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SAVE ME JUST TIME.[Special Town Council Work session on September 8, 2020]
WORK SESSION.I HAD TO BE TIED TO BUDGET CALENDAR.
THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL.
WE WERE ACTUALLY APPROVING A BUDGET AND NOW WE'RE GETTING READY TO START OUR NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
UM, MR. WILSON, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT ON OUR SCHEDULE? UH, NO.
THE, UH, SCHEDULE, UH, PRETTY MUCH THE SAME AS WE'VE USED FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
UM, IT ALLOW, UM, UH, TWO WORK SESSIONS, UH, BEFORE WE ADVERTISE FOR THE TAXES.
UM, AND THEN IT'LL ALLOW, UM, ALMOST THREE MONTHS THERE BEFORE TO THE SECOND AND FINAL READING OF THE APPROPRIATION ORDINANCE FOR THE BUDGET.
UH, THE ONLY THING THAT I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT IS, IS, UH, UH, ONE THING WE'VE DONE, UM, UH, IN THE PAST IS WE'D HAVE A WORK SESSION FOR A BUDGET GOALS WITH TOWN COUNCIL.
I WASN'T SURE IF THAT'S SOMETHING WE WANTED TO ADDRESS THIS YEAR, OR IF WE WANT TO DELAY THAT UNTIL, UH, ELECTIONS AND THE NEW, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS COMING FORWARD.
BUT I'LL LEAVE THAT UP TO COUNSELORS.
YES, WE DON'T NEED TO
UM, WE DON'T NECESSARILY NEED IT.
IT'S JUST BEEN A FORMALITY THAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST.
ANYBODY WANT TO DISCUSS ANY MORE GENDER? I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY, I THINK WE OUGHT TO HAVE THE DISCUSSION WITH THE BUDGET GOES TO THE SIDE.
IT'S STILL, WE GOT A NUMBER OF ISSUES HERE IN OUR TOWN THAT WE, UH, WE HAVE TO ADDRESS STILL, JUST LIKE THAT.
UM, MATT, CAN YOU, UM, DOES ANYBODY ELSE BY THE WAY WATER, IS THAT OKAY, MATT, CAN YOU WORK OUT THE TIME? AND SO IT MEET ALL THE CASTLES TIME SCHEDULE AND PUT THIS ON THE NEXT MONDAY NIGHTS WITH JETTA, IS THAT CORRECT? BUT IT'S, I DON'T THINK IT'S NECESSARY.
IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT
UH, MATT, THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR, UH, AT THE REQUEST OF MR. GILLESPIE AT THE LAST MEETING, HE WANTED TO HAVE THIS ITEM PUT ON OUR WORK SESSION.
AND, UM, TONIGHT WE THOUGHT WE'D HAVE CHIEF GALAS TALK ABOUT, UM, AN OVERVIEW ON NOTHING VERY SPECIFIC, BUT AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT, UM, WHAT THE TOWN PD IS INVOLVED WITH AND WHAT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY IS.
I MEAN, AS WE ALL KNOW, YOU KNOW, TOWN, CITIZENS, OR COUNTY RESIDENTS, SO MUCH OF THIS, IF NOT A GREAT DEAL OF IT FALLS ON, ON THE COUNTY.
UM, BUT, UH, CHIEF, WHERE ARE YOUR, DO YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD? AND IF YOU WANT TO GO UP TO THE PODIUM THERE, CHIEF GOOD EVENING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, UM, PAST, UH, COUNCILMAN GILLESPIE HAD JUST PUT TOGETHER A COUPLE OF THINGS TO KIND OF DISCUSS WITH YOU UNLESS YOU KNOW, WHERE WE'RE AT AND YOUR MASK OFF YOU'RE SIX FEET AWAY.
UM, AS, AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE ARE DEALING WITH THE DRUG EPIDEMIC, UH, RIGHT NOW, UM, THE BIGGEST PROBLEM THAT WE'RE FACING RIGHT NOW IS THE OPIOID CRISIS.
UM, AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE, UH, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO COMBAT RIGHT NOW.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, MOST OF YOU UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT OF THE REGIONAL DRUG TASK FORCE, UH, WE'RE MEMBERS OF THAT.
UM, WE CAN'T REALLY RELY ON THAT TO SOLVE ALL OF OUR OPIOID PROBLEM.
UH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE PRETTY CRITICAL IN MANAGING MOST OF THE DRUG ISSUES THAT WE HAVE.
