The Board of Commissioners granted permission on Oct. 6 for several county departments to apply for outside grants and approved a contract delegating administration of certain opioid-settlement emergency funds to the Drug Free Coalition of Tippecanoe County (DFC).

Grants the commission authorized permission to apply for included: an Indiana Supreme Court VACHA grant to support adult guardianship volunteer advocates tied to the circuit court; a SIA Foundation grant sought by the sheriff’s office to replace automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and accessories; Drug Free Coalition funding for art therapy classes for Community Corrections; an HMEP grant through the Indiana Department of Homeland Security to support hazardous materials preparedness and transportation response training for the LEPC; and an AMPG grant to reimburse general-fund costs for a portion of three employees (recently shifted to fund the EMA coordinator position).

Grant presenters said some awards will be used to supplement existing services (guardianship), replace equipment (AEDs), or to reimburse personnel costs (AMPG). The LEPC HMEP grant supports hazardous-materials planning and training related to transportation incidents.

Separately, county staff presented a contract with the Drug Free Coalition of Tippecanoe County to administer emergency funds that the TRoSCC (tribal or regional opioid settlement coordinating committee as referenced in paperwork) will oversee. Staff said the DFC has procedures and paperwork in place to vet requests; agencies requesting funds will submit applications to the emergency coordinator and a committee will review monthly to ensure compliance with Exhibit E of opioid settlement funding rules. The commission approved the contract by motion and voice vote.

Each grant permission-to-apply item and the DFC contract were approved by motion and voice vote; the transcript records no public comment on these items.