Sumner County committee recommends several opioid-abatement grant applications for FY26 budget

The Sumner County Opioid Abatement Committee on a special-call meeting reviewed applications for opioid-abatement funding and recommended several to be included in the fiscal 2026 budget, while denying or deferring others and acknowledging one withdrawal.

Finance staff presented a packet of applications and a recommendation for each; the committee voted to move several applications to final scoring and to include a group of projects in a proposed FY2026 spending plan. The committee also formalized the withdrawal of one applicant and left other applications ineligible for final scoring because of missing documentation or unmet policy requirements.

Committee business opened with routine motions, including approval of the meeting agenda. Finance staff then summarized each application and read the department—s recommendation. Applications that finance recommended to proceed to final scoring and that the committee approved for final scoring included a risk-management proposal to fund naloxone in southern-county buildings; a health-department request to purchase fentanyl test strips; the United Foundation—s proposal to expand access to substance-use navigators and opioid use disorder treatment; a prevention initiative by the Center of the Region Coalition; Safe Baby Court housing assistance for program participants; and Recovery Court Incorporated for expanded service delivery. The committee also accepted Cumberland Community Action Agency—s emailed request to withdraw its application.

Finance staff cited multiple reasons for not recommending other applications for final scoring. The Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) application, for example, was found by finance staff to not meet stated state funding guidelines and to have unanswered or inconsistent responses in its application materials; finance advised that it did not meet Exhibit E requirements and therefore should not move forward. A neighborhood center application was not moved to final scoring because performance metrics and required documentation were not submitted within the required period; finance pointed to a policy that can render applicants ineligible for the next two budget cycles when performance metrics are missing. In at least one other application finance flagged missing documentation such as IRS forms, annual audits or other required proof of status.

At the meeting—s close, finance staff reviewed the committee—s recommended list for FY2026. The items finance said it would recommend for the FY2026 budget were: the Center of the Region Coalition prevention initiative; the risk-management naloxone request for southern-county buildings; Safe Baby Court housing assistance; Recovery Court Incorporated; health-department requests including fentanyl test strips; and Cumberland Heights Foundation. Cumberland Community Action Agency had withdrawn its application and was not active in the current cycle. Finance reported that $391,525.50 had been allocated for the program and that $359,261.40 had been earmarked for recommended grants, leaving $32,264.12 remaining to be discussed at the April meeting. The committee then made a final motion "to accept the final scores to put into the budgets," which was approved.

Votes at a glance: - Motion to approve the meeting agenda — approved (vote recorded as "Aye"). - Risk management (naloxone in southern-county buildings) — finance recommended proceed to final scoring; committee moved to final scoring (vote recorded as "Aye"). - Health Department (fentanyl test strips) — finance recommended proceed to final scoring; committee moved to final scoring (vote recorded as "Aye"). - CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) — finance recommended not to move to final scoring; application not advanced (finance rationale cited missing ties to opioid-specific services and Exhibit E requirements). - United Foundation (substance-use navigator and treatment access) — finance recommended proceed; committee moved to final scoring (vote recorded as "Aye"). - Cumberland Community Action Agency — applicant withdrew by email; committee accepted the withdrawal. - Safe Baby Court (housing assistance for participants) — finance recommended proceed; committee moved to final scoring (vote recorded as "Aye"). - Recovery Court Incorporated (expanded service delivery) — finance recommended proceed; committee moved to final scoring (vote recorded as "Aye"). - Neighborhood center program — finance recommended not to move to final scoring because of missing performance metrics; application not advanced. - Final motion to accept the final scores for inclusion in the FY2026 budget — approved (vote recorded as "Aye").

The committee—s actions at the meeting were procedural: they determined which applications should move forward for final scoring and which should not, accepted a formal withdrawal, and forwarded the recommended scores and allocations to the budget process for FY2026. Several applications were deferred or denied for not meeting documentation or policy requirements; finance staff said those issues included missing IRS documentation, audits, incomplete responses to application questions, and failure to return revised quarterly reports within the requested period.

The committee did not adopt program contracts or final budget appropriations at the meeting; it forwarded recommended finalists and scores to the budget committee and set remaining funding questions for discussion at the April meeting. The committee also welcomed two new members at the start of the session, Matt Campbell and Shannon Murdoch, and recorded routine procedural votes throughout the meeting.