Commission approves $329,942.65 in opioid settlement disbursements; committee vetted applications

St. Francois County commissioners approved disbursements from the county’s opioid settlement fund totaling $329,942.65 after a committee review that staff said found applications met the program rules.

A commissioner moved and the board voted “aye” to approve the committee’s recommended awards. Staff said the committee had reviewed detailed application materials from each applicant and determined they satisfied the fund’s requirements.

Officials described the award as one of multiple tranches the county expects to distribute over several years. Staff said the county previously conducted a special allocation round when an unanticipated $900,000 payment arrived; that special round was intended to make funds available sooner than the regular annual schedule. County staff said they planned to preserve roughly half of the current balance to maintain funds for future years because annual settlement payments and payouts to applicants can vary.

During discussion commissioners and staff asked about specific line items. A county official identified one contractor—described as the nursing/medical contractor who handles medical care for detainees—and said that contractor also provides a drug-treatment program for detainees, including administration of Vivitrol, a long-acting naltrexone injection used in some opioid use disorder treatments. The meeting record described Vivitrol as an ‘‘expensive shot’’ provided monthly as part of a treatment regimen; no procurement, contract number, or recipient list was read into the record during the public meeting.

Commissioners agreed to approve the $329,942.65 disbursement and asked staff to provide the current fund balance on request.

Ending: Staff will continue to manage disbursement rounds; commissioners said they expect future tranches and will reserve funds for multi-year program continuity.