Nassau County opioid task force sets Year 3 application timeline, invites managing entity and prior awardees to report

The Nassau County Opioid Settlement Task Force on an administrative meeting discussed and set a schedule to finalize Year 3 grant applications and to review spending and outcomes from prior awards, aiming to have new awards in place for the July 1 start of the next fiscal year.

The task force agreed to finalize the application packet at its April 10 meeting, post the application on April 11, require applications to be submitted in early May, reschedule the May 8 meeting to May 22 for applicant presentations, and seek board approval of awards at the regular June meeting (June 12). Staff said the intent is to pass approved awards to the managing entity (LSF) so contracts and disbursements are ready about July 1.

Why this matters: the group discussed both the schedule and program oversight because the settlement funds are time-limited and the county needs to balance start-up costs and ongoing operations as the annual allocation declines in later years. Staff gave an estimated allocation figure and the board discussed longer-term funding strategy as it reviews program outcomes.

Staff member Marshall (identified in the meeting transcript by first name only) presented the proposed timeline and application materials and said the estimated allocation for Year 3 is $1,290,000. Marshall told the board the goal is to give applicants time to be ready to begin work when funds become available and proposed the following schedule: finalize the packet April 10, post April 11, have applications due in early May, hold applicant presentations May 22, and approve awards at the June meeting so LSF can complete contracting for a July 1 start.

Board members asked for clearer spending and outcome data from prior award recipients before finalizing awards. Several members requested that prior recipients give 10- to 15-minute updates at the April 10 meeting that include quantitative and qualitative outcomes, current status of milestones, staffing/hiring progress, copies of Exhibit O expenditure reports, and any encumbrances that have not yet been expended. The board also agreed to invite a representative from LSF to present an overarching financial picture, including spending, carry forwards and how reimbursements are submitted to LSF.

The task force discussed whether to move to a two-year funding cycle for some awards given future declines in the settlement allocation, but members generally recommended continuing year-by-year awards for now while the board collects more outcome and expenditure data. "We have to look at start-up costs versus ongoing operations," a board member said, noting that year-to-year variability in future allocations might make multi-year operating commitments unsustainable without clearer data.

Members emphasized the distinction between encumbrances and expenditures: because the funds are distributed as cost-reimbursement, Exhibit O is submitted quarterly for the first three quarters and monthly in the final quarter (April–June). Marshall and other members noted that LSF monitors Exhibit O submissions and that any carry forward of unused funds requires permission from DCF (as discussed in the meeting). The board said it expects LSF to report if significant unspent balances exist and how carry-forwards are handled under the managing-entity process.

Administrative changes the board confirmed in the meeting included canceling the March 13 regular meeting, rescheduling May 8 to May 22 for applicant presentations, and setting June 12 as the meeting to consider final award approvals. The board also asked staff to circulate the finalized application packet and scoring matrix to members in advance of the April 10 meeting so they can suggest any scoring modifications; members noted the scoring criteria may need to be tighter if applicant demand increases.

During the public-comment portion, Caitlin Miller of the Nassau County Coalition invited board members to an opioid/overdose awareness seminar on Monday, March 31, organized with Project Opioid; she brought QR codes for event registration and thanked members for their work. "I just want to, thank you guys all for everything you do for us," Miller said.

Next steps: staff will distribute the application packet and scoring matrix for member review, LSF and prior award recipients will be invited to present at the April 10 meeting, the application is expected to be posted April 11, applicants will present May 22, and the board will seek award approvals at its June 12 meeting before forwarding approvals to LSF for contract completion and expected July 1 program starts.