Board approves using opioid-settlement money to cover 75% of Lifepak monitor purchases, caps county gaming contribution at $200,000

The Woodbury County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to use opioid‑settlement funds to cover 75% of the cost of new Lifepak cardiac monitors for county emergency medical services, with the remaining 25% to come from county gaming funds up to a $200,000 cap.

Board chair (reading the item) said the county attorney and staff reviewed allowable uses of the opioid settlement and concluded a partial purchase could be supported. "We can only expend those monies in certain ways," the chair said, explaining that legal review and a review of 911 call logs informed the 75% share.

Speakers from local EMS testified about the need and operational benefits. Mickey Souser, president of the Woodbury County EMS Association, told the board the higher Stryker bid included a four‑year service agreement that partly explained the roughly $10,000–$20,000 price gap with ZOLL. "Both hospitals in the city right now have the Lifepak receiving capabilities for the cardiopulmonary monitor system," Souser said, arguing that alignment with hospital equipment made Stryker preferable.

Dean Louders, assistant fire chief in Sergeant Bluff, cited department call volume and local pharmacy dispensing data to underscore opioid prevalence and the monitors’ potential life‑saving impact. "There's little doubt that this project will have positive and possibly life‑saving impact on the members of Woodbury County," Louders said.

Small‑town ambulance operators urged caution about local cost shares. Nick Lars of Bronson Ambulance said his service has limited capital reserves and that a 25% local match on a $55,000 purchase would represent years of planned capital for his agency. "A 25% match would have meaningful impact on the Bronson Ambulance Service budget," Lars said, and asked the county to avoid funding arrangements that unduly burden small communities.

An email from volunteer first responder Nick Posey, read into the record, similarly asked the board to reconsider funding only 75% for departments that may not be able to cover the remainder. The email was received into the record by unanimous vote.

After discussion about administrative burdens—county staff noted the attorney’s office would need to prepare separate loan agreements if multiple departments sought county interest‑free loans—the board moved to approve the Stryker purchase structure with 75% from opioid funds and the remainder from gaming funds, capped at $200,000. The motion passed 4‑0.

What happens next: staff will finalize vendor selection and prepare any necessary loan or service agreements and purchase documents; county attorney’s office will draft administrative paperwork if departments elect county loan support.

Votes at a glance: motion to approve 75% opioid funds / 25% county gaming funds (cap $200,000) — approved unanimously, 4‑0.