Hancock County approves MOUs to distribute opioid settlement funds and handles routine budget, personnel and scheduling items

The Hancock County Commission on June 11 approved a suite of memoranda of understanding to distribute opioid settlement funds to local organizations, and completed routine administrative business including budget adjustments, selection of an insurance provider, and personnel actions.

Commissioners voted to approve revised MOUs for distribution of opioid settlement funds with Mount Olive Baptist Church, the WVU Extension Office, Bless this Child Ministries Care of Brook Hancock Family Resource Network, New Cumberland Ambulance Service Inc., and a series of volunteer fire departments. A commissioner clarified that one department had also submitted a separate application but that the countywide MOU provides for an equal distribution among fire departments. A county official said each MOU is bespoke and contains the compliance details required for use of the opioid funds and thanked staff members Mr. Clee and Mr. Lucas for their work on the agreements.

In other business, the commission moved its regular June meeting from June 25 to June 30 at 2:30 p.m. and approved end-of-year internal budget revisions across several departments, reading specific line items aloud. The commission accepted bids for workers’ compensation and property liability insurance and approved WVC Corp (West Virginia Corp) as the provider for fiscal year 2027 after competitive bids met the RFP requirements.

Personnel actions approved included orders rejecting claims in the estates of Terry M. Pots and John B. Atkins, acceptance of a full-time resignation by McKenna (Kenna) Nickerson as a 911 dispatcher effective June 16, 2026, and approval for Nickerson to remain as a part-time dispatcher to cover shifts. The animal shelter May 2026 'in and out' report and routine levy fund bills were all approved by voice vote. The commission also approved general county bills totaling $223,256.16 and other fund totals of $22,645.25.

Commissioners used voice votes for the routine approvals and scheduled a special meeting for Monday, June 15 at 8:30 a.m. before adjourning. The commission entered the correspondence from Oakland High School’s FBLA into the record but took no county funding action at the meeting.