DEPARTMENT: Public Health
FILE TYPE: Regular Action
TITLE
title
Authorization To Execute A Contract For A Multimedia Public Awareness Campaign, Allocate $150,000 Of Opioid Settlement Funds, And Amend 2025 Public Health And 2025 Non-Departmental Budgets
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PURPOSE/ACTION REQUESTED
Authorize execution of a contract for a multimedia public awareness campaign, allocation of $150,000 of opioid settlement funds, and amendment to the 2025 Public Health and 2025 Non-Departmental Budgets.
SUMMARY
Pursuant to Minn. Stat. § 375A.04, the Dakota County Board of Commissioners is, and performs the duties and exercises the powers of, a community health board under Minn. Stat. Ch. 145A, including the responsibility to prevent disease and to promote and protect the public health of Dakota County residents.
Minnesota was part of a multi-state lawsuit against opioid manufacturers and distributors. Dakota County has received $5,401,004 to date and is expected to receive more than $16 million from the National Opioid Settlement Agreements for the purposes of opioid remediation activities or restitution.
The Dakota County Opioid Response Advisory Committee (ORAC) was established as a County Board appointed advisory committee in October 2023 and supports the development of a comprehensive and effective countywide response to the opioid crisis. It provides recommendations to the County Board on the use of Opioid Settlement funds for external projects and initiatives.
By Resolution No. 25-200 (April 22, 2025), the Dakota County Board of Commissioners adopted the 2025-2026 Strategic Plan from the ORAC, which includes a priority to increase community awareness by which Public Health and its internal communication partners create and promote culturally appropriate and stigma-reducing opioid messages to increase community awareness. This includes starting a paid communication campaign to increase opioid awareness and recruit help from the community in the effort of opioid awareness.
Dakota County continues to see the harmful and often fatal impacts of opioid misuse, particularly involving fentanyl. As part of its efforts to address the opioid crisis, engage the community in prevention and education, and align with the ORAC’s Strategic Plan, Public Health proposes to launch a multimedia public awareness campaign focused on raising awareness of the risks associated with fentanyl and other opioids, and promoting prevention, treatment, and recovery resources.
In accordance with the County’s standard solicitation process, Public Health will post a solicitation for a vendor to lead this multimedia public awareness campaign, which will include digital, social media, print, radio, and transit advertising, along with community engagement strategies and stakeholder partnerships. The campaign will be developed in alignment with public health best practices, Johns Hopkins Principles, and culturally responsive messaging. To maximize visibility and impact, the campaign will launch in August 2025 in recognition of Overdose Awareness Month, culminating with observances and events on International Overdose Awareness Day, August 31.
Funding for the campaign will be drawn from Dakota County’s allocation of national opioid settlement funds. In accordance with the Amended Minnesota Opioids State-Subdivision Memorandum of Agreement (Attachment: Memorandum of Agreement), the authorization is for expenditures of opioid settlement funds up to $150,000 over the period July 1, 2025 through December 31, 2026. The expenditure aligns with the Memorandum of Agreement’s list of opioid remediation uses in Exhibit A, section G, subsection 1, which states the remediation use of funding media campaigns to prevent opioid misuse, including but not limited to focusing on risk factors and early interventions.
OUTCOMES
How much?
The allocated $150,000 would allow for up to 18 months of paid communications. Campaign and material-specific metrics will be tracked, including:
• Number of new communication campaigns launched
• Number of new communication materials (videos, flyers, billboard artwork, etc.)
• Number of trainings and events hosted
• Number of campaign materials distributed and promoted
How well?
To understand the reach of this campaign, the following metrics will be tracked:
• Number of impressions and views of campaign materials
• Number of clicks and/or engagements of campaign materials
Is anyone better off?
In addition to continuing to monitor overdose data throughout the campaign, Public Health will track:
• Number of attendees at events promoted by the campaigns
• Number of naloxone kits and test strips distributed
• Rate of nonfatal opioid overdoses per 1,000 residents (annual trend)
• Opioid overdose deaths per 100,000 population (annual trend)
RECOMMENDATION
recommendation
Staff recommends authorization to allocate $150,000 of opioid settlement funds, execute a contract with a vendor for the period of July 1, 2025 through December 31, 2026, that will lead a countywide multimedia campaign to increase community awareness and prevent opioid misuse, and amend the 2025 Public Health and 2025 Non-Departmental Budgets.
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EXPLANATION OF FISCAL/FTE IMPACTS
The 2025 Public Health Budget is requested to be amended to add the additional 2025 opioid settlement funds from the 2025 Non-Departmental Budget in the amount of $150,000. The remaining funds will be included in future annual budget recommendations from the County Manager.
