Board considers resolution to allocate opioid settlement funds; commissioners seek more vetting on applicants

County staff told the board that an opioid working group of 12 members reviewed four applications and recommended funding two programs: a day reporting center at $246,000 over three years and Hope Restorations for $96,886 for one year. The facilitator described a committee process with an application rubric and external reviewers: "It's made up of 12 members... we have a rubric in which each member of the committee scores the application," staff said.

Several commissioners asked for a pause until they could see more documentation on how much settlement money has been received and expended and to better understand the operations of applicants, notably raising questions about one applicant sometimes referred to in the discussion as "Cry Freedom" (or similarly named). One commissioner said he had attended the working-group meeting and that the committee found the application did not support opioid‑specific funding under the rubric. County staff also said the sheriff's office application had been reviewed by state teams and the Department of Justice and was found not to qualify under the MOA. A motion to approve the resolution was made and put to a vote; the transcript does not record a roll-call tally in the public record text.