Council approves advertising for opioid-restricted grants to Legacy Associates and Eastern Green Schools

County staff presented two requests to spend restricted opioid funds and the council voted to advertise both requests for formal appropriation.

Nicole, the staff member presenting the items, said the first request is for $40,000 to fund Legacy Associates to run the Strengthening Families prevention program, which Nicole described as an intensive multiweek program the county has supported in smaller scale in the past. "They're requesting $40,000 to pay for the Strengthening Families program," Nicole said, noting the money is restricted opioid funding and advertising/procurement rules apply.

The second request was $10,000 to support a middle-school (or youth-first) counselor at Eastern Green Schools for the 2026–27 school year. Nicole said the funding would help pay the school’s portion of a Youth First counselor and that two more county schools plan similar requests at the start of the next school year.

Why it matters: Both items use restricted opioid funds and staff emphasized the requirement to advertise procurement for those restricted funds. The council approved motions to advertise each request by voice vote; the items will return for formal appropriation after the advertising/selection process.

Quotations and next steps: "This is restricted money," Nicole said, adding the county has budgeted $30,000 for prevention but needs additional appropriations to cover these requests. The council moved to advertise both items; members voted 'aye' and the motions passed. The requests will return to the council for a future appropriation decision after advertising and any procurement steps are completed.