January 30, 2024 Minutes

Weld Regional Opioid Council Meeting

Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment, Room 103
1555 North 17th Avenue, Greeley CO 80631
January 30, 2024 @ 10:00 am to 11:00 am

Council Members in Attendance:  Eric Aakko – Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment; Kim Emil – Town of Windsor Government; Zo Hubbard – Town of Fort Lupton; Tom Nissen – Ault Police Department; Jamie Ulrich – Weld County Department of Human Services; Matt Turner – Weld County Sherriff’s Office; Michael Pirraglia – Weld County District Attorney’s Office; Scott Moser-Town of Eaton Government; David Angelo-Firestone Police Department

Non-Council Members in Attendance:  Tanya Geiser – Weld County Department of Human Services; MJ Jorgensen – North Colorado Health Alliance; Erin Olson – Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment; Melanie Cyphers - Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment; Dana Johnson – North Range Behavioral Health; Elizabeth Pike – North Colorado Health Network; Dayna Deherrera-Smith – Front Range Clinic; Jenny Wallace – North Range Behavioral Health; Jennifer Mackender – Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention; Mike Knee – Weld County Sherriff’s Office; Joshua Goddard- Fort Lupton Police Department; Matt Elbe- Weld County Sheriff’s Office; Stacey Swanson - City of Greeley


