Flint City Council to hold meeting for opioid settlement, ARPA and trash contract

Flint, MI – Flint City Council Vice President Ladel Lewis and Councilwoman Eva Worthing have called for a special Flint City Council meeting to consider an extension of the city’s trash contract and resolutions allocating opioid settlement funds and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.

The special meeting is scheduled to take place at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 2, 2023.

Worthing said they called the meeting in hopes of allocating all of the ARPA funds before a December deadline, so they can potentially get additional ARPA funds.

The following resolutions will be on the agenda at the meeting:

• A resolution authorizing $108,000 in opioid settlement funds toward a lease at 4813 Clio Road for a customer service center for residents on Flint’s north side to engage with city services, such as paying water bills and other city fees, as well as have access to the city’s public health office.
• A $26 million, five-year trash contract extension with Priority Waste, LLC.
• A resolution authorizing $50,000 in opioid settlement funds to the Donations with Love Foundation.
• A resolution authorizing $200,000 in opioid settlement funds to Insight Med-Psych Healthcare Services and Hospital.

The following resolutions were also included in the press release, but without specified amounts of funds:

• A resolution allocating ARPA funds to the Neighborhood Engagement Hub to serve as a fiduciary for the Mott Park Neighborhood Association in responding to impacts of the pandemic on blight.
• A resolution allocating ARPA funds to the Ashbury Community Development Center for increased food access.
• A resolution allocating ARPA funds to R.L. Jones Community Outreach Center for increased food access.
• A resolution “to proceed with ARPA funds improve parks and community centers.”

About two and a half hours after this public notice was emailed, another one was sent, calling another special meeting at the same time and place to handle the same resolutions and additionally, “other city business.” This second meeting was called by Flint City Councilmembers Eric Mays and Jerri Winfrey-Carter.