UH, AND I, I WOULD SAY, UH, A FAIR PORTION OF THE OPIOID CRISIS IS UNABLE TO BE MANAGED BY THEM WHEN A LARGER SCALE DRUG DEALER COMES TO TOWN.
UM, THE TASK FORCE CANNOT KIND OF OPERATE ON THAT.
THEY'RE DESIGNED TO TARGET MID-LEVEL AND HIGHER-LEVEL DRUG DEALERS, UM, AND NOT DRUG USERS AND DRUG USERS ARE WHERE THE OVERDOSES ARE ACTUALLY HAPPENING.
UM, AND IT'S SORT OF A DIFFERENT APPROACH.
NOW, THESE FOLKS, INSTEAD OF HAVING A DRUG DEALER IN TOWN, UM, THEY USUALLY HAVE A GROUP OF FRIENDS THAT ARE OFF ALSO USING, AND THEY'LL TAKE TURNS RIDING UP TO BALTIMORE OR DC WHEN THE MORNING SOURCE CITIES PURCHASING RELATIVELY SMALL
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QUANTITIES OF HEROIN AND COMING BACK, UM, USING AN UP AND THEN THEY'LL OFTENTIMES MAKE MORE THAN ONE TRIP A DAY.SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL JUST KIND OF SPREAD THE WEALTH AND, AND DRIVING UP AND TAKING CARE OF IT.
UM, THE NUMBERS OF OVERDOSES HAVE RISEN SIGNIFICANTLY THIS YEAR.
WE'VE HAD, UH, UH, SINCE, UM, SINCE JANUARY, FIRST OF THIS YEAR, WE'VE HAD, UH, 47 OPIATE OVERDOSES IN TOWN WITH 10 DEATHS AND WE'VE HAD 13 OPIATE OVERDOSES IN THE COUNTY WITH, UM, THE THREE DEATHS.
UM, LAST YEAR YOU WANT TO DO THAT? I'M REPEATING IT'S 47 THIS YEAR, 47 IN TOWN AND 10 DEATHS.
YES, MA'AM AND 13 OPIOD OVERDOSES IN THE COUNTY, UH, WITH THREE DEATHS.
UM, WE, WE WERE OUTPACING, UH, LAST YEAR ALREADY, AND I'M GETTING, I'LL GET INTO THAT MOMENTARILY.
UM, WE'VE GOT JUST FOR AN EXAMPLE, UM, IN 2019, UH, WE RESPONDED AND, UM, ADMINISTERED 49 DOSES OF NARCAN, UH, TO BRING PEOPLE OUT OF A CRISIS.
AND THAT WAS FOR THE ENTIRE CALENDAR YEAR OF 2019, THUS FAR IN 2020.
UM, WE'VE ALREADY ADMINISTERED 50 DOSES AND WE'VE JUST STARTED SEPTEMBER.
SO WE'RE CERTAINLY GOING TO TRY IT OUT OR ALONG THE NEED TO HAVE THAT DISPENSED NARCAN BEFORE THEY CAN BRING IT OUT OF THEM.
SOMETIMES IT TAKES MORE THAN ONE DOSE.
OCCASIONALLY, OCCASIONALLY YOU'LL HAVE SOMEBODY THAT'S EITHER INGESTED ENOUGH OR HAS THAT MUCH LESS OF A TOLERANCE THAT IT WILL REQUIRE MORE THAN ONE DOSE TO ACTUALLY BRING THEM OUT OF ARRESTS.
WELL, YOU HAVE TO CATCH IT AT A VERY SPECIAL TIME IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO, YEAH, YOU, YOU DON'T WANT TO CATCH THEM, YOU KNOW, TOO.
YOU WANT TO TRY TO CATCH THEM AS EARLY AS YOU CAN AFTER THEY, AFTER THEY OVERDOSE.
UM, AND THAT'S NOT THE ONLY CHALLENGE WE FACE.
I MEAN, UM, LEGISLATION SPEND A LITTLE BIT TOUGH ON US.
I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND THAT SOME OF IT IS DESIGNED TO, UM, SAVE LIVES AND ASSIST IN, UH, SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE DEALING WITH NOWADAYS, BUT, UH, EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS, WE'RE DEALING WITH THE, UM, SOME OF THE AMENDMENTS TO, UH, SOME OF THE DRUG POSSESSION LAWS.
WHEN WE SHOW UP ON AN OVERDOSE NOW, UH, AND A PERSON HAS, HAS OVERDOSED AND CALLED NINE ONE ONE, OR IF SOMEONE ELSE THERE HAS CALLED NINE 11, THEY CAN'T BE CHARGED WITH ANY CRIME.
