HUTCHINSON, Kan. – A new task force set up by Mayor Jade Piros de Carvalho wants to look at the impact of drug abuse in Hutchinson, and to develop action steps to make progress on an issue that she says has stymied communities across the state and country.
The task force is comprised of leaders in the business, health care, education, law enforcement, corrections and recovery sectors, as well as community volunteers.
The first meeting will take place on Thursday, May 28, 4:00 p.m. at City Hall, 125 East Avenue B. Subsequent meetings will take place on the third Thursday of the month from 4:00 – 5:30 p.m. at City Hall.
“Our drug problem is a serious public health issue that costs this community millions of dollars a year,” notes Piros de Carvalho. “It goes far beyond being a law enforcement concern. It’s also negatively affecting our workforce development and, as such, our ability to grow the community.”
Piros de Carvalho has charged the task force with producing a list of strategies to begin to chip away at this challenge from a variety of fronts. “It’s my hope that we can address this problem on the policy level across different sectors, instead of thinking merely on the program level,” she explains. “Quite frankly, the programs we have in place haven’t been very effective. It’s time to start looking at it differently.”
Each task force meeting will include a short presentation and discussion. The first meeting will include a presentation by Jason Ball, President of the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce. Ball will share information he obtained from Chamber-conducted employer surveys about how drug abuse is impacting the area’s workforce.
Piros de Carvalho acknowledges that this topic deals with systemic issues that will be tough to move the needle on. “This is not an easily solved challenge,” she notes. “But getting everyone at the table and starting a serious community conversation is the first step in making meaningful progress in this area.”
All task force meetings will be open, and the public is encouraged to attend. Those unable to attend can send their comments to the Mayor at jadepiros@gmail.com.