Waseca County approves opioid advisory bylaws and a quarterly RFP process for settlement funds

The Waseca County Board of Commissioners adopted bylaws for a community Opioid Advisory Council and approved a process to solicit and recommend uses of opioid settlement funds. County staff said the council prioritized prevention and family programs, with treatment and recovery expansions as secondary priorities, and proposed quarterly proposal cycles beginning Nov. 1 and closing in December for first-round awards.

County staff told the board the RFP scoring will consider the community survey priorities but would not strictly limit awards to those categories. The county estimated a target of about $50,000 for addressing priority areas in 2026; staff said awards recommended by the advisory council would come back to the board for approval before funds are distributed.

Commissioners and staff discussed sustainability and the settlement’s restrictions: one commissioner reminded the board that settlement funds “are not supposed to supplant other established funding” and should instead supplement or fund innovation. Staff said the application packet asks applicants to explain sustainability and that organizations would need to reapply annually.

The board approved the RFP packet substantially as presented and directed staff to publish and publicize the opportunity, including to a vetted list of nonprofit and service providers, schools and churches. Board approval is required before any awarded funds are spent.

Next steps: the county will publicize the RFP, collect applications on the quarterly schedule described in the packet, and return any award recommendations to the board for final approval.