UH, SO EVEN IF THEY'VE GOT ILLEGAL NARCOTICS ON THE PERSON, UM, THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN DO ABOUT IT.
WE, WE SEES IT AS CONTRABAND CAN, THIS CAN THEN DESTROY IT, BUT, UM, THE PERSON JUST, UH, THERE THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO RECOURSE FOR THEIR ACTIONS.
UM, OF COURSE WE TRY TO INVESTIGATE EVERY SITUATION THAT WE GO TO.
UM, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, ABOUT HALF THE PEOPLE THAT WE DEAL WITH, LIKE THAT JUST TURN AROUND, WALK BACK IN THE HOUSE WITHOUT PROVIDING US WITH ANYTHING, UH, NEEDLESS TO SAY, SOME OF THESE NARCAN ADMINISTRATIONS HAVE BEEN, UH, BEEN PROVIDED TO THE SAME PEOPLE.
SO, UM, SO THEN IN THAT PART IS UNFORTUNATE.
UM, AGAIN, YOU HATE TO THINK AGAIN, I'M NOT, I'M NOT GOING TO SIT HERE AND TELL YOU THAT INCARCERATION IS THE ANSWER FOR ADDICTION.
UH, IT'S CERTAINLY NOT, BUT EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE YOU CAN GET SOMEBODY THAT WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A PROGRAM THAT THEY'RE COURT ORDERED TO DO, OR, YOU KNOW, END UP IN JAIL WITH TIME ON THEIR HANDS AND WE'LL, YOU KNOW, ACCEPT COUNSELING OR THERAPY TO TRY TO OVERCOME THEIR ADDICTIONS.
UM, BUT THOSE, UH, THOSE LAWS HAVE PRETTY MUCH MADE THAT PART OF IT, UH, UH, IMPOSSIBLE, UM, ON A MORE POSITIVE NOTE, UM, THE WARREN COALITION, UH, OUR LOCAL PARTNERS IN PREVENTION HAVE JUST SECURED A $1 MILLION GRANT, UH, FOR HARM REDUCTION.
UM, AND SO FAR THAT'S, THIS IS KIND OF, UH, UH, NOT AS AN EXTREME HARM REDUCTION PROGRAMS THAT WE'VE SEEN IN SOME PLACES WITH NEEDLE EXCHANGES AND THINGS ALONG THOSE LINES.
UH, BUT IT'S MORE BASED ON PREVENTION.
UM, WE HAD OUR FIRST ZOOM MEETING, UH, LAST WEEK, UH, KRISTA SHIFFLETT IS OUR LOCAL, UM, WARREN COALITION, UH, DIRECTOR.
AND SHE'S IDENTIFIED A LOT OF KEY AREAS THAT SHE'S GONNA TRY TO WORK ON WITH THIS, UH, WITH THIS FUNDING.
UM, AND MANY OF THE, UH, MANY OF THE, THE SPOTS ESSENTIALLY POSITIONS THAT WILL BE, UH, FILLED TO CARRY OUT THIS GRANT, UH, OUR DSS, UH, SOCIAL SERVICES, NORTHWESTERN, UH, AND OF COURSE, COALITION MEMBERS THEMSELVES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT.
SO, UM, THAT IS A BRIGHT SPOT.
AND HOPEFULLY WE WILL BE ABLE TO, UH, TO RECOGNIZE AT LEAST SOME, UH, RELIEF TO THIS DRUG EPIDEMIC BECAUSE OF
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THAT WITH, WITH ANY LAW.SO I THINK SOMETHING THAT STUCK OUT IN MY MIND IN WEST SIDE, IT'S UNDERSTOOD AS, SO IT'S 47 AND TOWN 13 IN THE COUNTY.
SO WE'RE MORE THAN THREE TIMES.
BIG TOWN HAS MORE THAN THREE TIMES THE AMOUNT OF OVERDOSES THAN, THAN PEOPLE IN THE COUNTY.
IS THAT OVERDOSES? YES, THIS IS ALL.
YEAH, NO, I WAS JUST, YEAH, JUST ANYTHING.
SO THEN WITHIN THE TOWN AND I MEAN, STATISTICALLY, WE, WE LOOK LIKE WE'VE GOT A BIGGER PROBLEM WITHIN THE TOWN LIMITS, NOT JUST SAYING MORE PEOPLE AND THERE CAN BE SOME THINGS THAT, THAT SURE.
