Opioid Abatement Council adds vice chair, adopts governance and transparency policies

Mayor Mary Moore, chair of the Tennessee Opioid Abatement Council, led the council on Thursday in a series of governance votes to formalize leadership and policy procedures. The council voted to create a vice chair position and then elected Dr. Clay Jackson to that spot. Members also approved four written policies — a communications policy, a county funding policy, an OAC office duties policy and a transparency policy — that the council said respond to gaps identified during a recent state comptroller audit.

The moves are aimed at creating continuity in council leadership and clearer written rules for how the council and its staff operate. "We need this written down," Moore said while introducing the set of policies, adding that the documentation creates legacy and continuity beyond individual staff or council members.

The council discussed how adding a vice chair would help with continuity when the chair is unavailable or must recuse herself. Steve Lloyd and several other council members supported a vice-chair model over co-chairs to avoid confusion about who presides at meetings. The motion to establish the vice chair position passed and the council then opened nominations; Stephanie Vanderpool nominated Dr. Clay Jackson, and the council confirmed him by roll call.

Council members said the newly approved policies were developed in consultation with OAC staff and outside advisors and were revised after feedback from members. The communications policy was updated to change one scheduling-related term; the county funding policy includes a "remediation list" and a checklist intended to ensure county uses of funds meet the council's requirements; the OAC office duties and transparency policies codify internal responsibilities and public-facing disclosure practices. Several speakers told the council the policies were intended to make the OAC's grantmaking and oversight easier to audit and to address public concern about how abatement funds are spent.

Mayor Moore repeatedly emphasized transparency, telling listeners the council does not decide funding decisions outside public meetings. Members also noted the comptroller will perform financial reviews and that procedures in the county funding policy are meant to help counties demonstrate compliance with their letters of agreement.

The council recorded roll-call votes for each of the policy measures and for establishing the vice-chair position. All motions carried.