FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO): The Fort Wayne City Council will be holding a special meeting later this month to address the ongoing opioid crisis.
Councilman Geoff Paddock will host the meeting, and says it will give public officials and police officers a chance to keep citizens updated on their efforts to fight the problem.
“The opioid problem is a national one and is being addressed by President Donald Trump, Governor Eric Holcomb on a state level, and Mayor Tom Henry and others on the local level. We have to find a solution to this.”
It’ll be the first formal discussion the Council has had on the issue. Paddock says it could, however, influence certain budget discussion decisions in the coming weeks.
“We’re just a month or so away from starting to work on our 2018 budget, so if there is some additional attention that we need to put into this effort, now is the time to discuss it.”
Speakers at the meeting will include Police Chief Steve Reed, Police Narcotics Captain Kevin Hunter, Allen County Health Commissioner Dr. Deborah McMahan, Otis R. Bowen Treatment Center Director Megan Fisher, and others. The meeting will also be open to the general public to make statements or provide additional testimony.
The meeting will be held in Room 30 of the City Council Chambers (Committee Room) on August 29th from 5:30pm to 7:30pm.