TRIBUTE TO THAT, THE OTHER, UH, LOCATIONS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD SOME ISSUES WITH CERTAIN LOCATIONS AND FOLKS WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY REALIZE THAT THEY'RE IN A REMOTE LOCATION IN THE COUNTY AND THEY KNOW THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT OR FIRE AND RESCUE ISN'T GOING TO BE THERE IN A FEW MINUTES, TYPICALLY TEND TO HAVE BE MORE PREPARED HAVING IN LOW-INCOME HOTELS.
THERE'S BEEN QUITE A FEW WHEN WE HAD A DESK, WE HAD A DISCUSSION WITH A HOTEL OWNER LAST WEEK ABOUT, ABOUT MANAGING THAT PROBLEM A LITTLE BIT.
IT WAS A PIECE ABOUT WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT INCARCERATION AND IT'S NOT THE ANSWER.
AND I AGREE WITH THAT, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE TO ME, THAT YOU HEAR ABOUT THE POLICE FORCE IS NOT DOING ENOUGH, BUT WHAT'S THE AFTER ACTION.
THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE JUST RELEASED.
IT SEEMS LIKE TO ME, THERE OUGHT TO BE SOMEWHERE THAT YOU CAN TAKE THAT INDIVIDUAL AND SAY, HERE'S YOUR OPTIONS.
IS THERE ANYTHING ON THAT? UM, BUT IN OUR COMMUNITY, IT'S IN VIRGINIA.
THIS, THIS PROBLEM IS NOT W WE'RE WE'RE NOT, UH, WE'RE NOT SPECIAL.
THERE'S THIS, THIS IS OCCURRING ALL OVER THE COUNTRY RIGHT NOW.
FENTANYL IS IT'S NOT EVEN SO MUCH HEROIN ANYMORE AS IT IS FENTANYL.
SECOND QUESTION WOULD BE, I'M SORRY.
HOW MANY OF THOSE 47 ARE RECURRING AGAIN AND AGAIN? SO, UH, AND AGAIN, UH, AND OF COURSE, EVERYBODY ALWAYS SAYS YOU CAN'T ARREST YOUR WAY OUT OF THE PROBLEM AND THAT'S, THAT'S TRUE, BUT THERE'S, THERE ARE THINGS THAT WOULD HOLD CERTAIN PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE.
IF THEY HAD SOMETHING TO LOSE.
NOW NOBODY'S GOT ANYTHING TO LOSE AND I MEAN, YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T POLICE ADDICTION.
UM, BUT, AND, AND THAT'S PART OF THE ISSUE IS WE DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES HERE AVAILABLE, UH, FOR, FOR TREATMENT.
LIKE SOME PLACES DO, UH, LARGER LOCALITIES, UM, HAVE GOT, UH, TREATMENT FACILITIES, THINGS LIKE THAT THAT COULD POTENTIALLY HELP FOLKS, UH, OVERCOME THIS.
BUT, BUT THEY'VE, THEY'VE GOT A WANT TO DO FOLLOW UP TO THAT.
MR. DALEN SAYS BEEN BEFORE US TWICE BY DRUG ADDICTION AND WE HAVE NO FACILITIES.
BUT IF YOU CAN'T FORCE THEM TO GO TO ONE OF THESE FACILITIES, WHAT IS THE ANSWER? IT'S ALL VOLUNTEER.
ONE OF THE THINGS, UM, THAT'S BEEN BEEN TRIED AND, AND HAS HAD SOME EFFECT IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS AS THE DRUG COURTS THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN SOMEBODY OVERDOSES OR, YOU KNOW, WE COME ACROSS SOMEBODY THAT'S IN POSSESSION, UH, OF NARCOTICS LIKE THAT THEY GO TO COURT AND PERHAPS INSTEAD OF INCARCERATION, THEY CAN CHOOSE TO GO TO DRUG COURT, WHICH IS BASICALLY REQUIRES THEM TO ATTEND TREATMENT.
UM, AND THE NUMBERS, YOU KNOW, IF YOU SAVE ONE, I GUESS IT'S WORTH IT.
BUT I MEAN, THE NUMBERS ARE ROUGHLY 27, 27%.
UM, SO IT, IT'S STILL A DIFFICULT, IT'S DIFFICULT TO, TO, UM, UH, HAVE, UH, A ROSY OUTLOOK.
BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE THING WE, WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO TRY TO OVERCOME IT.
MA'AM YOU HAD A COOL POINT FEAR.
FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK YOU GUYS FOR THE WORK YOU GUYS DO, AND Y'ALL DOING A GREAT JOB.
