Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Opioid Settlement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Muskegon County to manage City of Muskegon's opioid settlement dollars, adds city representatives to review panel
Summary
The Muskegon County Board authorized Public Health to manage a funding agreement that routes the City of Muskegon's opioid settlement money through the county's existing opioid program; two city representatives will join the county review committee, and the city's funds are restricted to Muskegon residents.
The Muskegon County Board of Commissioners on Thursday authorized Public Health to enter into a funding and management agreement with the City of Muskegon that will let the city's opioid settlement dollars be allocated through the county's existing opioid training and grant process.
Public Health Director Kathy Moore told the board the city will appoint two representatives — a city employee and a city council member — to sit on the county's review committee but said the city's funds "would go towards city of Muskegon residents only." Moore said the city representatives will participate in the broader review discussions and view proposals, but the contract applies strictly to the city's dollars.
Vice Chair Cook moved the authorization; the motion was seconded by Commissioner Page and approved by voice vote. Commissioners discussed whether city-appointed members would cast votes that count toward countywide awards and whether a county commissioner should also sit on the committee. Moore said the intent is to avoid duplicating staff work by using the same request-for-proposal and review documents and to make the process more transparent.
Moore said the county currently includes a variety of review committee members, including former program users and residents in recovery, and acknowledged those members sometimes need additional training on administrative metrics. She said staff are working to document a transparent process and that the arrangement will allow coordination between city and county funding streams, noting the city's allocation is relatively small compared with the county's funds.
The board did not record a roll-call vote in the transcript; the motion carried on a voice vote with "Aye" responses and no recorded nays. The agreement directs Public Health to manage the city's funding through the county's established review process and returns the city's funds for use by Muskegon residents only.
