[Solano County] County tells Solano grand jury it has ‘opioid task force’ started

FAIRFIELD — Solano County officials said they have already implemented the principal part of the grand jury’s recommendation to establish a task force to oversee opioid-related issues in the county.

The Health and Social Services department “has engaged the Board of Supervisors and is participating in a workgroup being led by Partnership Health-Plan of California to consider the development of such a (task force),” the county’s response to the grand jury report states.

The grand jury recommended that the task force “monitor and investigate deaths, identify recurring risk factors and take positive steps to address the harm caused by opioids within our community.

Medical providers within the county are not utilizing available safeguards against patient misuse or abuse. The 2016-17 Solano County grand jury found no evidence of a coordinated local response to the evolving opioid epidemic by Solano County health and public safety agencies, the grand jury report states.

“The (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) reported that between 2009 and 2014, there were 50 opioid deaths in Solano County. Of these, 48 resulted from the misuse of prescription narcotic pain medications,” according to the report.

“The California Department of Public Health recorded 56 deaths of Solano County residents due to opioid poisoning or suicide during 2013, the most recent year for which data is available,” the grand jury reported.

It suggests the District Attorney’s and the Sheriff-Coroner’s offices, as well as the county Office of Education participate with the Behavioral Health and Public Health divisions.

The county indicated that the involvement of all the cited agencies is being considered.

In other action, the board:

• Approved the reduction of seats on the Solano Cemetery District board from seven to five. The vote came after a public hearing at which there was no public comment.
• Approved an application to the California Arts Council, by the Solano County Arts Council, requesting a 2017-18 State-Local Partnership Program grant for promoting art in the county.
• Approved the $3,650 4th District contributions to benefit Putah Creek Council ($200), American Legion Auxiliary Unit 165 Girls State ($200), Chabad of Solano County ($250), Vacaville Heritage Council ($200), The Vacaville Museum ($200), Play for All Park Vacaville ($200), Community Action North Bay ($1,800), Yolo Basin Foundation ($200), Center for Land Based Learning ($200) and Solano Land Trust ($200).
• Approved on a four-fifths vote as part of the consent agenda the transfer of $41,000 to over-appropriations for interest expenditure in the Pension Debt Service Fund. The increase is covered by additional revenue from increased collection from the courts.
• Approved on a four-fifths vote as part of the consent agenda $5,000 from the District Attorney’s Federal Asset Forfeiture account to benefit The Leaven neighborhood program center in Fairfield. It is offset by $5,000 from Federal Asset Forfeiture revenue.

June 28, 2017

Fairfield Daily Republic

By Todd R. Hansen