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Benton County authorizes opioid-settlement funds for emergency transportation; board asks for policy
Summary
Supervisors approved creating a bank card funded by opioid-settlement money for emergency transportation linked to substance-use and mental-health referrals, and asked staff to draft written procedures and limits.
Benton County supervisors on May 20 approved authorization for the county27s opioid-settlement committee to establish a bank card or similar payment method to pay for emergency transportation tied to substance-use or mental-health referrals.
The board approved a motion to authorize the opioid committee to obtain a debit/credit-style card (to be issued by the county27s bank) that staff could use to prepay cab or transportation services and pay invoices promptly. The card27s use would be limited and documented; invoices would be submitted to the county and charged to opioid-settlement funds.
Shelby, a county staff member participating in the opioid committee update, told the board that transportation is "the number one thing we're hearing about" as a barrier for people being released from jail or seeking treatment. Shelby said deputies and navigators repeatedly encounter people who lack a ride, and existing options (gas cards, county deputies providing rides) are not always feasible, especially nights and weekends.
"It is transportation's been a struggle the entire time that I've been around and it continues to get worse," Shelby said during the presentation. The committee recommended a limited, tightly controlled payment method as a last-resort option to get clients to treatment centers such as the access center in Cedar Rapids.
The board asked the committee to draft a formal policy describing eligibility, approved users, documentation and reporting. Supervisors discussed possible card limits; one board member suggested a $1,000 ceiling to cover multiple trips before reimbursement; the committee suggested a monthly limit in the $1,000 range and pledged rapid invoicing to the county so charges could be paid directly to the card issuer.
Motion and vote: a board motion to authorize the allocation and the creation of a card for emergency transportation from opioid-settlement funds passed; the board indicated the action is conditional on the committee drafting clear procedures and giving staff authorization to work with the bank to set the card up.
The committee said it will document uses and report back to the board; staff emphasized the proposal is a targeted last-resort transportation resource tied to treatment referrals, not a general taxi subsidy.