Minutes

  1. Introductions
  2. Review and Approve Minutes and Agenda
    • Zo Hubbard moved to approve the minutes of the 10/17/2023 meeting as well as the agenda for the 1/30/24 meeting. Matt Turner seconded the motion. Minutes for 10/17/2023 meeting and the agenda for 1/30/24 meeting were approved without changes.
  3. Fiscal Updates
    • Tanya Geiser provided a timeline of expenditures for 2024 so far and the reports that are due:
      • 11/15/23-2024 Council-approved budget submitted via the state’s COST system (CO Opioids Settlement Tracker)
      • 12/6/23- concrete information regarding annual reporting requirements
      • 1/9/24 – first annual budget revisions due
      • 1/15/24- all final invoices for 2023 expenditures due from funded agencies
      • 2/9/24- first annual expenditures report due in COST.
      • 3/15/24-first of two funding request opportunities closes in COST system.
    • Budget categories for Weld Region 3 revised 2024 Budget (revised 1/9/24):
      • Treatment: $2,273,603.27
      • Prevention: $250,955.96
      • Additional (will fine tune): $408,359.96
    • Total 2022-2024 settlement fund allocations for Region 3 - $3,370,326
      • 2022-2023 allocation: 1,258,326.07 Requested: $1,258,326.07
      • 2024 allocation: $2,111,999.93 Requested: $1,674,593.14
      • 2023-2024 allocation still available for access- $437,406.79
    • Pending funding requests presented by Weld County Sherriff’s Office, Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment, Firestone Police Department/North Range Behavioral Health, Fort Lupton. See below.
    • Agencies currently receiving funding will need to submit their contracts and SOWs soon.
  4. Contract Updates
    • Weld County Sherriff's Office Funding Request presented by Matt Turner
      • Requesting to shift approximately $60K designated in 2023 for MAT medications to personnel costs, specifically 2 MAT nurses for June--December 2023
      • Requesting $415,00 in 2024 for personnel (MAT nurses) and MAT medications
        • They are still determining cost of meds and can absorb those costs, if necessary, but immediate need is for staff to support the program.
        • They have opened a new unit in the jail specific to inmates needing MAT. Originally planned for 75 inmates, but they are up to 80 inmates needing services with more inmates on a wait list.
      • They are utilizing a new medication vender, WellPath.
        • Meds are ordered and requested as needed.
        • Still determining exact need since they only have one year of data.
        • WCSD would like to offset the cost of MAT if possible.
      • WCSD is partnering with NCHA (CO-SLAW) in providing services.
    • South County Co-Responder Funding Request presented by David Angelo
      • Frederick, Firestone, Dacono, and Mead (Carbon Valley) requested funding to increase the current staffing of the co-responder program in collaboration with North Range from 3 days per week to 4 days per week.
      • Reasons for request:
        • Large population growth in this area
        • Seeing more narcotic related deaths. This would help the police department as well as the individuals to get the help they need rather than “criminalizing addiction”.
      • Funding is payable to North Range to support a clinician to provide co-responder services.
      • Dana Johnson from North Range said they would like to increase current funding which supports a co-responder 3 days a week by $85,000,00 to pay for a co-responder to be on staff an additional 4 days per week.
      • David specified that they would like to hire a master’s level clinician as this would provide more of a full spectrum of services including diagnostic service, intervention, and ability to place individuals on holds for safety issues if necessary.
      • Eric Aakko asked how long it would take to hire and get someone onboarded? Answer: few months
      • Zo Hubbard asked how much North Range is currently receiving. Tanya did not have those exact numbers but estimated that there is about $400,00.00 in rollover from 2023 plus the money not yet requested from the settlement funds for this year, so there would most likely be enough money available for this request.
      • Matt Turner asked if there was a risk of not being able to continue funding for this next year and not being able to sustain the program at that level.
      • MJ reminded the council that this funding request is just for personnel salary and fringe and does not include other administrative costs for co-responders.
      • David Angelo said they would apply for this funding in August if it is not currently available.
    • Fort Lupton PD Funding Request presented by Zo Hubbard and Joshua Goddard from Fort Lupton PD
      • Fort Lupton Police Department is requesting funds for purchase of equipment, specifically a newer type of mass spectrometer (TruNarc), for testing narcotics.
      • Justification for this purchase:
        • Safety for officers - this device uses a laser and can test all narcotics without exposing staff.
        • Officers are seeing an uptick in fentanyl deaths.
        • Clear real-time results
        • Presumptive positives helps when case reaches litigation.
        • Device can test over 500 substances: ruling out narcotics and taking into account mixing of drugs.
        • It is updated regularly so will be able to detect new narcotics as they are developed and enter circulation.
        • Automated records
        • Tamper proof
        • Law enforcement is frequently finding fentanyl (blue m-30s) via traffic stops, arrests, other encounters in South Countyevery 1-2 weeks depending on the town.
        • Portable, so can easily be shared with other police departments.
        • Can test a small amount of a pill.
        • The “nic kit” which is currently used to test pills is a one-use test. The TruNarc is reusable.
        • Safety for officers and community members as users often use fentanyl in public spaces.
      • Price range: $32,000.00-$40,000.00
      • Michael Pirraglia stated this would be valuable to DA’s office since there is a back log at the lab for current testing of narcotics and many cases are not tried since results may not be available by trial date. This could prevent problems in the future and get dealers arrested sooner. He is supportive of this request.
      • Matt Turner mentioned that the Sheriff’s Office is also testing this device.
  5. Discussion on Funding Requests
    • Tanya thinks we could fund all the requests mentioned this morning, $540,000.00 total, with what we currently have available. She reminded us that we will have more money available in August to meet additional requests.
    • Zo clarified that the caged vehicles requested by NRBH will be arriving in the next few months, so will become 2024 expense.
    • Allocated funds can be requested from the state in March. Tanya will have more specific numbers and information next week.
    • Motion was made by Zo Hubbard to approve all the requested funding request. It was seconded my Matt Turner and David Angelo. The motion passed by vote of all council members in attendance.
  6. Chair Council Member Replacement--Discussion of Two-Year Terms
    • Eric Aakko stated that since the current term for everyone on the council will be ending in August, it would be helpful if some council members could remain on the council an additional year to avoid having to reseat the entire council. This would help with developing a rotation for future years.
    • Group consensus was to think about their term commitments and let the chair know by the next meeting if they will be continuing for an additional year on their term or appointing a new council member from their agency.
    • Eric announced that he will be resigning from WCDPHE as of 3/1/24 and taking a new position in academia. As of the meeting date, no Health Department council representative has been selected.
    • Since Eric is stepping down as Council Chair, we will need to elect a new chairperson.
    • Matt Turner moved that we defer changing any positions including filling the chairperson role and rotation of staff until the next meeting. Zo Hubbard seconded the motion. Motion passed by majority of council.
  7. Adjourn
    • A motion was made by Zo Hubbard to adjourn the meeting. The motion was seconded by Matt Turner. The meeting was adjourned at 10:03am.

    Next Meeting:  Tuesday, April 16th, 2024 @ 9:00 am to 10:00 am

 

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