MOSES LAKE — North Central Washington Libraries staff said they were surprised by Moses Lake City Council’s actions requiring the removal of the Narcan vending machine from the Moses Lake Public Library in late March.  

NCW Deputy Director for Public Services Kim Neher said the machine being installed wasn’t an initiative spearheaded by the library district, but rather something the city had approached them about.  

“Our staff, Austin Foglesong, the supervising librarian in Moses Lake, was approached by Kevin Fuhr in his role as the interim city manager, and asked (Foglesong) at a community meeting if the library would be interested in hosting a Narcan vending machine. So, the city approached us to see if we would be interested in that,” Neher said.  

While the library district was initially hesitant to put the machine in, staff asked for additional information and received the logistical data they’d requested, Neher said. The library system did not have the budget to provide the Narcan themselves and there was a concern regarding the community’s perception of the machine in a public space. However, Neher said multiple conversations with city staff resulted in those issues being mostly addressed and no costs being put on NCW Libraries’ shoulders.  

“All of that background is to say that this was their project that they asked us to participate in," Neher said.  

Among the logistical considerations was the city’s desire to put Narcan in the hands of those who would need it in an emergency.  

Moses Lake Police Chief Dave Sands said he was involved in the discussions regarding the Narcan machine being placed at the library. The overall situation with the city’s request for removal was, in part, timing, he said. Leadership within the city changed as Fuhr left and other leadership changes occurred. By the time the machine was purchased by Thriving Together of North Central Washington, the city was no longer on board with its presence. Practice changed from providing services at the library to providing those services to people dealing with addiction and homelessness at the Moses Lake Sleep Center. 

Moses Lake City Council has voted to close the sleep center at the end of June when grant funding expires. City Manager Rob Karlinsey has said the city is working to develop a plan for how to aid those living in homelessness and meetings are expected to be held this month.  

Residents had objections to the presence of the machine as well, as shown during multiple Moses Lake City Council Meetings during public comment. Concerns included the possibility of the machine’s presence encouraging drug use, parents' concerns about having to discuss drug use with their children before the youngsters were old enough and the already prominent presence of unsheltered individuals and drug use in Civic Center Park which surrounds the library. Safety regarding the possible presence of fentanyl, one of the drugs Narcan – also known as naloxone – counters, was another concern.  

“I have 10 grandkids,” said Moses Lake resident Jeremy Davis. “I wouldn’t take a single grandchild there. As a former business owner of an adult family home, I know what the results of fentanyl can do, even the (medically) distributed fentanyl can make a person die. So, I realize that the homeless population is not necessarily the only consumer (using) the Narcan machine; however, I wouldn’t expose my children or my grandchildren to the possibility of coming in contact with fentanyl.”  

Data from the National Institutes of Health indicates that the presence of Narcan doesn’t necessarily lead to increased use of opioids like fentanyl, and may have a positive effect on the problem. (https://bit.ly/NIHNALOXONE) 

MLPD Cpt. Jeff Sursely said drug use isn’t generally the primary reason officers respond to the Moses Lake Public Library’s location. Generally, loitering, blocking the entryway, camping in the nearby park and mental health concerns tend to top the list of reasons why MLPD gets called to the area. However, he said the library is safe and people should not avoid it out of safety concerns.  

Neher said she and the NCW Libraries team felt they’d worked to be a good partner with the city, so the change and comments from leaders such as city council members pointing to the library as unsafe or otherwise at fault for a community problem was surprising, especially given the lack of public feedback given directly to library staff. 

“I mean, every time we add any type of service or change any type of service, we expect a mixed response,” she said. “I would say we had a larger negative response when we changed the structure of our book clubs than we did to the Narcan vending machine.” 

Talking points had been provided to staff at the library so they could answer any questions from the community, Neher said. Additionally, information on how to get in touch with library leadership was provided and conversations led to what library staff believed was understanding.  

“Most of those conversations were positive and productive,” she said. “We were able to talk through why we felt like it was good for the community, and we didn’t continue hearing from those folks.”  

When city staff started expressing concerns, NCW Libraries’ leadership asked for information on what the concerns were, they said. However, partners within the city were either unwilling or unable to provide the information, Neher said.  

The first they heard of significant complaints was after a petition began to be spread around the city, Neher said. The petition was started by the local branch of Turning Point USA, a nonprofit organization that advocates for conservative politics on high school, college and university campuses.  

“I first want to state that I am not against the Narcan machine being in Moses Lake; I am against it being in the library,” said TPUSA local chapter president Quinn Owens. “Why does it need to be in the library where families and kids often are? It makes no sense.”  

Quinn said he doesn’t hate those who are unsheltered, but he has concerns about the proximity of naloxone distribution near family-friendly spaces and feels a better place should be found. He cited an NIH recommendation that Narcan distribution occur where the life-saving medication may be accessed 24 hours a day, and noted that the library is only open during the daytime. 

Neher and her peers said they’re committed to the library being accessible to everyone, regardless of their personal situations. Those experiencing homelessness, unemployment, addiction and isolation all find needed services at the library and NCW Libraries is committed to serving the communities its branches are located in.  

“One of the really great beauties of a public library is everybody is welcome,” she said. “So, it’s one of the only social spaces in which people from all walks of life wind up in the same space together. But, we’re aware that some people aren’t comfortable with that and don’t find that particularly beautiful. But, we’re statutorily obligated to provide library service to everyone unless they break our code of conduct, and our staff are well-trained on how to enforce that code of conduct. They take that very seriously, but certainly anybody can be in there, and they are going to look a wide variety of ways. Someone experiencing homelessness might appear less bathed or to have hygiene problems. As long as they’re not breaking the code of conduct, they’re welcome in the space.” 

Calls for service 

According to Moses Lake Police Department data, calls for law enforcement to the Moses Lake Public Library have decreased over time. An MLPD representative said the Narcan machine’s presence does not appear to have a direct correlation to the decline. It was installed in November 2024. It may be a factor, but others such as the regularity of patrols in the area are factors as well. 

June 2024: 18
July 2024: 21
Aug 2024: 13
Sept 2024: 7
Oct 2024: 5
Nov 2024: 9
Dec 2024: 6
Jan 2025: 1
Feb 2025: 3
March 25: 5