County distributes more opioid settlement funds

ASHEBORO — Randolph County commissioners worked out the next wave of opioid settlement funds for programs that aim to curb addiction, approving 11 requests by nine entities on April 6.

Most of the requests were approved unanimously. Commissioners narrowly split on two, as they disagreed on whether to support the use of the drug Naloxone and whether the Libraries’ Community Navigator program should get continued support.

Each of the organizations requested $150,000 or $300,000 for one of seven abatement strategies:

■ Adult Day Reporting: $150,000 for criminal justice diversion programs.

■ Bloom Therapeutics: $150,000 for early intervention.

■ Community Hope Alliance: $150,000 for Naloxone distribution.

■ Juvenile Day Reporting: $150,000 for early intervention.

■ Keaton’s Place: $300,000 for recovery support services, $150,000 for recovery housing.

■ Path of Hope: $150,000 for recovery housing.

■ Detention Center: $150,000 for Naloxone distribution, $300,000 for addiction treatment for incarcerated individuals.

■ Emergency Services: $150,000 for post overdose response team.

■ Public Libraries: $150,000 for recovery housing.

Assistant County Manager William Johnson said opioid settlement funds are allocated for three years, beginning in 2023, and the funding is on a reimbursement basis.

In the case of two proposals, Commissioners Kenny Kidd and Lester Rivenbark broke off from David Allen, Hope Haywood and Commissioner Chair Darrell Frye. 

They moved to hold off on Community Hope Alliance’s request to fund Naloxone distribution until the next approval period in another three years. They also argued against the request of Randolph County Public Libraries, arguing its county-run Community Navigator program is redundant when there are existing non-profits doing similar work.

Rivenbark said, “There are plenty of other people that are filling that gap rather than government and taxpayers.”

Haywood sided with approving the Community Navigators’ request. She said it is specifically to fund housing arrangements for people trying to transition out of recovery, jail or prison.

“I don’t see any redundancy,” she said, “because I don’t see another organization that’s helping with utility payments.”

Rivenbark used Grace Given as an example of a non-profit helping with housing and payments, saying this list is not exclusive to all the resources available. “Why are we piling on a bunch of services that these [non-profits] work really hard to provide?” he said.

“If we earmark this money for that,” Haywood replied, “then those other organizations will have more money to spend in other ways.”

She also argued for Community Hope Alliance’s request, saying she believed Naloxone, a drug made to block the body’s reception of opioids to try and reverse an overdose, contributed to a decrease in overdose deaths in the last three years.

would be more contained, she said Community Hope Alliance could get it out into the community. “I think they pay a heavy price if we wait on this,” she said.

Frye, Allen and Haywood tipped the 3-2 vote to fund Community Hope Alliance and Libraries.

Randolph County received approximately $20 million to spend on opioid recovery programs over 18 years. The money comes from legal settlements by pharmaceutical companies that made and marketed opioid-based pain medications. These funds were then dispersed to local entities deemed to have been badly impacted by opioid addictions.

Johnson said all applicants for the funds must fall under North Carolina’s memorandum agreement to qualify and agree to be audited.

Other business

■ Commissioners gave Emergency Medical Services approval to buy a new ambulance. Special Operations Officer Lt. Larry Hicks, Jr. said a Ford F350 4x4 Crestline CCL-150 Type 1 is coming off the assembly line, and they should get it in a month. This will replace an ambulance totaled in a vehicle accident on Jan. 16.

Insurance covered the damage at $259,282; the county’s deductible was $1,000. The commissioners voted to move $260,282 from Miscellaneous to the Emergency Services fund.

■ At the beginning of the meeting, they recognized two retiring staff members.

Patty Willard retired on Jan. 30 after 30 years of government work. Tax Assessor Debra Hill detailed her journey from the public works department, where she started in 1995. Willard helped oversee the changes to trash disposal and the opening of the Great Oak Landfill. She joined the tax department in 2008 as a sales analyst and went on to become an appraiser.

Patricia Hughes with Public Buildings retired on March 31 after 26 years. She was first hired as housekeeper in 1999.