May 2026 Minutes

May 2026 Minutes 

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

City/County Representatives: Russell Leeds, Kirk Sponsel, Tim Hallacy, Joe Thomas, Courtney Carpenter (online), Nate Johnson (online), Donte Martin (online), Josh Lauber (online), Kaylee Hervey (online)

Guests: Kylie Cameron – Representative from the Wichita Eagle

Pre-Meeting Materials: Members were pre-provided, via email, with meeting agenda and the minutes from March 16, 2026.

1. Call to Order & Introductions:
2. Meeting was called to order at 12:00 p.m. by President Matt Lynch.
3. Attendance included both in-person and online participants; cited above. Eight voting members were present for a quorum.
4. Action Item: Approval of Minutes
   1. The Coalition reviewed minutes from March 16, 2026 meeting. No corrections were offered. Motion to approve minutes by Dave Dahl, seconded by Rena Cole. Motion carried unanimously.
5. Action Item: Process revisions and updates for Coalition – City Attorney and County Counselor
   1. Deputy County Counselor Kirk Sponsel presented an overview of the anticipated Request for Proposal (RFP) review and evaluation process for future opioid settlement funding opportunities. The presentation included discussion regarding proposal review procedures, conflict of interest considerations, non-disclosure agreements, and compliance with KOMA and KORA requirements.
   2. Staff advised that City and County purchasing departments will initially review submitted proposals for responsiveness prior to coalition review. Coalition members participating in the scoring process will be required to sign non-disclosure agreements to preserve the integrity of the procurement process and protect confidential applicant information.
   3. Sponsel reviewed conflict of interest provisions contained within coalition bylaws and definitions within a Kansas statute. Coalition members with a substantial interest in a submitting organization will be required to abstain from discussions, scoring, and voting related to that proposal. It was emphasized that failure to properly disclose or abstain from conflicts of interest could result in disqualification of an organization’s application.
   4. Coalition members discussed hypothetical conflict-of-interest scenarios involving treatment providers and category-specific services. Discussion focused on balancing subject matter expertise with the need to preserve fairness and transparency in the RFP process. Staff acknowledged those concerns and indicated additional discussion would occur with City and County staff and Rulo Strategies regarding possible category-based review structures.
   5. Coalition members requested copies of the presentation materials and related contact information for future guidance. Staff agreed to distribute the presentation electronically.
6. Action Item: Rulo Consulting Status
   1. Joe Thomas provided an update regarding the Rulo Strategies consulting agreement. Staff reported that all required signatures had been completed and the agreement was awaiting final County Clerk ratification. Following finalization, City and County staff intend to schedule an introductory conference call and future in-person meeting with Rulo Strategies and coalition leadership.
   2. Russell Leeds discussed the proposed timeline for development of the next opioid settlement Request for Proposal focused on treatment, recovery, and continuum-of-care services. Staff indicated that a preliminary RFP structure has already been developed utilizing prior coalition discussions, Liquor Tax Coalition models, state examples, and recommendations from original study.
   3. Rulo Strategies will assist in refining the RFP structure, aligning proposed services with opioid settlement goals, and developing performance measures and evaluation metrics. Staff indicated the goal is to move toward publication of the RFP in late June or early July 2026.
   4. Discussion also clarified that governing body approval by both the Wichita City Council and Sedgwick County Board of County Commissioners will occur following coalition recommendations and prior to final contract awards, but approval is not required solely for publication of the RFP.
7. Other Business: No additional business was brought before the coalition.

Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 12:35 p.m.

The next Wichita-Sedgwick County Addiction Intervention Coalition Meeting
will be on June 15, 2026.