Commissioners press for contract details as Columbia Valley recovery center and field-responder plan near operations

Jeff Olson, chair of the county's Behavioral Health Advisory Committee, updated the board during a workshop on Oct. 8 about the Columbia Valley Center for Recovery and related crisis-response initiatives, including a proposed field-responder program.

Olson said construction of the recovery center is ongoing with a projected occupancy and staffing timeline targeting early 2026, though final occupancy and licensing depend on the Department of Health and scheduled completion steps. The committee presented a two-part picture: (1) a start-up cost estimate to cover initial months of operations and (2) an operational funding profile that assumes third-party payer revenue will increase over several years as billing and payer mix stabilize.

Why it matters: Commissioners told Olson they need actionable contract drafts, cost details and clarity about liability before Franklin County commits mental-health-tax or other county funds to operations or to subscribing to a field-responder program managed by Comprehensive Health (the provider named in the committee's materials). The field-responder plan could change how emergency and law-enforcement contacts are handled in the county.

The advisory-committee materials presented a startup cost estimate of roughly $3,756,000 to cover initial operational expenses for the center's setup phase; operational-year estimates in the committee materials showed expected third-party payer coverage rising over time, reducing county share. Under the figures Olson presented, an early operational-year county share of costs for Franklin County was shown as roughly $1,116,000, with Benton County carrying a proportionally larger share based on population (the committee discussed a population-based split of about 68/32 between Benton and Franklin). Olson said the committee was still awaiting final managed-care reimbursement rates from insurers; those numbers are needed to finalize the operational contract and the county's ongoing share.

On the field-responder program, Olson said only one proposal responded to the COG's request: Comprehensive Health. The committee had recommended the program concept in 2023 and developed evaluation materials; the vendor proposal presented an annual program operating range of roughly $876,000 to $996,000 and included options for clinicians and peer counselors to respond to non-emergency behavioral-health calls. The committee began interlocal-agreement drafting and later paused when county administrators raised liability questions.

Commissioners said they have not received draft contract language or a clear description of indemnity and insurance responsibilities. Several commissioners said the committee had discussed these items but that Franklin County had not been provided drafts for review and that they felt "left out of the loop." Commissioners asked the county administrator to obtain the draft documents and to compile specific legal and financial questions for the committee to answer in writing. Olson and staff said Benton County intends to move ahead with the recovery center and that the field-responder program may proceed with Benton operating it unless Franklin County signs on with clarified terms.

Ending: The board directed staff to gather and circulate draft contract language, including proposed indemnification clauses and projected payer-rate schedules, and asked the advisory committee to return with precise cost breakdowns, staffing models and documented performance metrics before Franklin County commits funding or enters interlocal agreements.