LIKE WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE LIVING ROOM. IF YOU DON'T CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THAT, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE. AND IT'S BEEN AN AMAZING THING THAT THEY KEEP A WAITING LIST FOR. AND PRESIDENT, FORMER PRESIDENT WINKLER HAD US GO AND VOLUNTEER THERE. THEY'RE STILL TRYING TO THRIVE AND SURVIVE, AND THEY COULD USE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT. BUT WE DON'T WANT TO DO THAT RIGHT. MY THING IS WHAT CAN BE BETTER IS LIKE, LET'S LIFT UP THE GROUPS THAT ARE ACTUALLY DOING THE WORK. THEY HAVE PASSED THE TEST. THEY'VE SHOWN US PROVEN RESULTS. LET'S MAKE SURE WE'RE LIFTING THOSE UP AND THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO APPLY FOR WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO, I GUESS, ADD MORE SUPPORT TO. THE OTHER THING IS MAKING SURE THAT FOLKS ARE SUPPORTED TO HIRE DIRECTLY IMPACTED PEOPLE WHO WHETHER IT'S PEER SUPPORT, WHETHER IT'S GOING OUT TO THE ENCAMPMENTS AND HELPING TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT PEOPLE ARE CONNECTED, MAKE SURE THAT THOSE OPPORTUNITIES ARE ALSO INCLUDED IN THIS. MY THING IS THAT PEOPLE ARE TIRED OF BEING ASSESSED AND REPORT AND DATA REPORTS AND ALL OF THAT STUFF, AND THEN NOT SEEING THE FUNDING COME AFTER THAT. WE KNOW THE DATA, WE HAVE THE DATA. HE JUST SAID THIS DATA, PUBLIC HEALTH HAS A GREAT DEAL OF DATA. 
          HOW MUCH MORE ASSESSMENT DO WE NEED FOR A PROBLEM THAT NEEDS MORE MONEY? IF YOU TALK TO ANY THERAPIST, ANY MENTAL HEALTH PERSON, IF THEY WERE TO SUM UP THE MAIN ISSUE THAT MOST OF THE PEOPLE THEY SEE REGULARLY HAVE, IT'S SURROUNDED BY MONEY. SO NOW THAT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SOMETHING THAT IS NOT PHILANTHROPY, IT SHOULD NOT BE TREATED AS PHILANTHROPY BECAUSE IT ISN'T THAT SOMETHING THAT IS FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE DEALING WITH THIS ISSUE? LET'S MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE FUNDING THE THINGS THAT ARE DIRECT, THAT THEY SAY ARE HELPFUL, THAT THEY ARE WORKING WITH. WE HAVE A LOT OF EXAMPLES YOU JUST GAVE HERE. I'M JUST SAYING IT'S NOT CLEARLY NOW. AND EVEN WITH YOUR EXPLANATION, I DID NOT HEAR SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAT WASN'T ALREADY HAPPENING. 
          THANK YOU. EXCUSE ME. I WOULD JUST ANSWER THAT QUESTION. I WOULD SAY AGAIN, IT'S NOT A NEW SERVICE. IT'S FUNDING THE SERVICES THAT WE KNOW ARE NEEDED IN THE COMMUNITY. AND IT'S TO YOUR POINT, YES, PEOPLE I WOULD IMAGINE, ARE TIRED OF BEING SCREENED AND ASSESSED. THERE'S THE NEED FOR TREATMENT DOLLARS, RIGHT? THERE'S A NEED FOR SUPPORT DOLLARS, WHETHER THAT LOOKS LIKE CASE MANAGEMENT OR SOME SORT OF HOUSING SUPPORT. I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK TO THAT SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE I THINK IT DEPENDS ON HOW THE RFP IS WRITTEN AND WHAT WHO'S WILLING TO DO WHAT. IT'S ONLY $700,000. SO I KNOW THAT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF MONEY. IT'S A LIMITED AMOUNT OF MONEY IN THE WAY OF TREATMENT. THINK AGAIN, THAT IS WHAT'S DIFFERENT. IT'S THAT WE ARE FUNDING THOSE SERVICES. IT'S NOT JUST ASSESSMENT, IT IS THE TREATMENT COMPONENT. AND I HEAR YOU ON OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT GROUPS ARE INCLUDED AND THAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON, ON ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE PROVEN RESULTS. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN PIAGENTINI. YES, THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I ASK A QUESTION OF MY COLLEAGUE, COUNCILMAN PARRISH. 
          RIGHT. THERE WAS ACCUSATIONS THROWN AROUND ABOUT SOMEBODY LAUGHING. I'M CURIOUS ABOUT WHO'S LAUGHING ABOUT THIS BECAUSE I HAVEN'T SEEN ANYBODY LAUGHING. I SEE PEOPLE TAKING VERY SERIOUSLY. LET ME RESPOND. I SAID, THIS IS NOT A LAUGHING MATTER FOR ME. OKAY? I WAS 
          [01:15:02]
CONFUSED THEN I'M SORRY. AND THEN JUST TO CLARIFY A QUESTION, WHOEVER CAN ANSWER, WE'RE NOT RESTRICTING LIKE THE RFP THAT WAS SENT OUT. WE DIDN'T RESTRICT ORGANIZATIONS FROM RESPONDING. 
