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Hampton County council appoints member to opioid committee, approves release of recovery funds to local provider
Summary
Hampton County Council appointed Tom Watson to the South Carolina Opioid Recovery Fund committee and approved releasing county-designated opioid settlement funds to New Life Center to hire a prevention specialist; council clarified that both the New Life hire and a county coordinator are grant-funded.
Hampton County Council on May 19 appointed Tom Watson to the South Carolina Opioid Recovery Fund committee and approved releasing opioid-recovery funds designated for a local provider, New Life Center, to pay for a prevention specialist.
Council members heard from county staff that approximately "$70 some thousand odd dollars" from opioid settlement allocations has been designated for New Life Center and that the funds will be used to hire a prevention specialist to serve the county. County staff said the county will also support a separate grant-funded coordinator position under county administration to oversee coordination and tracking of the program; if grant funds end, the coordinator position would end as well.
The council voted to appoint Tom Watson to the statewide committee. The council also voted on a motion described during the meeting as approval of the legal settlement-related distribution (the South Carolina opioid plan) and to release funds to New Life so the organization can begin hiring and related work.
During discussion, council members asked whether the New Life prevention specialist would be hired by New Life or by the county. County staff said New Life would hire the prevention specialist directly with the settlement funds, and the county coordinator position would be hired by county administration. Staff said New Life is a community partner and stakeholder and that the county coordinator would provide oversight, recommendations, and tracking but would not hire New Life staff.
Council members also asked about the source of funding for the county coordinator and were told both the New Life position and county coordinator are grant-funded; if the grant funds cease, so too would the positions that depend on them.
The motions to appoint Tom Watson and to approve the settlement-related spending were made and seconded on the floor and approved by voice vote (no roll-call tally provided in the meeting transcript).
