Marion County approves ADECA crisis‑intervention training grant application, opioid settlement and airport hangar purchase

Marion County commissioners at their regular meeting approved multiple administrative actions, including application for a $250,000 federal grant through the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs to fund a virtual‑reality crisis‑intervention training system, authorization to accept a settlement in the Oak Island opioid litigation, and purchase of a metal hangar for the county airport.

District Attorney Scott Slatten told the commission the ADECA grant is open for the current month and would provide up to $250,000 with no county match. "It's $250,000 for each unit of local government," Slatten said, describing a five‑screen, 300‑degree immersive system with about 800 training scenarios, roughly 80 focused on de‑escalation and gun‑violence response. He said Winfield has offered space to house the equipment and that the package includes vendor training: "They'll send somebody down here for three days to train the trainers," Slatten said.

The commission moved and approved a motion to apply for the grant and to authorize the chairman and executive officer to execute necessary documents. The board did not record a roll‑call tally in the transcript; the motion was made, seconded and put to the board for approval.

In other business, Slatten updated the commission on a proposed settlement with six remaining defendants in the Oak Island opioid litigation, saying the settlement represented additional funds coming to the county as larger pharmaceutical companies had already resolved their cases. "This should be the last of the opioid litigation," Slatten said, while adding the county did not yet know the net amount after fees.

The board moved to approve the settlement and to authorize execution of settlement documents. The commission then approved the annual Violence Against Women Act grant application for the district attorney's office, which Slatten said funds an investigator and portions of assistant‑prosecutor time for domestic‑violence cases.

Sheriff's office updates preceded the grant discussion. The sheriff reported jail and operations figures, including monthly inmate counts and operational statistics, noting the county facility "averages about 132 a day" and that he is pursuing a federal contract to house detainees as a potential revenue source.

The board also approved personnel actions and capital purchases: Gerald Broderick was moved from part‑time to full‑time courthouse security with an hourly increase (from $13.75 to $18.00), and the commission approved hiring Matthew Mosier in solid‑waste (non‑CDL) with six months to obtain a CDL. The engineer's office described plans to coordinate CDL training through Beville State if enough county employees enroll.

On airport infrastructure, the engineer recommended purchase of a 150‑by‑50 open‑canopy hangar shed, citing prior master‑plan inclusion and a vendor arrangement that would feature the installation on the vendor's website in exchange for a lower price. The quoted cost in the meeting was $96,000 versus an alternate bid near $165,000; the commission approved the purchase and authorization to proceed.

Finally, the commission approved a procedural change to accounts‑payable scheduling (moving end‑of‑month payables to the second regular meeting and mid‑month items to the first regular meeting) and adjourned the session.

Votes at a glance

- Approve minutes (04/06/2026): motion made and seconded; approved. (motion introduced by the Chair) - Approve accounts payable recommendation: motion made and seconded; approved. - ADECA crisis‑intervention training grant application ($250,000, no local match): motion to apply and authorize execution; approved. (District Attorney Scott Slatten presented the item) - Oak Island opioid settlement (remaining six defendants): motion to approve settlement and authorize execution; approved. (District Attorney Scott Slatten presented the item) - VAWA grant award (domestic‑violence investigator/assistant‑prosecutor support): motion to accept and authorize execution; approved. - Promotion of Gerald Broderick to full‑time courthouse security (pay increase to $18/hr): motion made and approved. - Hire Matthew Mosier (solid‑waste, non‑CDL, $14.75/hr, six months to obtain CDL): motion made and approved. - Purchase of 150x50 open‑canopy airport hangar: motion made and approved; quoted price $96,000. - Accounts‑payable scheduling change: motion made and approved.

What this means

Commissioners agreed to pursue a state‑administered federal grant that would bring a fully paid training suite to the county if awarded, adding a dedicated local training facility for law enforcement and first responders at no local match cost. The Oak Island settlement and other grants are expected to add funds to county accounts although net receipts after attorney fees were not specified.

The meeting concluded after routine administrative approvals and personnel actions; additional public notifications about the May 19 primary and a searchable voter list were also announced earlier in the session.