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Council directs opioid‑abatement dollars to family services and drug court after review of oversight steps
Summary
The Iberia Parish Council approved reallocating opioid settlement funds on April 9, removing an immediate additional DA allocation and approving $85,000 for family services and $200,000 for the adult drug court program, with conditions for cooperative agreements and documentation.
The Iberia Parish Council and its finance committee on April 9 amended the parish’s opioid‑abatement fund allocations, approving a targeted $85,000 for family services in the district attorney’s office and $200,000 for the 16th Judicial District adult drug court program after staff and legal counsel outlined oversight and documentation requirements.
County finance staff explained that $325,384 was already in the parish’s 2022–2024 budget for the district attorney’s office and that additional documentation and a cooperative endeavor agreement would be required before releasing further funds. Andy Shealy, who advises on opioid‑abatement allocations, said the $85,000 would fund two family‑services case managers whose work ‘‘will be working with families who…either the child or the parents have substance abuse problem.’’
District Attorney Michael Hike told the council the $85,000 will help reinstate staff previously laid off for family services work and that a memorandum of understanding and cooperative endeavor agreement will specify allowed uses. Shealy said the parish will require the DA’s office and the judges to sign a cooperative‑endeavor agreement and provide backup documentation to ensure expenditures match the Louisiana Opioid Task Force memorandum of understanding and remain auditable.
Council members debated whether to release an additional $325,384 immediately; the finance director reported the judges and DA had requested funds but administrative forms and controls needed to be in place. The council amended the item to limit action to the $85,000 family‑services allocation and then approved, unanimously, a separate resolution allocating $200,000 for the Iberia Parish adult drug court program. Judge Anthony Tibbitt described drug court’s outcomes, saying roughly 75% of participants graduate and ‘‘don’t come back’’ and urged continued support for treatment and testing services.
Council and staff emphasized the need for written agreements and audit documentation before larger or future allocations are released; staff said additional opioid funds and requests for 2025 will return to the council later in the year. The motions to amend and the main motions as amended carried by unanimous vote in the finance committee and were reported to the full council.
