From: Gregory Dagget
To: Meredith Matthews; Stacy Atkins-Salazar; Alex Stillman; Kimberley White; Sarah Schaefer; City Manager"s Office; Tabatha Miller; David Loya; Rhea Varley
Subject: Approve Use of up to $371,717 of Opioid Settlement Funds to Serve Unsheltered and Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Impacted Individuals by Providing Temporary Shelter and Wrap Around Services.
Date: Monday, November 3, 2025 12:31:38 PM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
Dear Mayor, Council members, and staff,
First, I want to thank you for prioritizing the needs of unsheltered residents and those impacted by substance use disorder in our community. The opioid settlement funds represent a rare opportunity to make a lasting difference in people’s lives, and I appreciate the City’s commitment to using them for remediation.
That said, I’d like to raise two points for consideration as you approve this allocation:
1. Balance of Spending
• The current proposal directs the majority of funds toward temporary shelter and wraparound services. While these are important, they often carry high administrative and facility costs.
This can mean that a smaller share of the dollars actually reaches individuals directly.
2. Direct-to-Individual Impact
• Other communities in California have successfully used opioid settlement funds for more direct supports, such as:
• Housing stipends or rental assistance for people in recovery. • Treatment vouchers for medication-assisted treatment. • Peer recovery stipends, which both employ people with lived experience and provide mentorship.
• Transportation assistance, like bus passes or gas cards, to help people access treatment and jobs.
• Employment support, such as small grants for job training or tools.
These approaches reduce overhead and put resources directly into the hands of those most affected, while still aligning with the settlement’s intent.
My request is simple: as you move forward, please ensure that a meaningful portion of these funds is reserved for direct-to-individual supports, alongside the shelter and service investments. This balance will stretch the impact of the settlement dollars further, and help us not only stabilize people in crisis, but also empower them to build lasting recovery and stability.
Thank you for your time and for your leadership on this critical issue.
Sincerely.
Gregory Daggett