Salem city councilors unanimously authorized spending $250,000 in opioid settlement funds for a new drug treatment and recovery program on Monday, Feb. 23. Councilors also heard an update on the deep drawdown of Detroit Reservoir expected later this year, a report on a recent survey gauging resid ents’ perceptions of safety and livability, and information about an estimated $2.4 million in costs incurred after December windstorm the city hopes to recuperate from the federal government.  Councilors also unanimously approved their legislative priorities for the 2026 legislative session and authorized a letter of support for a transportation funding bill. Legislative priorities for 2026 – Approved unanimously  The council’s list of approved bills included legislation addressing housing related issues, and a bill, House Bill 4177, which changes how public officials may talk outside of a public meeting.  Leading up to the vote approving the council’s legislative priorities for the 2026 session, Salem Mayor Julie Hoy amended a draft letter in support of a state transportation funding package, but without first providing her amendment in writing to her colleagues prior to the public discussion.  Hoy amended the second paragraph of the letter as follows: “As you consider solutions please understand the city of Salem fully supports efforts to keep and improve our flexibility to support efficient and effective operations and maintenance of existing infrastructure. This must be done starting with greater accountability at the Oregon Department of Transportation and seriously reviewing how already allocated funds are being spent without going back to the taxpayers for additional revenue.” Opioid treatment and recovery – Approved unanimously What’s happening?  The city has $250,000 it can put toward a new opioid treatment and recovery program at the Salem Housing Authority, a staff reportfrom Salem Chief Financial Officer Josh Eggleston said.  The program will be run as a pilot shelter and recovery program at Redwood Crossings, a 31-unit supportive housing development at 4107 Fisher Road N.E.  The program will include support for people experiencing substance abuse and as well as help with mental health, housing, transportation, childcare, education and employment. What are opioid settlement funds?  The city gets a steady drip of opioid settlement funds from a nationwide settlement reached in 2021 through lawsuits against major pharmaceutical distributors and manufacturers. The funds are allocated to help pay for programs to address opioid addiction and issues related to opioid addiction in the community. The Salem Police Department’s Homeless Services Team, which responds to homeless encampments, and the city’s Substance Use Prevention and Outreach Program, among others, are funded using opioid settlement dollars. Also before the council Detroit Reservoir  Councilors got an update on the drawdown of the Detroit Reservoir which is expected to start late this year, according to a staff report from Public Works Director Brian Martin. Since declaring an emergency over the drawdown in July, the city has successfully sped up work to ensure the water system will meet average wintertime water demand of about 25 million gallons per day during the drawdown.  The city is currently working on a number of resiliency measures, but Martin said if any of the measures happens to fail, the city’s water system may not keep up with demand. Safety and livability Councilors discussed results of a recent survey that gauged people’s perceptions of safety and livability in Salem since city investments in public safety and cleanliness, according to a staff report from Courtney Knox Busch, the city’s strategic initiatives manager. The survey showed that people generally feel safer in Salem at night with the biggest improvements in north and northeast Salem. Despite the improvements, over half of people still feel unsafe after dark in north and northeast Salem. Storm damage  In December, a windstorm caused an estimated $2.4 million in damage to public infrastructure including the city’s wastewater treatment facility on North River Road, a staff report from Martin said. The storm, which began Dec. 16 and lasted through Dec. 20, brought high winds and heavy rains to Salem causing widespread power outages and flooding. The city has reported those costs to the Federal Emergency Management Agency through Marion and Polk counties and the Oregon Office of Emergency Management seeking federal financial assistance. 2025 city financial audit  Councilors got the results of an audit into the city’s finances for 2025, a staff report from Eggleston said.  The audit found that reporting of certain awards under the Community Development Block Grant program were not submitted on time under the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act.  Eggleston said there were no recommendations for improvement from the audit which is available online here. Contact reporter Joe Siess: [email protected]. LOCAL NEWS DELIVERED TO YOU: Subscribe to Salem Reporter and get all the fact-based Salem news that matters to you. Fair, accurate, trusted – SUBSCRIBE The post CITY MEETING: Salem city councilors approve funding for new opioid treatment program appeared first on Salem Reporter. ...read more read less