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WELLSBURG - After receiving one more request, Brooke County commissioners indicated they could soon begin distributing the county’s allotment of West Virginia opioid settlement funds.
As of Tuesday, commissioners had received requests for a portion of the estimated $1.1 million in opioid funds from close to 10 agencies.
"We’re going to be reviewing them," Commissioner Tommy Diserio said during the commission’s regular meeting Tuesday morning, adding approvals for the requests would be taking place during regular commission meetings.
Previously, requests for funds had been submitted by the Brooke County Sheriff’s Department, the Brooke County Health Department, WVU Medicine, Easter Seals, Empower and Link Inc., Youth Services System Inc., and the Brooke County Firefighters Association, with two requests for funding filed by the county Emergency Management Agency/Emergency Medical Services - one by Director Greg Moore and one by Deputy Director Mike Loborec.
Tuesday, commissioners also received a request for funds from the Bethany Police Department.
"Once we get that back, we can look at it," he said.
Commissioners have been asking for county Prosecuting Attorney Allison Cowden to review the applications to ensure each complies with the terms of the memorandum of understanding issued by the West Virginia First Foundation.
Cowden explained commissioners are able to consider any of the requests at any time following the review, rather than doing everything all at once.
"They’re able to consider them one at a time," Cowden said.
The funding was derived through settlement agreements under lawsuits filed by the state against various producers and distributors of pharmaceutical opioids. Each county in West Virginia, along with numerous cities, signed on to the MOU in order to receive a share of any funds derived from those settlements.
The MOU - a 41-page document - outlines all of the acceptable uses for those awarded funds.