UM, ALONG THAT POINT, UM, UH, UNDER THE PURPOSE OF GOVERNMENT, YOU KNOW, IS USUALLY RUDE THE STREET, ONE OF THESE TREATMENT FACILITIES, WHAT WOULD BE THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION TO BE ABLE TO GET ONE HERE IN AREA, WHETHER IT BE WINCHESTER OR HERE IN FRONT OF THE ROYAL, OR, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS GOING TO OPEN,
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IT'LL TAKE A PRIVATE BUSINESS OR CONTRACTOR TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS.UM, IS THERE ANY NAMES OF PEOPLE THAT WE COULD POSSIBLY REACH OUT TO AND POSSIBLY TALK THEM INTO AND TO COME IN FOR THAT? I KNOW THAT THE HOSPITAL WOULD BE A PERFECT PLACE.
SO IT'S CERTAINLY CERTAINLY A MATTER OF, OF FUNDING, UM, AND BEING ABLE TO ACQUIRE THE FACILITIES TO GET THE QUALIFIED PERSONNEL IN PLACE, TO BE ABLE TO MANAGE, UH, THAT TYPE OF A FACILITY.
AND OBVIOUSLY THE PLACE TO START WOULD BE NORTHWESTERN.
UM, CAUSE THEY'VE, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE GOT THEM.
AND AGAIN, IF WE'RE, IF WE'RE NOT GOING TO MINCE WORDS, UH, MOST, MOST DRUG ADDICTION IS LINKED TO MENTAL ILLNESS IN SOME FORM OR FASHION OR ANOTHER, WELL, IT DEPENDS.
THERE'S, THERE'S A FEW SMALLER, UH, PRIVATE PLACES THAT ARE CLOSER.
UH, THERE'S A SMALL FACILITY IN WINCHESTER.
THERE'S, UM, I BELIEVE THERE'S ONE IN STANTON, ROANOKE, UM, BUT, UH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN AND THERE, WHEN YOU SAY PRIVATE, RIGHT.
THAT HE MEANS THE FAMILY, THE ADDICT, OR THE FAMILY IS FUNNY FOOTING THAT IF IT'S PRIVATE, RIGHT.
I'M JUST SAYING, SO THAT KIND OF BOILS DOWN TO MONEY AGAIN, RIGHT.
IF THEY DON'T HAVE THE MONEY, OH.
COURT STUFF IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S OUTPATIENT.
SO, UM, THAT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN A PERSON IS ADDICTED TO AN OPIATE, IT'S, IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN, UM, IF A PERSON'S ADDICTED TO COCAINE, THEY'LL JUST RUN AROUND THE STREETS AND CHASE COCAINE ALL NIGHT.
AND IF THEY CAN'T FIND ANYTHING, THEY'LL GO HOME AND GO TO BED.
SOMEONE'S, WHO'S ADDICTED TO OPIATES.
THEY KNOW IF THEY CAN'T FIND IT, THEY'RE GOING TO GET SICK.
IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A MUCH DEEPER ADDICTION THAN WE SEE WITH SOME OTHER DRUGS AFFECT THE POINT.
OH, IT CAN THE JUDGE MANDATE, COULD HE MANDATE THAT THEY'D GO TO ONE OF THESE FACILITIES INSTEAD OF JAIL TERMS. YES, ABSOLUTELY.
THEY'RE THEY'RE DOING THIS TO ME INSTEAD OF PLEA, DEALING OUT TO WHERE THEY'RE ONLY GOING TO GET THREE OR FOUR MONTHS IF LUCKY, AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE BACK OUT ON THE STREET DOING THE SAME DARN THING AGAIN.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S A PROBLEM.
AND I KNOW YOU GUYS BEAT YOUR HEAD AGAINST THE WALL WITH THAT PROP, UM, ORDER THEM TO GO, UM, IF THEY DON'T GO OR THEY DON'T THEN PUT THEM IN THE JAIL SALE.
THAT'S I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE INTERMEDIATE GOALS THAT THIS GRANT IS, IS, UH, HAS KIND OF IN IT'S WITHIN ITS SCOPE IS TO, IS TO TRY TO PUT, UH, PUT SOME LEGS UNDER POTENTIALLY A DRUG COURT PROGRAM.
SO, I MEAN, IT'S A, IT'S A START, IT'S A START IN NORTHWESTERN AS A PLACE TO START FOR THIS.
I MEAN, THEY WOULD BE, THEY IN DSS WOULD KIND OF, WE'VE GOTTA BE AT LEAST OUR LOCAL VOICE RIGHT NOW.
