County health officials told supervisors May 20 that New York MATTERS — a program that provides vending machines with medication-for-addiction-treatment and naloxone supplies — will supply machines and foundations for free if the county submits interest by May 30.

"They provide these vending machines free of charge, everything from they'll pour the cement slab that it needs to sit on to the actual vending machine plus the contents that go in the vending machine," Director Al Bosse said, describing the offer and the local logistics the vendor would provide.

The Mental Health Association already hosts one such machine on Union Street, Bosse said, and county staff proposed obtaining an additional machine — potentially two — to place in higher-traffic locations. Options discussed during the meeting included County-owned property near Third Street and a public park (Seventh Street Park) in the City of Hudson; supervisors requested that staff consult Hudson Mayor Kamal Johnson and the Hudson common council about potential siting.

Because the organization's application window closes May 30, the committee voted to opt in and to proceed with the application conditional on site selection, with staff instructed to coordinate with the city and other local stakeholders. Bosse said the county would be responsible only for restocking or refilling the machine once it is installed; the machine and its initial contents would be provided at no cost.

Why it matters: vending machines are intended to increase access to naloxone and referral information in high-need locations; the county already has one machine in the community and supervisors said placing a machine in a higher-traffic public location could increase use. The committee approved a motion to proceed with the application and to confirm a final installation site before accepting the equipment.