Beltrami County approves four opioid settlement agreements

Beltrami County commissioners voted 4-0 to approve four memorandums of agreement tied to opioid settlement funding during the regular meeting.

Public health director Amy Bowles told the board the packet contained four of five contracts and that the fifth would be brought forward later once signatures are complete. She outlined the committee’s plan for the remainder of the year, including membership recruitment, an annual October update and presentations from awardees in November.

The contracts formalize awards the board previously approved in principle. Amy Bowles, public health director, said, “Tonight, I would just like to provide you with an update for the remainder of the year for our plan for the opiates [sic] committee.” She told commissioners the committee currently includes county employees and that staffing changes will trigger a recruitment process in July and application review in August, with a municipal outreach meeting tied to the October annual update.

Commissioner Carlson moved to approve the four memorandums of agreement; Commissioner Sumner seconded. Commissioners voted “aye” and the motion carried 4-0.

Bowles said the committee will not hold a regular committee meeting in October; instead, the county will host an annual update and meeting with municipalities at the board’s second October meeting and will invite municipal partners individually to align memoranda of agreement or understanding. In November, awardees who have spent settlement money will present program updates to the committee, and the county plans to release a new request for proposals in January.

The board’s approval completes the formal contract step for the four MOAs in hand; Bowles told commissioners she would place the final agreement on a future consent agenda when signatures are complete.