☐ None ☐ Current budget ☐ Other
☒ Amendment Requested ☐ New FTE(s) requested
RESOLUTION
body
WHEREAS, Pursuant to Minn. Stat. § 375A.04, the Dakota County Board of Commissioners is, and performs the duties and exercises the powers of, a community health board under Minn. Stat. Ch. 145A, including the responsibility to prevent disease and to promote and protect the public health of Dakota County residents; and
WHEREAS, Minnesota was part of a multi-state lawsuit against opioid manufacturers and distributors; and
WHEREAS, Dakota County has received $5,401,004 to date and is expected to receive more than $16 million from the National Opioid Settlement Agreements for the purposes of opioid remediation activities or restitution; and
WHEREAS, the Dakota County Opioid Response Advisory Committee (ORAC) was established as a County Board appointed advisory committee in October 2023 and supports the development of a comprehensive and effective countywide response to the opioid crisis; and
WHEREAS, it provides recommendations to the County Board on the use of Opioid Settlement funds for external projects and initiatives; and
WHEREAS, by Resolution No. 25-200 (April 22, 2025), the Dakota County Board of Commissioners adopted the 2025-2026 Strategic Plan from the ORAC, which includes a priority to increase community awareness by which Public Health and its internal communication partners create and promote culturally appropriate and stigma-reducing opioid messages to increase community awareness; and
WHEREAS, this includes starting a paid communication campaign to increase opioid awareness and recruit help from the community in the effort of opioid awareness; and
WHEREAS, Dakota County continues to see the harmful and often fatal impacts of opioid misuse, particularly involving fentanyl; and
WHEREAS, as part of its efforts to address the opioid crisis, engage the community in prevention and education, and align with the ORAC’s Strategic Plan, Public Health proposes to launch a multimedia public awareness campaign focused on raising awareness of the risks associated with fentanyl and other opioids, and promoting prevention, treatment, and recovery resources; and
WHEREAS, in accordance with the County’s standard solicitation process, Public Health will post a solicitation for a vendor to lead this multimedia public awareness campaign, which will include digital, social media, print, radio, and transit advertising, along with community engagement strategies and stakeholder partnerships; and
WHEREAS, the campaign will be developed in alignment with public health best practices, Johns Hopkins Principles, and culturally responsive messaging; and
WHEREAS, to maximize visibility and impact, the campaign will launch in August 2025 in recognition of Overdose Awareness Month, culminating with observances and events on International Overdose Awareness Day, August 31; and
WHEREAS, funding for the campaign will be drawn from Dakota County’s allocation of national opioid settlement funds; and
WHEREAS, in accordance with the Amended Minnesota Opioids State-Subdivision Memorandum of Agreement, the authorization is for expenditures of opioid settlement funds up to $150,000 over the period of July 1, 2025 through December 31, 2026; and
WHEREAS, the expenditure aligns with the Memorandum of Agreement’s list of opioid remediation uses in Exhibit A, section G, subsection 1, which states the remediation use of funding media campaigns to prevent opioid misuse, including but not limited to focusing on risk factors and early interventions.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Dakota County Board of Commissioners hereby authorizes an allocation of up to $150,000 of opioid settlement funds from the 2024 Non-Departmental Budget for the period of July 1, 2025 through December 31, 2026, for a countywide multimedia campaign to increase community awareness and prevent opioid misuse in accordance with the Opioid Memorandum of Agreement Exhibit A strategy item G.1.; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Dakota County Board of Commissioners hereby authorizes execution of a contract with a selected vendor in an amount not to exceed $150,000 of opioid settlement funds for the period of August 1, 2025 through December 31, 2026, to lead the countywide multimedia campaign to increase community awareness and prevent opioid misuse in accordance with the Opioid Memorandum of Agreement Exhibit A strategy item G.1., subject to approval by the County Attorney’s Office as to form; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Community Services Director is hereby authorized to amend said contract, consistent with the amount budgeted, to alter the contract amount and the contract term up to one year after initial expiration date, consistent with County contracting policies, subject to approval by the County Attorney’s Office as to form; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the contract shall contain a provision that allows the County to immediately terminate the contract in the event sufficient funds from county, state, or federal sources are not appropriated at a level sufficient to allow payment of the amounts due; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the 2025 Public Health Budget is hereby amended as follows:
Expense
Opioid Settlement Expense $150,000
Total Expense $150,000
Revenue
Opioid Settlement Funds $150,000
Total Revenue $150,000
; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the 2025 Non-Departmental Budget is hereby amended as follows:
Expense
Opioid Settlement Expense $(150,000)
Total Expense $(150,000)
Revenue
Opioid Settlement Funds $(150,000)
Total Revenue $(150,000)
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PREVIOUS BOARD ACTION
25-200; 4/22/2025
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment: Memorandum of Agreement
Attachment: Presentation Slides
BOARD GOALS
☒ Thriving People ☐ A Healthy Environment with Quality Natural Resources
☐ A Successful Place for Business and Jobs ☐ Excellence in Public Service
CONTACTS
Department Head: Gina Pistulka
Author: Erin Carder