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Weber County outlines plan to disburse opioid settlement funds; United Way declines subrecipient role
Summary
County staff presented interlocal agreements and a proposed process for spending opioid settlement funds including direct grants to Weber Human Services and the health department, a community-application process administered by county staff with United Way on the advisory committee, and a post-performance reimbursement approach for construction.
Weber County commissioners reviewed interlocal agreements and an early plan to disburse opioid-settlement funds, and staff said they will form a committee to vet community proposals after United Way declined to be the subrecipient for the program.
The most newsworthy point: United Way told county staff it will advise on applicant outreach and scoring but does not want the legal responsibility of serving as the subrecipient. County staff said the county will instead act as the subrecipient and cut checks while convening a review committee made up of health and human-service professionals and community partners.
Why it matters: the county has allocated annual funding from the national opioid settlement for programs such as prevention, treatment and supportive services. Commissioners expressed interest in a careful, evidence-based approach rather than quickly distributing all funds, and staff proposed a multi-year approach and post-performance reimbursements to reduce risk.
County staff reviewed the framework that had been prepared and noted existing commitments: a first-year allocation for positive messaging and an allocation to the health department and Weber Human Services for training and other services. Staff said roughly $500,000 per year had been allocated in initial planning for community grant-making, but that figure will be managed by a new county-run application process with United Way participating in an advisory role. Staff proposed a three-year cadence to disburse funds prudently and to permit matching opportunities with state programs.
Commissioners and staff discussed safeguards for construction projects seeking reimbursement from settlement funds. Staff said reimbursements would be post-performance only: recipients must obtain required permits and complete work before requesting reimbursement from the county. Weber Human Services’ proposed men’s training building was cited as an example; staff said construction funds would be reimbursed only after the grantee secured permits and began work.
Staff asked the commission to ratify interlocal agreements with the health department and Weber Human Services and to authorize county staff to build a community-application form and an advisory review committee that would score proposals and present ranked recommendations to the commission. Commissioners asked for messaging to the public to explain that funds are committed and a multi-year plan is being developed; staff agreed to prepare communications tied to a statutory report due May 30.
Ending: Commissioners signaled support for moving forward with the county acting as subrecipient, forming a review committee including United Way and health partners, using a post-performance reimbursement model for construction, and coordinating with the state to pursue matching funds. Staff will circulate application materials and a recommended committee structure for commission approval.
