Fiscal court committee advances rapid response officer job to fiscal court agenda

Becca, a county presenter, asked the committee to reconsider a previously established rapid response officer job description for the coroner's office, describing the current proposal as a grade-16 position that remains within the budget but removes an earlier "faster 3" step and adds experience requirements.

The change trims the role from a grade-19 level to grade 16, which presenters said keeps the position within budget. "A lot of it was it's it's taken down from a grade 19 down to a 16," the Chair said while summarizing the committee's review.

Committee members and staff discussed whether the position would be fully paid from opioid-settlement funds. One staff member noted the settlement "is capped at 90,000 for this position" and said a higher insurance election by the eventual hire could require a future budget change. "We just roughly figured it ... it was almost 92,000," staff said in an exchange about worst-case insurance costs.

An agency official described program outcomes used to justify the position: referrals, transportation assistance, naloxone distribution and successful treatment completions. The official said the county has "assisted 36 individuals with housing assistance" and that three people have completed a six-month substance-abuse program under the current effort.

Magistrates and presenters also said the position aligns with the county's recovery-ready certification recommendations and with existing situational-table work among community partners. After no objections, the Chair said the court would "make a notation that this will be placed on the fiscal court agenda then for the September 28."