Opioid Abatement Commission

Summary

Meeting Overview

This meeting of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government was presided over by Dr. Ragland. The commission took up five agenda items during the session, covering a range of topics related to substance use intervention, community corrections, neighborhood and faith-based support, and low barrier housing. The May meeting minutes were approved, representing one of two votes taken during the meeting. The remaining four agenda items were informational in nature, consisting of presentations rather than action items, and no public comments were heard during the meeting.

Attendance

The following members were present at the Commission meeting on June 13, 2025:

• Dr. Ragland
• Kimberly Baird
• Margaret Pisacano
• Carmen
• Mark
• Dale
• John
• Tara

No members were recorded as absent or late.

Votes and Decisions

Two votes were taken during the June 13, 2025 Commission meeting.

• Remove Recommendation 9 1:00:20: Kimberly Baird moved to remove number 9 from the recommendations, seconded by Margaret Pisacano. The motion passed by voice vote with 7 ayes and no nays or abstentions. Voting in favor were Dr. Ragland, Kimberly Baird, Margaret Pisacano, Carmen, Mark, Dale, and John.

• Approve Recommendations 1–7 with Corrections and Defer Recommendation 8 1:53:04: Dr. Ragland moved to approve recommendations 1 through 7 with corrections and to defer recommendation 8 to the next meeting for further discussion, seconded by Kimberly Baird. The motion passed by voice vote with 7 ayes, no nays, and 1 abstention. Voting in favor were Dr. Ragland, Kimberly Baird, Margaret Pisacano, Carmen, Mark, Dale, and John. Recommendation 8 was not acted upon and will be taken up at a future meeting.

Contested Items

The June 13, 2025 Commission meeting included debate on two notable points of contention.

• Removal of Recommendation Number 9: A procedural dispute arose over whether to remove recommendation number 9 from the list under consideration. The specifics of what recommendation number 9 contained were not detailed in the available record, but the matter prompted sufficient discussion among commissioners before ultimately being resolved. A motion to remove the recommendation was made and passed.

• Faith-Based Organization Funding: Commissioners debated whether funding for faith-based organizations should be treated as a separate category from community neighborhood funding. Some participants favored drawing a distinction between the two funding streams, while others argued they should remain grouped together. After discussion, the Commission decided to keep faith-based organization funding and community neighborhood funding together rather than separating them into distinct categories.

No specific commissioner names were recorded in connection with either dispute in the available meeting data.

Approval of May Meeting Minutes

43:35

The Commission took up the approval of the minutes from its May meeting. Dr. Ragland made a motion to accept the May meeting minutes. No concerns or objections regarding the minutes were noted during the discussion. The motion was approved.

Substance Use Intervention Program Expansion

1:02:01

The Commission held a discussion on expanding the existing substance use intervention program to broaden its capacity and reach. The item was informational in nature, with no formal vote or action taken.

Key speakers on this item were Carmen and Margaret Pisacano. The discussion centered on proposals to grow the program through several avenues, including the addition of new staff, expanded outreach efforts, acquisition of vehicles to support field operations, and the introduction of more flexible programming options.

No further detail on specific staffing numbers, budget figures, vehicle counts, or program structures was available in the provided materials. The outcome of the discussion was informational, meaning it served to update or brief the Commission on the proposed expansion rather than to seek approval or take a formal position.

Community Corrections Support

1:06:14

The Commission held a discussion on allocating support for community corrections, with a focus on reentry supports and access to Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT). Key speakers on this item were Kimberly Baird and Mark.

The discussion centered on how resources could be directed toward individuals involved in the community corrections system, with reentry supports and MAT access identified as priority areas. No formal vote or decision was taken; the item was informational in nature.

No additional detail on specific funding amounts, program names, or outcomes of the discussion was available in the meeting record.

Community Neighborhoods and Faith-Based Support

1:22:42

The Commission held a discussion on the creation of a micro-grant program aimed at supporting community neighborhoods and faith-based organizations. The item was informational in nature, with no formal vote or action taken.

Key speakers on this topic included Dr. Ragland and Mark, who led the discussion around the proposed program's framework and intent.

The micro-grant program, as presented, is intended to provide targeted financial support to neighborhood-level and faith-based groups, though specific funding amounts, eligibility criteria, and administrative details were not captured in the available record of this discussion.

No formal outcome was reached at this meeting, as the item served as an introductory or exploratory conversation for the Commission. Further details on the program's structure, funding sources, and implementation timeline were not available in the provided materials.

Low Barrier Housing Support

1:33:36

The Commission held a discussion on allocating funds to develop and support low barrier housing for individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) and co-occurring disorders. The item was informational in nature, with Carmen and John identified as the key speakers during the discussion.

The conversation centered on how funding could be directed toward housing options designed to reduce or eliminate traditional barriers to entry — an approach intended to make housing more accessible to individuals whose substance use disorders or related conditions may have previously disqualified them from conventional housing programs.

*Note: The available structured data for this agenda item is limited. A full summary of the specific arguments made, concerns raised, funding amounts discussed, or programmatic details presented during this discussion is not available from the provided materials. Readers seeking the complete details of this conversation are encouraged to review the meeting recording beginning at timestamp 1:33:36.*

Outcome: The item was informational; no vote or formal action was taken.