At its latest meeting, the Plattsburgh Common Council reviewed the potential use of unused opioid funds and approved mayoral appointments.
The Common Council holds a work session prior to its regular session to discuss issues facing the city or hash out councilor concerns. Ward 6 Democrat Amy Collin was sworn in to her first term on January 2nd. She began the work session Thursday asking about unused opioid funds.
“In 2023 and 2024 we got $53,356 total and it hasn’t been spent yet and I’d like to work on identifying some really important things that we can use that money for. It’ll help our community,” Collin said. “And what I’d like is to put a resolution together that has the cash account separate for that so that we can keep it available, keep it top of mind, and then we can go from there. And I have information about how that money can be spent. So as we go forward maybe we can talk collectively as a group and work out what we think would be the best use of those funds and collaborate with some of those community partners.”
Mayor Wendell Hughes, a Democrat, noted that they are consulting with the Community Service Board on how to best distribute or use the funds. That led to a series of questions from Ward 3 Democrat Elizabeth Gibbs.
“We don’t have to recreate a wheel. They’re working with the schools and they’re working with other towns so it’s good to have that,” the Mayor said.
Gibbs then asked, “So is that money restricted?”
“It’s restricted,” Hughes replied.
“It’s restricted, right,” confirmed Gibbs.
“I mean there are ten pages of different kinds of things that it can be spent on,” Collin pointed out. “It’s really quite thorough.”
“I’m curious about whatever is on that list how far that money will actually take us and is this a one time?” Gibbs asked.
“It came two years in a row now and its getting reduced as we go,” Hughes said. “That’s part of the opioid settlements. We’re going to get more but it’s going to be at a reduced rate. But he mental health and addiction professionals they’re really happy to work with us.”
Gibbs asked if fellow councilors would be interested in having a report drafted by the Police Department on addiction and homelessness in the city.
“I really would like to see a proposed strategy come before the council that really represents a plan of evaluating what is the length and breathe of the problem; are there particular areas in the city that your officers are responding to more than others,” Gibbs said. “Would love to see an opioid strategy, homelessness strategy created, multi-agency and discussed with council. Mayor?”
“That is one of my priorities,” Noted Mayor Hughes. “But we have to get the county involved, social services. We have to get mental health and addiction. It’s an epidemic and we need to address it and that’s one of the initiatives that I have from day one.”
Police Lieutenant Jarrod Trombley told the council the department is already gathering such information.
“The Police Department is collecting this data,” reported Trombley. ”So syringes that are found, homeless populations, people in need, we are collecting that data so we do have that. I’ve had several meetings with our administrative staff at the Police Department. The opioid strategy is in motion. It will be something measurable, something that we can look at, we can see where we are today, can see where we are tomorrow and truly where we were in the past. And we’re all trying to collaborate. There’s many, many agencies within this region that see this. We are actively working on it.”
Mayor Hughes had placed two appointments before the council to ratify. One names Justin Meyer as the city’s corporation counsel, or attorney. The second appoints Democrat James Evans to the vacant Ward 2 seat. Both were approved unanimously without discussion.
