Hancock County advisory committee finalizes draft grant application process for opioid settlement funds

The Hancock County Opioid Settlement Fund Advisory Committee met July 23 and worked through a page-by-page review of the draft grant application and scoring rubric that will guide distribution of local opioid settlement dollars.

The committee discussed application language, documentation requirements, award sizing and oversight. Committee staff advised that the advisory group will score applications and bring recommendations to the county commissioners, who retain final approval. The meeting included detailed exchanges about payment timing, required uploads, sustainability plans and performance reporting. "We will incorporate some branching for project-specific questions," staff said, describing an evaluation template that can capture the number of people served and a project timeline.

Members agreed to remove a fixed single-award cap from the draft and left award sizing flexible for the first round; the committee will use the scoring rubric and budget feasibility review to judge individual requests. Committee members noted the first funding period is estimated at approximately $300,000 (initial, approximate allocation) and discussed how individual award amounts should reflect project needs and sustainability plans.

The committee set a next meeting to finalize remaining edits and scheduling, agreed that applications should require a clear list of required documents (budget, scope of work, letters of support where applicable) and asked staff to return with a consolidated draft for approval before public release.