Cass County advisory panel asks commissioners to let administrator fast-track routine opioid-funded purchases; summit funding also proposed

Judge Beeler, chair of Cass County's opioid advisory committee, asked the Board of Commissioners to approve a first addendum to the 03/07/2024 Cass County opioid settlement funding plan that would allow the county administrator to approve routine, previously vetted uses of opioid settlement funds.

The addendum is meant to speed distribution of life-saving supplies such as Narcan distribution boxes and vending machines, Judge Beeler said. "We really wanna get those kinds of things out in the community because we wanna make sure that we're using the money to save lives, which is the number 1 reason that those opioid settlement funds were allocated," he said.

The advisory committee drafted the addendum after several identical or similar requests came in quickly, Beeler told the board. Under the proposed change, the administrator would apply the same rubric the committee uses to review and score applications; committee members would still be able to request that an item be brought to the full board if there was disagreement.

Commissioners and committee members discussed how the existing advisory process operates. A commissioner raised concerns about bypassing full-committee votes and noted difficulty recruiting volunteers for county advisory panels; Beeler replied that the committee has met monthly, has maintained quorums and that smaller subgroups had reviewed and scored recent applications before bringing recommendations to the committee.

Separately, the advisory committee submitted an application asking the board to approve use of opioid funds to host a local opioid summit in coordination with regional partners. Judge Beeler said the event would use only opioid settlement funds for core costs (food, modest speaker travel) so the committee could then solicit supplemental support from area partners; the summit is tentatively planned for September or October.

There was no final board vote on either the addendum or the summit request at the meeting; a motion to move the addendum forward to the board's next regular business meeting on Feb. 2 passed on a voice vote.

Why it matters: The addendum would shorten the time between application and distribution for items the committee has already deemed appropriate, such as Narcan distribution devices. The summit request, if approved, would direct opioid settlement money to convene local providers and stakeholders for training and coordination.

What happens next: The board moved the addendum forward to the next regular business meeting for formal consideration; the opioid summit application was likewise referred for future action.