SO WE DO NOT HAVE A DRUG COURT PROGRAM LIKE WINCHESTER GUYS BEEN CORRECT.
SO THE WARREN COALITION, IT SEEMS AS DOING SOME WORK AND HAS A GRANT TO BE ABLE TO DO MORE ROBUST THINGS.
LIKE I KNOW IN WINCHESTER, THERE WAS ONE FACILITY WHERE PEOPLE CAN GO PART OF THE DRUG COURT, THEY GO, THEY GET LIKE CAB VOUCHERS, SO THEY CAN TRY TO GET JOBS.
THEY HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, DO ALL OF THESE THINGS AND WE HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING HERE.
SO IS THAT PART OF THEIR FOCUS TO YOU IS TO GET SOME MORE THINGS LIKE THAT.
WELL, AND THAT'S PART OF THE ISSUE IS THE CLOSEST FACILITY THAT WE HAVE FOR EVEN, EVEN THAT KIND OF LOW-LEVEL OUTPATIENT IS WINCHESTER, RIGHT? MOST OF THESE FOLKS AREN'T MOBILE.
SO HOW DO YOU GET THEM THERE? THAT'S AND THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.
AND LIKE THEY HAVE PEER RECOVERY SPECIALISTS WHO HAVE ALSO BEEN DOWN THAT PATH HAVE RECOVERED AND THEREFORE THEY'RE BETTER MENTORS TO THOSE PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN THERE.
YOU AND I TALKING TO THEM, IT'S LIKE, YOU HAVEN'T BEEN THERE.
SO I GUESS I'LL GET WITH WARREN COALITION TO ASK THEM SOME MORE QUESTIONS.
UM, THERE, NORTHWESTERN IS COLLABORATING QUITE A BIT ON THIS GRANT.
SO AGAIN, THEY'RE, THEY'RE TRYING TO GET THEIR LEGS UNDER, UNDER THIS THING A LITTLE BIT SO THAT WE CAN HAVE SOME FORWARD MOVEMENT ON IT.
IF I CAN ADD A COUPLE OF COMMENTS, UM, AND THANK YOU CHIEF FOR THAT BACKGROUND.
I THINK FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR AS FAR AS WHAT LAW ENFORCEMENT'S JOB IS IN THIS, IN THIS PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE NATIONALLY IN LAW, ENFORCEMENT'S JOB IS PRIMARILY TO ARREST BAD PEOPLE WHO ARE BREAKING THE LAW.
UM, THEIR JOB IS NOT TO, UM, ADDRESS THE MENTAL ILLNESS OF
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PATIENT OR ADDRESS THE, THE, THE DEPENDENCY UPON THE DRUG ITSELF.UM, SO FROM A TOWN PERSPECTIVE, WE'RE LIMITED FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES ANGLE WE'RE LIMITED, AS FAR AS THE HEALTHCARE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S JUST NOT, NOT WITHIN OUR STRUCTURE TO, TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES.
IF I COULD SUGGEST MR. MAYOR MEMBERS OF COUNCIL WOULD MAYBE, MAYBE BENEFICIAL IS, IS, UH, YOU KNOW, SETTING UP, GETTING WITH THE COUNTY SUPERVISORS AND SETTING UP A TRUE COMMITTEE AND FIND PARTNERING WITH, GET WITH WARREN COALITION AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS, UH, AS WELL AS, UM, SOME OF THE, UH, NONPROFIT CHURCHES.
I THINK THIS IS A, THIS IS A COMMUNITY PROBLEM.
AND I THINK IT'S GOING TO TAKE A COMMUNITY TO HELP, UH, DROP THESE CASES DOWN.
I MEAN, THESE ARE THE CASES THAT WE KNOW OF RIGHT NOW.
YOU CAN MAGNIFY THAT TIMES A FACTOR PROBABLY AS FAR AS THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ACTUALLY ADDICTED.
BUT I THINK IT'S GOING TO TAKE, COUNTY'S GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE A SIGNIFICANT LEAD ON THIS BECAUSE THE RESOURCES ARE AT THE COUNTY LEVEL TO, TO, UM, TO BRING SOME OF THE TOOLS AND SOME OF THE STAKEHOLDERS TO THE TABLE, SO TO SPEAK.
AND SECONDLY, I JUST WANT TO REINFORCE WHAT THE CHIEF SAID, AS FAR AS THE LAWS AND THE LAWS OF RICHMOND ARE NOT HELPING, UM, ARE NOT HELPING AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.
