Minutes 11/14/2023 - Laserfiche WebLink

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November 14, 2023  In 2021 the Commonwealth of Virginia reached a global settlement of claims against many of the opioid entities on behalf of itself and its participating localities, including Portsmouth. The settlement provided for payment of approximately $608,000,000 to the Commonwealth (the “Settlement Funds”) over an 18-year period.  In order to participate in the Commonwealth’s settlement and receive distributions of a portion of the Settlement Funds, Portsmouth released its claims and entered into a Virginia Opioid Abatement Fund and Settlement Allocation Memorandum of Understanding with the Commonwealth and other localities (the “Settlement MOU”).  City Council approved the Settlement MOU by Resolution R-21-24 adopted on August 10, 2021. Discussion:  Under the terms of the Settlement MOU, the City will receive regular disbursements of a portion of the Settlement Funds received by the Commonwealth.  In August of 2022, the City received a disbursement of Settlement Funds in the amount of $78,765.20, which was accepted and appropriated through City Council ordinance 2022-80 adopted on September 13, 2022.  In October of 2022, the City received an additional disbursement of Settlement Funds in the amount of $82,778.38, which was accepted and appropriated through City Council ordinance 2022-93 adopted on October 25, 2022.  In November of 2022, the City received an additional disbursement of Settlement Funds in the amount of $315,332.05, which was accepted and appropriated through City Council ordinance 2022-98 adopted on November 22, 2022.  In February of 2023, the City received an additional disbursement of Settlement Funds in the amount of $20,272.32, which was accepted and appropriated through City Council ordinance 2023-09 adopted on February 28, 2023.  In March of 2023, the City received two additional disbursements of Settlement Funds in the amounts of $53,847.86 and $26,396.02, for a total of $80,243.88, which total amount was accepted and appropriated through City Council ordinance 2023-19 adopted on March 28, 2023.  In August of 2023, the City received an additional disbursement of Settlement Funds in the amount of $82,778.38, which was accepted and appropriated through City Council ordinance 2023-80 adopted on September 12, 2023.  In November of 2023, the City received notice of an additional disbursement of Settlement Funds in the amount of $27,592.79.  It is necessary for City Council to accept and appropriate this additional disbursement.  The Settlement MOU requires the City to use the Settlement Funds for “Approved Abatement Purposes”, which it defines as: “efforts to treat, prevent, or reduce opioid use disorder or the misuse of opioids or to otherwise abate or remediate the opioid epidemic…”. Specific examples of Approved Abatement Purposes are described in Section (C)(4)(a) through (j) of the Settlement MOU.  The proposed ordinance appropriates the $27,592.79 allocation of Settlement Funds to the Department of Behavioral Healthcare Services for use for Approved Abatement Purposes. Financial impact:  No local match is required as a condition of the funding. Recommended Action:  Adoption of the ordinance Next Steps Following Council Action:  BHS will expend the Settlement Funds for Approved Abatement Purposes. Motion by Mr. Tillage, and seconded by Ms. Lucas-Burke, to adopt the following ordinance, and was adopted by the following vote: