TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THRU: Jarad Hildenbrand, City Manager
FROM: Adam Jevec, Chief of Police
1. Subject
title
Appropriation of $22,000 from the Opioid Settlement Fund for a Police Drug Take Back event
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2. Summary
Appropriation of $22,000 from the Opioid Settlement Fund for a Community Drug Take Back Event and Drug Destruction Services.
3. Recommended Action
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Authorize the appropriation of $22,000 from the Opioid Settlement Fund (226) unreserved fund balance to:
226-4011-51003 Overtime - Safety $ 5,700
226-4011-51004 Overtime - Miscellaneous $ 800
226-4011-55000 Contractual Services $15,500
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4. Fiscal Impact
Upon approval of this appropriation, the estimated Opioid Settlement Fund (226) fund balance at June 30, 2027 will be $449,894.
5. Strategic Plan Goals
Goal 1: Maintain Strong Emergency and Public Safety Services
6. Discussion and Background
The Orange Police Department (OPD) proposes to host a community Drug Take Back event during Fiscal Year 2026-2027 to provide residents with a safe, secure way to dispose of unused or unwanted prescription medications. The event is intended to reduce medication misuse, diversion, accidental ingestion, and other opioid-related harms.
Event staffing will cover an eight-hour period, including six hours of public medication collection and two hours for setup, cleanup, documentation, and processing of collected medications. The requested appropriation includes $6,500 for personnel overtime and $15,500 for contracted destruction services for approximately 1,000 pounds of previously seized and collected narcotics, prescription medications, and drug paraphernalia.
The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) oversees compliance with the National Opioid Settlement Agreements in California. Participating jurisdictions must ensure expenditures comply with applicable settlement requirements, including Exhibit E and DHCS guidance.
Exhibit E identifies the following eligible opioid remediation activities:
• Schedule A, Section G.4 - Prevention Programs: Funding for community drug disposal programs.
• Schedule B, Section G.4 - Prevent Misuse of Opioids: Drug take-back disposal or destruction programs.
These provisions support the proposed community take-back activities. DHCS guidance distinguishes eligible opioid remediation activities from law enforcement activities related to interdiction or criminal processing. Accordingly, costs associated with previously seized narcotics and drug paraphernalia will be charged to the Opioid Settlement Fund only after staff confirms their eligibility under applicable settlement requirements. Any ineligible costs will require a separate funding source and any necessary budget authorization.
Staff recommends appropriating $22,000 from the Opioid Settlement Fund’s unreserved fund balance for eligible personnel and contracted destruction costs. These activities will support safe medication disposal and OPD’s efforts to reduce opioid-related risks in the community.
7. ATTACHMENTS
• Exhibit E of the Final Settlement Agreement