YOU KNOW, UM, IT USED TO BE THAT, UM, IF AN INDIVIDUAL OVERDOSED, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD ARREST THE PERSON AND TRY TO GET THE PERSON SOME HELP THROUGH THE JUDICIAL PROCESS, IF NOTHING ELSE.
BUT RIGHT NOW THEY'RE JUST TURNING AROUND AND GOING BACK INSIDE THEIR HOUSE.
I WANTED TO ADD TO THAT, THAT, UM, I THINK IT'S LIKE A GOOD SAMARITAN LAW OR SOMETHING THAT WAS BECAUSE IF YOU, AND LIKE, SAY THREE OF YOUR FRIENDS OR WHATEVER HANGING OUT, AND YOU O D YOU CAN'T CALL THE POLICE YOURSELF AND YOUR FRIENDS ARE LIKE, WELL, WE DON'T WANT TO GO TO JAIL.
SO THEN THEY LEAVE YOU TODAY VERSUS CALLING THE NINE ONE ONE TO GET YOU THE HELP.
SO THAT'S WHY THEY PUT THOSE IN PLACE.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT'S KEPT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE BEING ABLE TO GET THE HELP.
AND IT'S MORE, IN MY OPINION, A HEALTH ISSUE ALMOST THAN A CRIMINAL ISSUE WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE USERS.
YEAH, NO, THAT'S IT, THAT'S A GREAT POINT.
AND THE HEALTH ISSUE, IT DOESN'T HELP IF YOU'RE GONNA ATTACK IT AS A HEALTH ISSUE.
I THINK YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO SOLVE IT AS A HEALTH ISSUE AND NOT NECESSARILY TRY TO SOLVE IT FROM A LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSPECTIVE.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S THE POINT I WAS MAKING THE VALLEY HEALTH BE INVOLVED IN THAT SAME COMMITTEE.
I THINK, I THINK THEY'D BE A CRITICAL PIECE OF IT, AS WELL AS THE SCHOOLS, YOU KNOW, EDUCATION, YOU KNOW, THINGS, THINGS THAT WE CAN DO LOCALLY, YOU KNOW, WE CAN, WE HAVE MAILING LISTS OF EVERY SINGLE ELECTRIC CUSTOMER.
YOU KNOW, WE CAN PUT THINGS IN OUR, IN OUR UTILITY BILLS, WE CAN, WHATEVER IT IS, BUT I THINK IT'S GOING TO TAKE A COMBINATION OF A REAL STRATEGIC PLAN FROM MULTIPLE FACETS, UM, TO TRY TO, TO TRY TO REALLY IMPACT SOME CHANGE.
WE HAVE ONE LAST QUESTION, I THINK.
SO, DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD ABOUT HOW MANY JUVENILES THAT WOULD NEED AND THAT NUMBER FOR LIKE MAYBE THIS YEAR? IS THAT AN INCREASE OVER PRIOR HERE? WELL, YEAH, THERE'S MORE, THERE'S CERTAINLY MORE THAN THERE WERE LAST YEAR, BUT IT'S NOT, IT'S, IT'S, UH, IT'S, IT'S NOT AN EXORBITANT NUMBER YET, AND WE CERTAINLY HOPE THAT IT DOESN'T GET THAT WAY, BUT WE ARE SEEING THIS, OR WE'RE, UNFORTUNATELY, WE'RE STARTING TO SEE MORE, MORE JUVENILES INVOLVED WITH THE OPIATES.
WE USED TO KIDS USED TO CHASE HIM WITH MARIJUANA AND STUFF, BUT NOW IT'S, YOU'RE STARTING TO SEE SOME OF THIS FENTANYL AND IT'S JUST HEART WRENCHING TO WATCH.
IS THIS WORTH PUTTING ON THE LIAISON COMMITTEE MEETING? AND WE, I THINK DEFINITELY THIS NEEDS TO BE ON THERE AND, UH, AND TALK TO THEM ABOUT IT THAT WAY AT SURE.
WHY WOULDN'T WE ASK THE MAYOR TO APPROACH THE CHAIRMAN OR THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS? I'D BE MORE, MORE THAN HAPPY TO DO MORE EXPEDITIOUS THAN WAITING FOR THE LADY.
I WANT TO GET THE BALL ROLLING.
I WOULD GO WITH THE MAYOR FIRST AND APPROACH THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD AND ESTABLISH A COMMITTEE.
I'LL BE MORE THAN GLAD TO DO THAT.
