Brooke commission set to begin awarding of opioid funds
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WELLSBURG - Following several months of discussion and review, Brooke County commissioners could begin their distribution of opioid settlement funds in the coming weeks.
The county has received requests from 13 area organizations - a total of $2,302,275.65 – each hoping for a share of the approximately $1.1 million received by the county through the West Virginia First Foundation.
The proposals have been under review by the Brooke County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office to ensure each complies with the terms of a memorandum of understanding signed by the county with the West Virginia First Foundation, which establishes an outline of the approved uses for the funds.
"We did receive back our first recommendation," announced Commission President Tom Diserio during Tuesday’s commission meeting.
According to Diserio, commissioners anticipate being able to approve its first distributions in the next couple of weeks, while the review of several of the applications by the Prosecutor’s Office continues.
To date, the commission has received requests from the Brooke County Sheriff’s Department for $580,000; the Brooke County Health Department for $159,784; WVU Medicine for $125,000; Brooke EMA/EMS Deputy Director Mike Loborec for $76,127; Easterseals for $20,000; Empower & Link Inc. for $374,015; EMA/EMS Director Greg Moore for $295,000; Youth Services System Inc. for $185,000; Brooke County Firefighters Association for $116,599; Bethany Police Department for $114,734.28; the City of Follansbee for $21,850; and CHANGE Inc. for $158,642.
The Wellsburg Police Department submitted four applications in the amounts of $43,441; $24,738.37; $1,745; and $5,600.
"That process has been a very lengthy process," Diserio said.
The funds are derived through settlement agreements in lawsuits filed by the West Virginnia Attorney General’s Office against various producers and distributors of pharmaceutical opioids.
To be considered, an application must meet the requirements outlined in a 41-page memorandum of understanding signed by Brooke commissioners and developed through the West Virginia First Foundation. Local governmental entities agreed to the terms of the MOU to receive a share of the settlement funds.
Those uses generally must fall within the MOU's approved purposes and core strategies, including treatment, recovery, prevention, first responders, training, research and law enforcement.
Commissioners previously explained they would continue accepting applications until the county’s funding was fully distributed.
(Howell can be contacted at chowell@weirtondailytimes.com)