Grant County commissioners approve opioid ordinance, switch jail food vendor and fund Sheriff tech upgrades; several other measures approved

The Grant County Board of Commissioners on an undeclared September date approved an ordinance establishing a committee to oversee opioid settlement funds, approved terminating the county jail’s food-services contract with Tiger Foodservices and entering a new contract with Victus, authorized a Motorola contract to update vehicle and body cameras paid from commissary funds, and handled a series of administrative items including treasurer copying fees, appraisals for the Glickfield building and initiation of a farmland lease process.

The board passed Ordinance No. 12-2025 to create an opioid fund committee and approved signing a newly available opioid settlement for the county. County attorney (counsel) presented a draft ordinance that sets expenditure rules and creates a public committee to evaluate uses of settlement funds. Melissa Stephenson, director of court services, asked for clarification about previously approved positions funded by settlement-related money and whether those positions would continue; she confirmed the drug-court probation officer and treatment coordinator positions already approved would remain in effect, and counsel said the committee would consider future budget requests.

The opioid-committee ordinance was carried by motion and vote. Commissioners also approved continuing the county’s participation in a recently announced additional national settlement; county staff said the county must sign paperwork in the agenda packet to claim eligible funds.

The sheriff told the commissioners the county had experienced continuing quality and staffing problems with Tiger Foodservices. The board gave notice to terminate that contract and approved a new contract with Victus, with a planned start date of Oct. 11. The sheriff said Victus’s bid is projected to save about $105,777 for 2026 based on per-plate pricing; he stated the county serves roughly 328,500 meals per year and budgeted about $760,000 for jail food for the year. The board approved notice of termination for Tiger and the Victus agreements in the same action.

The board approved a Motorola contract for replacement and expansion of body and in-car camera systems for the sheriff’s office. The sheriff said many in-car systems are about 15–16 years old and failing and that the new system will allow automatic offload to the cloud and improved integration between vehicle and body cameras. County counsel confirmed the agreement was reviewed; the sheriff said the total is approximately $496,007.90 and that payments will be made from commissary funds so the contract will not use general-tax revenues.

Other measures approved included: - Approval of a Community Crossings grant pursuit for October, allowing the highway department to apply for up to $1 million in matching funds (50/50) for paving and bridge projects. - Approval of a one-time cell-phone stipend for the assistant highway superintendent to be paid from the highway phone account. - Acceptance of two appraisals for the Glickfield building (one appraisal reported at $540,000 and the other at $340,000), to be kept on file and forwarded to the county council. - Initiation of the process to lease county farmland (three-year limitation without council approval), including ordering two appraisals and preparing a bid process with required public notices. - Approval of Ordinance No. 13 establishing updated copy/printing fees in the treasurer’s office to offset reprinting costs (treasurer said reprinting tax statements and paper costs are substantial). - Approval of Resolution No. 5-2025 to remove specified Jonesboro properties from a pending tax sale so the commissioners can later assign tax-sale certificates if they choose. - Approval of an agreement with Oak Hill Schools for a joint school resource officer (SRO) arrangement and memorandum of understanding; Oak Hill contributes to the position’s salary.

On personnel and contracts the board approved a contract with law firm Beckman Lawson to assist with employee handbook updates and periodic employment-law matters. The commissioners tabled action on a separate contract with Patrick Connor Sullivan until the next meeting.

In department reports, the EMA reported monitoring dry conditions and the drought monitor; central dispatch reported staffing at 16 dispatchers with two openings and recent recruitment and training activity; and the highway superintendent reviewed recent millings and paving work and reported spending about $285,000 on a cold-mix paving project totaling roughly 4,800 tons of material.

Votes at a glance - Ratify checks dated 09/08/2025 totaling $454,274.12 — motion carried. - Approve checks dated 09/15/2025 totaling $527,656.48 — motion carried. - Approve payroll No. 19 (pay date 09/12/2025), gross $696,270.53 — motion carried. - Table contract with Patrick Connor Sullivan — motion carried. - Approve Beckman Lawson employment-law contract (employee handbook work) — motion carried. - Approve Ordinance No. 12-2025 (opioid fund committee) and sign new opioid settlement paperwork — motion carried. - Approve motion to continue signage/participation for new opioid settlement secondary manufacturer implementation — motion carried. - Approve Ordinance No. 13 (treasurer fees for copies) — motion carried. - Accept two Glickfield building appraisals ($540,000 and $340,000) and forward to county council — motion carried. - Approve initiating farmland lease process and ordering two appraisals — motion carried. - Give notice to terminate Tiger Foodservices contract — motion carried. - Enter into agreement with Victus for jail food services and commissary software/hardware (start Oct. 11) — motion carried. - Approve Resolution No. 5-2025 to remove specified Jonesboro properties from tax sale — motion carried. - Approve Motorola camera agreement (body and vehicle cameras) paid from commissary funds (approx. $496,007.90) — motion carried. - Approve Oak Hill Schools SRO memorandum of understanding — motion carried. - Approve pursuit of Community Crossings grant (Oct. 1–30) up to $1,000,000 (50/50 match) — motion carried. - Approve cell-phone stipend for assistant highway superintendent — motion carried.

What the meeting did not do: The commissioners did not finalize acquisition of the Glickfield building (they accepted appraisals to keep on file and forwarded them to the council) and did not award any farmland lease (they authorized appraisals and public bidding). The EMS building bids remain under review with no decision recorded. No formal vote tallies by named commissioner were recorded in the minutes beyond the routine “aye”/“motion carries.”

The board scheduled its next regular meeting for Oct. 6 at 10 a.m.; commissioners noted they will continue to monitor drought conditions and that staff will return with details on grants, contracts and any budget implications as required.