UH, AS A MATTER OF FACT, I WAS THINKING THAT MAYBE THURSDAY, YOU MAY HAVE IT MYSELF AND PUT SOME NAMES TOGETHER.
AND THEN AFTER I TALKED TO WALTON AND THEN GIVE THEM MAYBE A SMALL LIST AND THEY GET THEIR LESS THAN WHAT YOU SORT OF COMBINE THEM TOGETHER.
SO YOU SEE WHERE WE CAN GO FROM THERE.
CAUSE IT'S DEFINITELY ON MY LIST.
IF YOU'RE MAKING A LIST OF PEOPLE, I'D LIKE TO BE PART OF IT.
WELL, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY? WE'RE JUST GOING TO TALK ABOUT BUSINESSES RIGHT NOW.
LIKE, YOU KNOW, HOSPITAL, WHATEVER, WHATEVER.
THEN LATER AS WE GET INTO IT, BABY WEEKEND, YOU DON'T HAVE INDIVIDUALS AND PEOPLE LIKE THAT.
AND I THINK THERE'S ALSO LIKE THERE WAS A GROUP THAT WAS MEETING HERE FOR A WHILE CALLED LEAN ON ME, FAMILIES OF ADDICTION.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS ARE FAMILIAR WITH THAT.
AND THEY WERE MEETING LIKE ONCE A MONTH
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AND THEY WERE INVITING PEOPLE TO COME IN.AND THEN I THINK AS, YOU KNOW, AS THEY HAD LESS THAN LESS PEOPLE THERE, BUT THAT WOULD BE DEFINITELY, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY AND I, I THINK IT'S IN KALE, I'M NOT SURE, BUT I THINK THERE WAS LIKE, UM, LIKE A TREAT THEM FACILITY, BUT IT WAS COMPLETELY FUNDED BY CHURCHES.
AND, UM, AND THAT'S THE, THAT WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT I KNOW PEOPLE WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT YOU COULD POSSIBLY GET YOUR FAMILY MEMBER AND THAT IT DIDN'T COST YOU ANYTHING, BUT THEY HAD TO GO AWAY AND LIVE THERE.
SO ANYWAY, I'M GOING TO THERE.
SOMETIMES BEING AWAY IS ONE OF THE BEST THINGS THOUGH, ESPECIALLY BEING AWAY FROM YOUR PEERS THAT YOU WERE SPENDING TIME WITH IS HELPFUL.
I'LL, I'LL GET IN TOUCH WITH A COUNTY BOARD TOMORROW WITH WALT AND WORK OUT THURSDAY.
NEXT I HAVE DENIED THE NEW CLOSED MEETING READILY AVAILABLE.
THE TOWN COUNCIL
NUMBER ONE, DECISION IT CONSIDERATION OF ASSIGNMENTS, PROMOTION PERFORMANCE, AND SALARIES OF SPECIFIC OFFICERS, APPOINTEES AND EMPLOYEES OF THE PANEL FOR SWAYING.
THE SECTION 2.2 DASH 37 OR 11.8 0.1 OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA.
NUMBER TWO IS CONSULTATION WITH LEGAL COUNSEL EMPLOYED OR RETAINED BY A PUBLIC BODY REGARDING SPECIFIC LEGAL MATTERS REQUIRING THE PROVISION OF LEGAL ADVICE BY SUCH COUNSEL FOR SLANT TO SECTION 2.2 DASH 37 OR 11.8 0.8 OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA.
COUNCILMAN GILLESPIE, HOUSEMAN HOLLOWAY.
I'LL TELL YOU EVERYBODY FOR COMING.
UH, AT THIS TIME, WE'LL BE GOING INTO OUR CLOSED MEETING.
I MOVED AT THE BEAR AND COUNCIL CERTIFIED THAT TO THE BEST OF EACH MEMBER'S KNOWLEDGE, AS RECOGNIZED ABOUT EACH MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS OF FAIRMAN TO VOTE THAT ONLY SUCH PUBLIC BUSINESS MATTERS LAWFULLY EXEMPTED FROM OPEN MEETING REQUIREMENTS UNDER THE VIRGINIA FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT AS WERE IDENTIFIED IN THE MOTION BY WHICH THE CLOSED MEETING WAS CONVENED OR HEARD, DISCUSSED, OR CONSIDERED IN THE CLOSED MEETING BY THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL AND THAT THE VOTE OF EACH INDIVIDUAL MEMBER OF THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL BE TAKEN BY ROAD CUB, CALL AND RECORDED AND INCLUDED IN THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF TOWN COUNCIL.