          SO, I MEAN, I DON'T WANT TO PICK ON THE HOPE VILLAGE BECAUSE THEY THEY'VE WE'VE FUNDED THEM BEFORE. THEY, THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE DOING WORK IN THE COMMUNITY. I HAVE NO BEEF WITH THE HOPE VILLAGE. BUT JUST BECAUSE THEY WERE MENTIONED, WERE THEY OR ANY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS PREVENTED FROM RESPONDING TO THESE RFPS AND HAVING IDEAS RELATED TO SERVICES TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE? NO. AND TO BE CLEAR, YOU KNOW, OUR GOAL FIRST AND FOREMOST IS TO SECURE THE MONEY, WHICH REQUIRES COUNCIL APPROVAL. THEN WE WOULD ISSUE AN RFP. AND MY HOPE IS ANYBODY AGAIN, WE WOULD WANT A COMPETITIVE PROCESS, WHICH MEANS WE WOULD WANT TO HAVE LOTS OF LOTS OF CHOICE. WHAT WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE, QUITE FRANKLY, IS, IS PART OF WHAT MY COLLEAGUE BEN SPOKE ABOUT, WHERE YOU PUT OUT AN RFP LIKE WE DID ASKING FOR PREVENTION. AND YOU DON'T GET A LOT OF CHOICE. RIGHT? OKAY. THANK YOU. YEAH. I JUST WANTED TO BE CLEAR BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, LOOK, IF ANY ORGANIZATION WAS BEING EXCLUDED, THAT WOULD BE AN ISSUE. BUT BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S AN OPEN PROCESS. ORGANIZATIONS OF ANY SIZE CAN CAN RESPOND. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. GREAT. THANK YOU. SO THE ITEMS BEFORE US, IT'S BEEN THERE'S A MOTION. AND SECOND, IT DOES REQUIRE A TECHNICAL CORRECTION. AND SO I'M GOING TO TURN THAT OVER TO THE CLERK I THINK FOR THE TECHNICAL CORRECTION. YES SIR. VERY TECHNICAL CORRECTION. THE IN THE TITLE INITIALLY THERE WERE TWO ORDINANCES THAT WERE REFERENCED REGARDING BEING AMENDED, BUT THE BODY OF THE LEGISLATION ONLY REFERENCED ONE AND IT IS ONLY ONE. AND WE MADE THAT CORRECTION PER YOUR REQUEST BEFORE THIS MEETING. OKAY. SO IT DOESN'T REQUIRE ANY ACTION ON OUR PART. 
          JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, THE TITLE IS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT. OKAY. THE ORDINANCE IS PROPERLY BEFORE US. 
          SO, MADAM CLERK, IF YOU PLEASE OPEN THE VOTING. VOTING IS OPEN, COUNCILWOMAN MCCRANEY. YES. 
          COUNCILWOMAN PARKER. YES. COUNCILWOMAN MULVEY. WOOLRIDGE. YES. CAN YOU CALL THEM BACK HERE? BECAUSE THERE'S A COMPUTER. COUNCILWOMAN PARRISH. RIGHT. OKAY. OH. 
          FROM THE COUNCIL ON OLD BUSINESS. THE NEXT ITEM IS ORDINANCE. OH, 
          [2.
 O-061-25     AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. 100, SERIES 2024, RELATING TO THE FISCAL YEAR 2024-2025 OPERATING BUDGET, BY TRANSFERRING $20,000 FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT FUND (DISTRICT 3) TO THE LOUISVILLE METRO COUNCIL GENERAL OPERATIONS (DISTRICT 3).
Action Required By: August 27, 2025
Sponsors: Shameka Parrish-Wright (D-3) ]
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. SO I APPRECIATE THAT. THE NEXT ITEM IS 061, ORDINANCE 6125. IT IS AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE 100 SERIES 2024 RELATING TO THE FISCAL YEAR 2024 2025 OPERATING BUDGET BY TRANSFERRING $20,000 FROM NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT FUND DISTRICT THREE TO THE LOUISVILLE METRO COUNCIL GENERAL OPERATIONS DISTRICT THREE. I NEED A MOTION. 
          MOTION PROPERLY MOTION AND SECONDED. THE ITEM IS BEFORE US. I BELIEVE THE REPRESENTATIVE FROM DISTRICT THREE IS IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS, AND SO SHE'D LIKE TO SPEAK TO THIS. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. YES? I NEED TO MOVE FUNDING OVER TO BE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF SOME THINGS UNDER OUR COST BUDGET. WE HAD SOME OVERAGE THAT I'VE DEALT WITH THE WITH. WE'VE REPORTED ON HAVING MONEY LEFT IN OUR CAPITAL. THAT WAS FOR PROJECTS THAT WE'RE GOING TO FUND THIS YEAR, BUT THIS IS SO THAT WE CAN HAVE SOME OPERATIONAL FUNDING IN OUR COST CENTER. SEEING NO ONE IN THE QUEUE, APPARENTLY. NO QUESTIONS, NO ONE WHO'S JOINING US ONLINE. ALL RIGHT. THIS IS AN ORDINANCE CALLING FOR A ROLL CALL. VOTE. MADAM CLERK, PLEASE OPEN THE VOTING. COUNCILWOMAN MCCRANEY. 
          COUNCILWOMAN PARKER, I SEE YOU THERE. I'M SORRY. COUNCILWOMAN MULVEY. WOOLDRIDGE. YES. 
          COUNCILWOMAN MCCRANEY. YES, COUNCILMAN WINKLER. YES. COUNCILMAN PIAGENTINI. OKAY. 
          [01:20:11]
THANK YOU. YOU HAVE TEN YES VOTES. CHAIR OF TEN. YES VOTES. IT IS UNANIMOUS. SO THIS WILL GO TO THE CONSENT CALENDAR. THAT WAS THE LAST ITEM ON THE AGENDA. SO UNLESS SOMEONE HAS SOMETHING THEY WANT TO SPEAK TO VERY QUICKLY. WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE ARE ADJOURN
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.