The Turlock City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to allocate $142,000 in opioid-settlement funds to three youth-centered organizations.
Westside Ministries will receive $82,000 for its youth ministry program, while Ten Pin Fun Center and Turlock Indoor Soccer will receive $30,000 each.
The city began receiving opioid settlement funds during the 2022-2023 fiscal year as part of nationwide settlement with pharmaceutical manufacturers, distributors and other entities associated with the opioid epidemic. So far, the city has received about $750,000 to address the impacts of opioid misuse through prevention, treatment, recovery and other activities.
All told, $200,000 was disbursed on Tuesday. As part of the initiative, the city purchased three saunas for installation at fire stations 31, 33, and 34, and plans to install saunas at Fire Station 32 and the Public Safety Facility.
According to the city staff report, the saunas are intended to serve as wellness resources for police and fire department personnel, including employees whose duties involve repeated exposure to traumatic emergency incidents associated with the opioid epidemic.
Kelley Coelho, a private investigator who is running for mayor, suggested the item be tabled until more information about the programs could be obtained.
“I wanted to first ask how are these organizations selected? How were they selected from the numerous places and organizations we have in or town?” Coelho said. “I think education is really important, and transparency about how the information is going to be disseminated. You have an organization there that’s a children’s ministry, right? I’m hoping to God that a lot of individuals and children, yes. Education would be good for them but, I guess, more of a blanket and umbrella of like what’s going to be taught. Like, what does that look like? … So, before you guys make any decision, I’d request to oppose that for the current moment and table that until we can get more questions answered as a community, and maybe have an open forum on that, and bring the police department in.”
Coelho was involved in an incident Sunday night at Westside Ministries in which the police were called, and she was issued an official trespass admonishment for allegedly disrupting a Christian comedy event.
Frank Aiello, a former East Bay politician who mulled a run for city council this year, shared the story of his daughter, a victim of the opioid epidemic.
“I don’t see any specific plan,” said Aiello. “Where’s the educational plan? Who’s writing the plan? Who’s the doctor or expert that they’re using to actually educate? What are they actually educating about? There’s nothing here that tells me that. There are just too many holes here.”
Later in the meeting, Councilmember Rebecka Monez (District 1) asked how many audience members had ever heard of fentanyl. She followed up with another question.
“How many of you know what cychlorphine is? Raise your hand,” said Monez, a criminal defense attorney. “Two people in the room raised their hands. The first question, on fentanyl, everybody in the audience raised their hands. For those of you that don’t know what cychlorphine is, the DEA just put out a brand-new alert about it. It’s the new synthetic fentanyl on steroids. Opioid awareness and education are critical. The adults in the room don’t know what cychlorphine is. How do we expect our kids to know is? The fentanyl ‘one pill can kill’ campaign saved a lot of lives. And I’m hopeful that this program right here is going to save a lot of lives, too.”
