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Public commentators urge action on opioid settlement funds; fiscal court to form advisory committee
Summary
Multiple public commenters urged the Knott County Fiscal Court to move money from the county's opioid settlement reserve into programs for prevention, recovery and support. The court agreed to form a steering/advisory committee and to consider recommendations at its next meeting.
Residents and community leaders used the court’s public‑comment period to press the Knott County Fiscal Court to accelerate spending of the county’s opioid settlement funds on treatment, prevention and recovery services.
Speaker Archie (full name not provided in transcript) described personal loss and urged the court to create a steering committee that would take applications and issue grants to local service providers. He proposed a five‑member advisory panel that would include community members, professionals and at least one fiscal court member to vet grant requests and recommend allocations to the court. “This should be the least political decision you make,” he said, adding the committee could remove political pressure from single‑decision actions and allow experts and affected people to guide spending.
Amber (identified in the meeting as a participant who had attended training) said the Attorney General’s office and state guidance recommend a steering committee and an advisory process to distribute opioid settlement funds. She said the committee should include nonjudicial professionals, family members affected by addiction and clinical representatives to ensure evidence‑based grants.
Court response and next steps: The county judge and other court members signaled support. The judge asked staff to set the committee at the next meeting, seek recommendations for membership and return a proposed charter and candidate names for court approval. At the meeting’s close a court member confirmed: “Let’s move forward on that, for next meeting. Let’s set that committee.”
Why it matters: Knott County holds opioid settlement funds (the court referenced an unspent balance of about $5 million during public comment) that can be used for prevention, treatment and recovery services. Commenters emphasized protecting core positions (peer mentors / Casey’s Law advocate) and setting a transparent, expert‑led grant process.
What the court asked staff to do: prepare a proposed advisory/steering committee structure, solicit recommendations for members (including professionals and people with lived experience), and return recommended member names and a proposed process at the next fiscal court meeting for formal consideration.
Sources: Public comment by community members during the March 17 Knott County Fiscal Court meeting; statements from Amber regarding Attorney General guidance.
