Members in Attendance: Dave Dahl, Matt Lynch, Randy Ecker, Heath Bechler, Rena Cole, (online), Jennifer Mackey (online), Steven Kamau (online)

City/County Representatives: Mike Hoheisel, Russell Leeds, Tim Hallacy, Kirk Sponsel, Josh Lauber (online), Courtney Carpenter (online), Nate Johnson (online)

Pre-Meeting Materials: Members were pre-provided with the meeting agenda and the minutes from January 26, 2026 via email.

1. Call to Order & Introductions:

          a. Meeting was called to order at 12:02 p.m. by Matt Lynch (President).

          b. Attendance included both in-person and online participants; cited above. Seven voting members were present for a quorum.

2. Action Item: Approval of Minutes

          a. The Coalition reviewed minutes from January 26, 2026. No corrections were offered. Motion to approve minutes by Heath Belcher, seconded by Mike Hoheisel. Motion carried unanimously.

3. Action Item: Update and Discussion on Rulo Strategies, LLC – process surrounding selection and approval

          a. Russell Leeds provided an update regarding the Rulo Strategies contract. The proposal was approved by the County Bid Board and subsequently approved by the Board of County Commissioners.

          b. The County Counselor’s Office and City Legal are currently finalizing contract details. Upon completion, the contract will be presented to the vendor and subsequently placed on the City Council agenda for approval.

          c. No formal action was required by the Coalition at this time.

4. Action Item: RFP Treatment and Recovery Discussion (continued)    

          a. Staff clarified that the draft Treatment and Recovery RFP does not yet have an official RFP number, as it has not been formally released.  

          b. The 2026 spending plan allocation includes up to $2 million in opioid settlement funding. Members discussed that encumbrances in Year One will impact funding availability in subsequent years.

          c. Staff reported that additional funds have been received at both the County and City levels, increasing the overall fund balance.

          d. Staff will provide a financial overview at the next meeting, including Kansas Fights Addiction funds, CDC (OD2A) funds, and other existing community allocations to better identify funding gaps.

          e. Discussion of refinements in preface to presenting RFP to RULO

• Definition of evidence-based opioid use disorder treatment and recovery made.
• Requirement that proposers submit a logic model, measurable outcomes, and a detailed data collection plan.
• Development of standardized attachments for outcome reporting and budget worksheets to allow for comparability of proposals.

          f. Processes to implement or refine

• Procedure for reference checks
• Consider whether presentations/interviews will be implemented for top-ranked proposers.
• The Council discussed utilizing a single, consolidated grant application format that could be applied across multiple funding categories.

           g. Funding Allocation Discussion:

• Members discussed flexibility in awarding funds across multiple providers, prioritization of treatment and recovery initiatives, and the need for financial modeling for multi-year encumbrances. Staff will return with financial projections and tables to support future decision-making.

          h. Timeline Discussion:

• Members discussed the anticipated timeline for release of the Treatment and Recovery RFP. A 30-day minimum posting period will be required. Evaluation and governing body approvals may require an additional 60+ days. If released by June 1, 2026, contracts may be executed by late 2026. A later release may shift funding availability to 2027.

5. Other Business: The next meeting is set for March 16, 2026.

Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 1:02 p.m.

                                    The next Wichita-Sedgwick County Addiction Intervention Coalition Meeting
                                                                will be on March 16, 2026.