Monroe County approves first opioid-settlement distribution, requires MOU for house-based recovery grant

Monroe County commissioners voted on Aug. 27 to approve the first distribution of opioid settlement funds from the State of Tennessee, adding a requirement that applicants tied to a house-based recovery program sign a memorandum of understanding before receiving their distribution.

The resolution to distribute settlement funds—introduced by the meeting facilitator (Speaker 2)—prompted extended discussion about several local applicants and how awarded funds would be used. Speaker 8, representing a house-based recovery effort called Valor House and associated with 5 17 Ministries, described the program’s operations and funding approach, saying, “We are not looking to make make a dollar off of this. We’re just looking for our community to partner with us to help save our sons.” Speaker 8 said residents receive 90 days of free services and that after 90 days participants pay $150 a week (described in the discussion as tuition covering housing and program costs).

Multiple commissioners raised concerns about a proposed Narcan vending machine and about whether grant funds could be used to pay a mortgage on a house used for recovery services. One commissioner (Speaker 4) pressed whether the application permitted mortgage payments; Speaker 9 confirmed the applicants stated they were not using funds to pay mortgages and Speaker 8 reiterated the program’s intent and stated the founders currently hold the deed and lease the house to 5 17 Ministries for $1,000 a month.

During debate, a commissioner identified in the transcript as Speaker 6 moved to amend the resolution to require that the memorandum of understanding for the 5 17 project (specifically the house) be executed before distributions tied to that house would be released. The motion to include the MOU as a condition was seconded and accepted by the maker of the award language. Speaker 2 then called the roll. The board approved the resolution as amended; Speaker 2 announced, “We pass the motion as amended.”

The sworn record shows commissioners expressing a mix of support for getting funds to local recovery services and caution about controls and oversight for house-based programs. Commissioners also asked that contracts specify the remediation or service uses for funds and that the county require tracking and reporting for distributed funds to support audits and state reporting. The resolution text and the amendment require an MOU addressing the house prior to the release of the portion of funding tied to that property.

What’s next: The county will prepare the MOU and require applicants tied to the house to execute it before receiving their award. The resolution also directed county staff to follow state instructions for adjusting award amounts where necessary and to include specific use descriptions in the county contracts for the named organizations.