ROCKLIN, Calif. — The same day the Placer County Board of Supervisors voted to ban any programs or organizations from distributing hypodermic needles in the county, Rocklin and Loomis followed suit.
At a meeting Tuesday night, the Rocklin City Council voted unanimously for an urgency ordinance and an ordinance prohibiting syringe exchange programs.
Some of the concerns outlined in the staff report include the lack of outreach to local agencies and the community.
"The applicant does not address the concern of deliveries occurring in public spaces, such as parks, areas around schools, and other areas open to the public nor any measures to mitigate these concerns," according to staff documents.
At the end of July, an organization running a hypodermic needle distribution in Sacramento applied to extend to Placer County. Safer Alternatives thru Networking and Education (SANE), applied for a program meant to help stop the spread of infectious diseases from sharing needles.
"I think that you need that detail because when I hear 200,000 syringes that may be delivered anywhere, who's cleaning up 200,000 syringes? How many of them are going to end up on my property?" said business owner John Hughes during public comments.
According to a Rocklin staff report, SANE estimates it could distribute 200,000 syringes annually to the southwest parts of Placer County including Lincoln, Auburn, Loomis, Rocklin and Roseville. They would go to about 400 expected participants.
The Loomis Town Council voted unanimously Tuesday to adopt an urgency ordinance prohibiting the establishment, operation, use and/or participation in needle exchange or distribution in Loomis.
The Lincoln City Council discussed the application from SANE at Tuesday's city council meeting.
"As the chief of police for the city of Lincoln, just my fundamental stance on this is by giving free needles to IV drug users, this SSP is going to encourage and promote the use of addicting drugs and lower the barriers to continue their use while also increase drug use acceptance leading to higher drug abuse rates — and this is the opposite goal of what we a local law enforcement professionals, local government, nonprofits and schools have worked on for decades to decrease," Lincoln Police Chief Matt Alves said at the meeting.
Councilmember Holly Andreatta said she thought the city council was moving on an urgency ordinance at the meeting, but realized it was just a discussion.
Lincoln City Attorney Kristine Mollenkopf said she could get an urgency ordinance on a special meeting relatively quickly. Mayor Paul Joiner said Mollenkopf's plan was good to get an urgency ordinance at a special meeting. The council also decided Joiner would sign a letter on behalf of the city council.
The next Roseville City Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 20. Public comment is still open until midnight Sept. 21 and a comment form with the Department of Public Health is still available for residents to give their opinion.
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