December 12, 2023
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<br />
<br /> City Council approved the Settlement MOU by Resolution R-21-24 adopted on
<br />August 10, 2021.
<br />
<br />Discussion:
<br />
<br /> Under the terms of the Settlement MOU, the City will receive regular
<br />disbursements of a portion of the Settlement Funds received by the Commonwealth.
<br />
<br /> In August of 2022, the City received a disbursement of Settlement Funds in the
<br />amount of $78,765.20, which was accepted and appropriated through City Council
<br />ordinance 2022-80 adopted on September 13, 2022.
<br />
<br /> In October of 2022, the City received an additional disbursement of Settlement
<br />Funds in the amount of $82,778.38, which was accepted and appropriated through City
<br />Council ordinance 2022-93 adopted on October 25, 2022.
<br />
<br /> In November of 2022, the City received an additional disbursement of Settlement
<br />Funds in the amount of $315,332.05, which was accepted and appropriated through City
<br />Council ordinance 2022-98 adopted on November 22, 2022.
<br />
<br /> In February of 2023, the City received an additional disbursement of Settlement
<br />Funds in the amount of $20,272.32, which was accepted and appropriated through City
<br />Council ordinance 2023-09 adopted on February 28, 2023.
<br />
<br /> In March of 2023, the City received two additional disbursements of Settlement
<br />Funds in the amounts of $53,847.86 and $26,396.02, for a total of $80,243.88, which total
<br />amount was accepted and appropriated through City Council ordinance 2023-19 adopted
<br />on March 28, 2023.
<br />
<br /> In August of 2023, the City received an additional disbursement of Settlement
<br />Funds in the amount of $82,778.38, which was accepted and appropriated through City
<br />Council ordinance 2023-80 adopted on September 12, 2023.
<br />
<br /> In November of 2023, the City received an additional disbursement of Settlement
<br />Funds in the amount of $27,592.79, which was accepted and appropriated through City
<br />Council ordinance 2023-111 adopted on November 14, 2023.
<br />
<br /> On November 20, 2023, the City received an additional disbursement of
<br />Settlement Funds in the amount of $23,849.79.
<br />
<br /> It is necessary for City Council to accept and appropriate this additional
<br />disbursement.
<br />
<br /> The Settlement MOU requires the City to use the Settlement Funds for “Approved
<br />Abatement Purposes”, which it defines as: “efforts to treat, prevent, or reduce opioid use
<br />disorder or the misuse of opioids or to otherwise abate or remediate the opioid
<br />epidemic…”. Specific examples of Approved Abatement Purposes are described in
<br />Section (C)(4)(a) through (j) of the Settlement MOU.
<br />
<br /> The proposed ordinance appropriates the $23,849.79 allocation of Settlement
<br />Funds to the Department of Behavioral Healthcare Services for use for Approved
<br />Abatement Purposes.
<br />
<br />Financial impact:
<br />
<br /> No local match is required as a condition of the funding.
<br />
<br />Recommended Action:
<br />
<br /> Adoption of the ordinance.
<br />
<br />Next Steps Following Council Action:
<br />
<br /> BHS will expend the Settlement Funds for Approved Abatement Purposes.
<br />
<br />Motion by Ms. Lucas-Burke, and seconded by Mr. Barnes, to adopt the following
<br />ordinance, and was adopted by the following vote:
<br />
<br />“ORDINANCE ACCEPTING SETTLEMENT FUNDS IN THE AMOUNT OF $23,849.79
<br />FROM THE NATIONAL OPIOIDS ABATEMENT TRUST II AND APPROPRIATING
<br />SAID AMOUNT IN THE FY 2024 BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE SERVICE FUND FOR
<br />USE BY BHS FOR APPROVED ABATEMENT PURPOSES AS DEFINED BY THE
<br />VIRGINIA OPIOID FUND AND SETTLEMENT ALLOCATION MOU.”
<br />
<br />Ayes: Barnes, Hugel, Lucas-Burke, Moody, Tillage, Whitaker, Glover
<br />Nays: None
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