County health department releases opioid-settlement grant process; commissioners set review rules and funding ceiling

Walla Walla County Department of Community Health on April 7 was directed by the board to release a request-for-applications (RFA) for projects funded by the county’s opioid settlement proceeds, with board-specified review and funding parameters.

Sam Jankel of the Department of Community Health presented a revised RFA and asked the commissioners to clarify whether an independent scoring committee should evaluate applications, whether the county should cap awards per project, and whether applicants should be required to collect outcome data.

After discussion, commissioners asked that the board itself score and evaluate applications rather than delegate scoring to an independent panel. Commissioners also directed staff to require applicants to collect and report outcome data for projects, and set the available funding pot at up to $600,000 over two years. The board did not set a strict per-project maximum but indicated a practical expectation that no single project would receive more than $300,000; commissioners said they would make award decisions after seeing the universe of applications and budgets.

The RFA will be posted and applications accepted. Department staff will return with administrative details and will post legal advertising seeking ‘for’ and ‘against’ style committees if required for any ballot elements. The Department of Community Health will work through an application review process that includes the scoring criteria in the RFA and the board’s guidance on data reporting. The motion to release the RFA with the board’s modifications passed 3-0.