Sumner County panel reviews opioid settlement grant application; adopts hotspot bonus and sets review timeline

SUMNER COUNTY, Tenn. ' At a March 30 workshop, the Sumner County opioid-abatement advisory committee reviewed proposed changes to the county's application for distributing opioid settlement funds, agreed to a geographic "target area" bonus in scoring and set a short application and review timeline.

Staff member (speaker 4), who led the review, told the committee the packet included an incorrect reference number that would be corrected and walked members through the application sections. "So we're just going over the application for the opioids that we are looking at," the staff member said, explaining the form's required organization information, budgets, personnel listings and program descriptions.

Why it matters: settlement payments to counties are expected to decline over time, so the committee is moving to prioritize investments in neighborhoods identified as overdose "hot spots." Staff noted the program began with a first check of $901,622 and said 2027 may show a small bump tied to Purdue settlements, but projected funding will fall to about $373,000 in 2028.

Key changes and decisions - Geographic bonus: Staff proposed and members discussed a new automatic 10-point scoring bonus for projects that are "solely focused" on a designated target area identified via OD maps. Staff said the hotspot maps (to be viewed in executive session) will help prioritize those investments. - Presentation threshold and aggregates: The committee reviewed prior practice of using aggregate thresholds (20% and 40% of requested funding) that trigger a 10-minute in-person presentation and Q&A. Members said the percentages are somewhat arbitrary and discussed whether to adjust them; staff noted the committee may change the numbers during a meeting. - Contract timing: Staff suggested running awards on a one-year purchase-order basis so grantees would have a full year to access funds from the purchase order date rather than the July'June fiscal year. - Application edits: Committee members recommended clearer personnel questions that separate requests to subsidize existing positions from requests to create new positions; staff said the form will be edited (adding a question for subsidizing an FTE and a separate question for creating a new FTE). - Capital/bed-space requirements: For capital requests tied to acquiring or renovating property and reserving bed space for Sumner County residents, staff recommended requiring clear title, zoning/permitting confirmation and deed restrictions that would obligate returning grant funds on a pro rata basis if the property is sold; committee members emphasized legal review and title searches.

Services and locally funded programs Staff described a navigator position supported through a partnership of High Point Health, the Prevention Coalition and Volunteer Behavioral Health. "Your navigator today has assisted 436 people since March," the staff member said, and members pressed for outcome metrics such as length of sobriety and long-term success rates that go beyond raw client counts.

Timeline and next steps Staff proposed the following schedule: application portal open April 16'May 16; initial review May 18'June 5; staff question submission June 8'12; applicant responses June 15'19; final scoring June 22'27; and a special-call meeting June 30 to recommend funding decisions to the county commission. Staff said the committee will go into executive session to review the hotspot maps before finalizing target areas.

Reporting and compliance The committee reaffirmed that awards will be reimbursement-based and require quarterly performance reporting tied to measures in the contract (the packet repeatedly referenced "Exhibit E"). Staff warned that misuse or failure to meet contract terms can trigger recoupment and that applicants must follow state and federal requirements cited in the form.

What the committee did not do No grant awards or formal allocations were made at the workshop. The committee approved a motion to begin the workshop but deferred final policy and dollar decisions to future meetings after staff incorporates the discussed edits and the committee reviews the hotspot maps.

The committee expects to reconvene as needed to finalize scoring and forward recommendations to the county commission at or after the June 30 special call.