Gibson County commissioners approve opioid grant awards, require six-month spending reports

The Gibson County commissioners voted to approve distribution of opioid settlement grant funds, awarding a mix of restricted and unrestricted grants and requiring recipients to report back to the board in six months on how funds were spent.

The panel approved a restricted award of $66,665.12 to Pathways to Freedom, a program referenced by the Gibson County Sheriff’s Department to support people transitioning from jail with addiction and mental-health needs. Commissioners also approved unrestricted awards including $16,000 to Gibson County Bridal Services (a program the board said helps people who leave incarceration and have pets to care for) and $15,000 to Addiction Solutions’ men’s house to add five showers and expand daily operations.

David (Speaker 5), who led the opioid grant review process, said the committee included representatives from probation, clergy and the health department and vetted applications through a competitive process. “It helps people get out and then they just get thrown out on the street, got no resources,” he said, describing the goal of preventing recidivism. The board emphasized accountability: awardees must provide a paper trail and return in six months to show how the money was spent.

Commissioner action: A motion to approve the opioid grant awards was made and seconded during the meeting; commissioners voted in favor by voice vote. Specific line-item totals for each award were read into the record by the grant lead and were approved as presented.

The board also discussed publishing the list of awardees and amounts on the county website so the public can see where funds were allocated.

The next step is for grant recipients to complete six-month follow-ups; the board said it expects to review those reports at a future meeting.