Loomis council adopts urgency ordinance banning in-town syringe service programs, directs staff to review language

The Loomis Town Council voted to adopt an urgency ordinance that makes it unlawful to establish, operate or participate in a syringe services program within the town’s boundaries. The motion passed on a roll-call vote with council members recorded as voting in favor.

Mayor Cartwright and council members framed the item as a response to a proposed local syringe services operation and emphasized the council’s intent to stop needle-exchange activity inside town limits while preserving residents’ access to health care. Council member David, who said he supported restricting needle exchange, also urged caution about sweeping language that could inadvertently prohibit other health services. "The science behind these programs is clear that they are a net positive for the community, if they’re well run," David said during debate, and asked for a pathway to allow non-exchange health services that may accompany some providers.

Town staff and council described the ordinance as similar to the emergency measure considered the previous month; staff said the draft used the statutory definition to capture businesses operating under specific state law. A staff attorney warned that changing statutory terminology on the fly could create loopholes or make the ordinance inapplicable to the activity the council sought to prohibit.

Multiple public commenters urged a strict prohibition. One attendee said, "just say no to everything," arguing that allowing other services could enable needle exchanges in practice. Others suggested the council direct staff to explore carve-outs or revised wording to allow counseling or referral services while banning the needle-exchange component.

The council adopted the ordinance and voted to direct staff and legal counsel to study potential language refinements and return with recommendations. Staff also noted the ordinance’s CEQA component was determined not to have a CEQA impact at the time of adoption.

What’s next: staff and legal counsel will review the ordinance language and return to the council with options for clarifying or modifying the measure; no implementation steps beyond the ordinance adoption were announced at the meeting.