Craven County adopts opioid-settlement spending plan funding response teams, housing and naloxone

Craven County approved a resolution on June 15 that specifies how the county will spend opioid settlement proceeds under the state memorandum of agreement.

Caitlin Godley presented the recommended allocations and told the board the MOA requires local governments to adopt a resolution naming the strategy options and dedicated amounts. The board approved the resolution without recorded dissent.

The board’s allocation includes $126,513 for collaborative strategic planning, $200,000 to establish or support a post-overdose response team, $50,000 for recovery support services, $283,450 for recovery-housing support, $16,000 for naloxone distribution and $110,000 for re-entry programs. Godley said the resolution organizes the county’s opioid remediation efforts around the MOA’s options and exhibit listings and authorizes staff to implement the funded strategies.

The resolution binds the county to MOA reporting and strategy-identification requirements; Godley identified the amounts and strategy codes in exhibit A/B of the MOA during the presentation. The board adopted the resolution by voice vote and will direct Public Health and partner agencies to begin implementation and to follow MOA reporting requirements for the funded programs.

Next steps: Public Health staff will coordinate program setup (for instance, establishing the post-overdose response team and contracting for recovery-housing services) and will report back to the board per the MOA schedule. The resolution does not, by itself, create contracts; future procurement or partnership agreements will define deliverables and timelines.