The county has so far received $860,000 dollars in settlement payments.
OLMSTED COUNTY, Minn.-The Olmsted County's Board of Commissioners received an update on incoming dollars from the national opioid settlement at their meeting on Tuesday.
Travis Gransee, who is the deputy county administrator, said the county has received around $860,000 dollars in funds from the settlement.
Olmsted County is expected to receive more than 7.4 million dollars over the next 18 years from the settlement, according to Gransee.
Gransee added the money can only be used for future opioid remediation activities and costs after the settlement date.
Recently, a workgroup consisting of 10 organizations and area agencies, such as Mayo Clinic and the Rochester Police Department (RPD), have drafted a rough recommendation for how to spend the money throughout the county.
The short term plan for 2023 is to use $160,000 dollars in funds for one time money to organizations to help opioid prevention, expanded access of Naloxone and warm hand offs of patients, which was described to be a transfer of a person from emergency services to an addiction center, according to Gransee.
For years 2024 and 2025, the work group proposed placing $700,000 dollars over two years into a grant program that would reward organizations funding based off of their proposals and previous outcomes in the short term plan, according to Gransee.
Gransee added there would be an accountability measure to ensure money is being spent effectively and responsibly.
"So, I do not have any doubt that all of the things that have been shared with you tonight fit within that list. So, yes we will report back in regards to how that money was spent and that report back of those outcomes. I think we will be tracking a lot closer, well I know we will be tracking a lot closer than they will," Gransee s
Olmsted County's Seventh District Commissioner Mark Thein said the group should look at solutions that provide immediate impact.
"This is almost a windfall of money that we want to to good in the community and I am worried at the end we are going to say well we tried. We made a little bit here, we made a little bit here but we made no difference. So, that is my concern. I would like to see this group really focus on something that will see an immediate and long term difference in this community," Thein said.
Other board members said there should also not be a conflict of interest among the parties who oversee which projects receive funding and that money should not just go to existing programs that handle opioid treatment but also new initiatives to help curb the drug problem.
Jenna Bowman, who is the communications director with the City of Rochester, said the city has so far received around $50,000 dollars from the settlement but that discussions are still ongoing as to how to spend the money.
Gransee said the county the next settlement payment will be in July.
