by Joan Eliyesil ·
Friday, October 11, 2024
What happens when only listeners attend a listening session? Such was the case Oct. 7 at the Board of Health’s first community listening session, intended to gather residents’ feedback on the use of the town’s opioid settlement funds. Ten minutes into the virtual session, it became clear there would be no one to listen to.
The only attendees were Select Board members SusanMary Redinger and Kara Minar, along with Fire Chief Rick Sicard. All three said they were there to hear from residents, especially those whose lives had been affected by opioid addiction or who had some expertise in the effectiveness of various prevention, care, and treatment measures. “It was not the meeting we were hoping for,” Board of Health member Brad Holub told his fellow board members at a meeting the following day. Five other residents had registered for the session, but none attended.
The session was the first of three to be held as part of the data-gathering phase of the board’s plan to review and recommend proposals for spending the $620,000 the town will receive in settlement funds by 2038. The town spent about $10,000 of those funds to contract with Public Consulting Group, a Boston firm that is helping Massachusetts towns collect resident input on how to spend opioid settlement money.
Prior to this session, the consultants surveyed residents on how best to use the funds. While full results are not yet available, Holub said about 170 people responded, and consultant Helen McDermott said more than half the respondents wanted a regional approach to spending the town’s funds. She said many respondents commented that spending should have a regional impact because Harvard received far more settlement funds than towns in the area where opioid addiction is more prevalent.
Holub said the board may consider reaching out to residents in other towns to increase attendance at the next two listening sessions. At an Oct. 8 Board of Health meeting, Holub said he would discuss strategies with the consultants the following day. He also said he would contact recovery centers to see if anyone experienced with addiction and recovery might be willing to attend one of the next two sessions.
Holub said he would prefer not to delay future sessions because the Select Board is pressing for a decision on Robert Curran’s proposal to make a video designed to communicate the dangers of opioids. Curran, a Harvard resident and founder and chief executive of Fire Engine Productions, wants to begin shooting the video this fall.
The second virtual session is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 22, at 7 p.m. and is intended for ages 18 through 24. The third session, intended for parents and seniors, is scheduled to be held in person Wednesday, Oct. 23, 4:30 p.m., at the Harvard Senior Center at 16 Lancaster County Road.