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Ada County approves opioid-settlement spending for pretrial monitoring and personnel
Summary
The Ada County Board of Commissioners approved Resolution 3179 to use opioid-settlement funds to pay for pretrial drug and alcohol monitoring, drug screening technicians, shared nurse practitioner support and several personnel positions for two years, after committee review and departmental input.
Ada County commissioners on March 17 approved Resolution 3179 to authorize the expenditure of opioid-settlement funds for pretrial drug and alcohol monitoring and related personnel costs.
The county's presenter said a committee reviewed departmental requests over the past year and reached agreement on funding several positions and services: a deputy or pretrial administrative associate for the sheriff's office; pretrial drug/alcohol monitoring fees and drug screening technicians; an administrative assistant; and a shared nurse practitioner and admin assistant for treatment court alternatives (TCA) and juvenile services. The presenter said the awards are for two years of funding, after which departments will assess long-term staffing plans.
An unnamed county opioid-program representative summarized the package and emphasized the limited pool of settlement funds. "We've discussed these are limited funds and a lot of needs in the county for use of these funds," the presenter said, adding that the group tried to balance short-term personnel needs with long-term fiscal responsibility.
County counsel and commissioners also noted the funds derived from litigation: the county sued opioid distributors and manufacturers and entered into a judgment, which the presenter said was partially shared with the state and other local entities; as required, the spending must be for opioid prevention and remediation.
Next steps: The resolution was approved by voice vote. Departments will implement the two-year funded positions and later report on staffing and long-term maintenance plans for those roles.
