Brooke commissioners hope to begin awarding opioid funds soon
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WELLSBURG -- Brooke County officials are continuing their review of applications seeking a share of the county’s opioid settlement funds.
County commissioners previously received 10 requests for a portion of the estimated $1.1 million the county received through the state’s distribution of settlement funds from pharmaceutical opioid manufacturers and distributors.
In recent weeks, the commission asked County Prosecutor Allison Cowden to review each application to ensure it complies with standards established in the memorandum of understanding the county signed with the West Virginia First Foundation, which distributed the funds.
“It’s still being reviewed,” Commission President Tom Diserio said during Tuesday’s commission meeting.
Current requests include $580,000 for the Brooke County Sheriff’s Department; $159,784 for the Brooke County Health Department; $125,000 for WVU Medicine; $120,550 for Brooke County Emergency Management/EMS Deputy Director Mike Loborec; $20,000 for Easter Seals; $374,015 for Empower & Link Inc.; $295,000 for Brooke County EMA/EMS Director Greg Moore; $185,000 for Youth Services System Inc.; $116,599 for the Brooke County Firefighters Association; and $114,734.28 for the Bethany Police Department.
“We’re getting extremely close to being able to award those,” Diserio said.
The 41-page West Virginia First memorandum of understanding outlines the allowable uses for the funds. Those uses generally fall within five core principles: education, emergency services, prevention, intervention and rehabilitation.
In other business Tuesday, commissioners agreed to advertise a part-time, 20-hour-per-week position at the Brooke County Animal Shelter. Commissioner Christina White also encouraged residents interested in volunteering at the shelter to reach out.
“The shelter is very full right now,” White said.
Commissioners also approved a request to hire John Michael Zimmerman as a part-time emergency medical technician, pending completion of a background check and drug screening. Zimmerman is scheduled to begin Aug. 1.