Subject:
Title
Assignment of Pinellas Park City/County Funds from the Opioid Litigation to the Pinellas County City/County Fund.
label
Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
Approval and execution by the County Administrator of the Assignment of Pinellas Park’s City/County Funds, from the opioid litigation settlement to the Pinellas County’s City/County Fund.
• The State of Florida entered into settlement agreements pursuant to the opioid litigation and created the City/County Fund to distribute funds both to municipalities and counties.
• Pinellas Park seeks to assign its opioid funds to the County for distribution to support approved purposes and administrative oversight.
• The County currently provides and will expand its provision of opioid abatement services on a county-wide basis serving both incorporated and unincorporated areas, including Pinellas Park.
• Pinellas Park’s anticipated allocation of the settlement is $643,044.69. Pinellas Park has already received its first and second-year’s payment but has not filed any reporting with the State.
• There is no direct cost or expense associated with entering into this assignment. Pinellas County is eligible to receive an 5% administrative fee for supporting the administration and oversight of the Pinellas Park allocation as we do with the other city assignments. No budget amendment will be necessary to add these funds to the budget as the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 budget is sufficient to cover the expected expenditures for FY25.
Body
Strategic Plan:
Ensure Public Health, Safety, and Welfare
2.1 Provide planning, coordination, prevention, and protective services to ensure a safe and secure community
2.2 Be a facilitator, convener, and purchaser of services for those in need
Deliver First Class Services to the Public and Our Customers
5.1 Maximize partner relationships and public outreach
5.2 Be responsible stewards of the public’s resources
Summary:
This Assignment assigns the opioid funds to be received by the municipality through the City/County Fund from the opioid litigation to the County, to be included in the County’s City/County Fund and to be used for approved purposes, less an administrative fee, pursuant to the negotiated Florida settlement agreement.
The County agrees to accept the funds assigned by the municipality and to use the funds for approved purposes and satisfy any reporting requirements pursuant to the Florida settlement agreement.
At the time of this Assignment, Pinellas Park has received the funding from the State but has not submitted reporting. The County did not include the assignment of Pinellas Park’s funds in its 2023 or 2024 reporting to the State.
Background/Explanation:
Separate payments of Opioid Settlement Funds are to be distributed directly to municipalities and to the County through the City/County Fund. For Pinellas Park, receiving a separate payment from the City/County Fund would require separate programs and reporting requirements which will be duplicative of those provided by the County. Previously the following Municipalities have assigned their funds to the County; Safety Harbor, Tarpon Springs, Oldsmar, Largo and Seminole.
In addition to managing the City/County fund, Pinellas County is participating in a unified settlement for opioid-related claims under the framework of the Florida Plan, as proposed by the Attorney General, to ensure that “Regional Funds” (funds intended to benefit Pinellas and all the municipalities therein) are spent within Pinellas County and on abatement programming determined locally to be in the best interest of Pinellas County. To become a “Qualified County” under this unified settlement, the County entered into an interlocal agreement with the Cities of Pinellas Park, Clearwater, and St.
Petersburg, which was executed on December 22, 2021.
Fiscal Impact:
There is no direct cost or expense associated with entering into this assignment. Pinellas County is eligible to receive an 5% administrative fee for supporting the administration and oversight of the Pinellas Park allocation as we do with the other city assignments.
No budget amendment will be necessary to add these funds to the budget as the FY25 budget is sufficient to cover the expected expenditures for FY25.
Delegated Authority:
Authority for the County Administrator to sign this Agreement is granted under (Code Section 2-62 (a)(1).
Staff Member Responsible:
Karen Yatchum, Director, Human Services
Partners:
The City of Pinellas Park
Pinellas County Opioid Task Force
Attachments:
Assignment