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County health director recommends $70,050 in opioid settlement grants to local agencies; board to review on consent agenda
Summary
Beltrami County public health staff presented the opioid steering committee’s recommendation to allocate up to $70,050 from the county opioid settlement balance to nine community applicants and explained the committee’s scoring and annual budgeting approach.
Amy Bowles, Beltrami County Public Health Director and community health services administrator, told commissioners that the opioid steering committee released an RFP and recommended distributing up to $70,050 of opioid settlement funds to community applicants for 2025. She said the county’s opioid settlement account balance on May 1 was $731,568.67 and that the steering committee’s exhibit lists recommended recipients.
Bowles reminded the board that the steering committee initially set an annual budget target of $140,000 based on an assumed $2.8 million total settlement paid over 18 years, which averages about $140,000 per year, and that the steering committee recommends splitting that annually between county services and community grants. “Exhibit A is the opioid steering committee’s recommendation that the Beltrami County Commissioners approve distribution up to $70,050 of opioid settlement dollars to support the RFP applicants,” she said.
Commissioner Carlson asked how many applicants applied; Bowles said nine applied in this round and that two had been prior recipients. She described the committee’s scoring: applications were scored to 100 points on remediation uses and required forms, and funding amounts were adjusted if a requested item did not meet remediation uses required by the state MOU. Bowles explained that county programs could receive funds if the county chose to allocate them and that the MOU recommends working with law enforcement, public health and community partners to determine best use.
Commissioner Sumner and Commissioner Carlson both voiced concerns about whether the county should retain more of the funds for county services given anticipated budget pressures; Commissioner Sumner and others acknowledged the committee’s significant effort reviewing applications. Bowles asked commissioners to consider the unintended consequences of not distributing funds to smaller community organizations that reach populations differently than county services.
Bowles said the recommendation is currently listed on the consent agenda but that one commissioner planned to move the item to the regular agenda for discussion and potential change.
