by Olivia P. Tucker
Times Reporter
The opioid settlement funds were approved last week by the Scott County Council to help fund the Scott County Health Department, Scott County EMS, and the organizations Thrive and The Coalition to Eliminate the Abuse of Substances of Scott County (CEASe).
Scott County Health Department Administrator Michelle Matern told the Council that she went to the Scott County Commissioners in the middle of January to request money from the settlement and worked with County Attorney Zach Stewart to outline the job, activities and responsibility of the health department. Matern said she requested $60,325, which the commissioners approved and was up to the council to discuss.
Council President Lyndi Hughbanks asked Matern what the money is covering from the requested amount.
“It will cover my salary,” said Matern and she said it will cover abatement funds as well. She explained that the HIV outbreak correlates with Opana being an opioid and qualified the health department to receive those funds.
Councilman JR Ward asked Matern what will happen to her salary in terms of being in her budget already. Matern responded that the line item will remain in the budget.
Councilmember Diana Mullins asked if that money could be used for opioid education, which Matern responded if that needed to happen she would come to the council to have them approve a budget adjustment.
The Council voted unanimously for the Health Department to receive the funds that were requested.
Scott County EMS had requested restricted and unrestricted funds from the opioid settlement. The restricted funds were to be used for training salary and EMS Director Nick Oleck’s salary, similar to the health department. The unrestricted money would be going to purchase an ambulance that EMS has been requesting to rotate the vehicles to prevent them from having multiple ambulances break down at the same time.
The total amount that EMS had requested was $192,825 of the restricted funds and $110,00 of the unrestricted funds. The unrestricted funds would have been completely used up by Scott County EMS.
Councilmember Jonathan White said, “The idea behind this is to take the opioid money, replace [EMS] salary with the opioid money and your all’s salary buy this new ambulance.”
Oleck confirmed White’s statement with “correct”.
Councilmen Eric Gillespie expressed confusion about the salary which both Ward and Hughbanks confirmed that like Matern’s line item it could be requested by the council for the salary to have a budget revision or remain dormant in the budget.
“The motion I am making, is to replace their salary with this money that we have the ability to use,” said Ward, “and then whatever [Oleck] chooses to do with that money, he would have to ask the council to move it from the salary line item into something else to use.”
“I think this is a slippery slope,” said White, “it’s just my opinion, (the state approved) that opioid money to help with certain things and I feel this is going down a road I am not comfortable going down.”
Ward and Hughbanks both stated to White that the funding would be used for training and salaries.
Oleck said, “The hang-up is that you know what I am using that other money for, and you’re against that and you’re entitled to that opinion. I think that is the hang-up and I respect that.”
White said that the council has tried every way to fund an ambulance which he is not supporting a purchase of an ambulance at that time, Hughbanks said to White that the money was going for salaries
and training only.
The council voted 6-1, with White voting no on the restricted funds and denied EMS the unrestricted funds to go towards an ambulance. The Council did approve EMS to get a loan to purchase new ambulances with a limit of $318,088.
The funding approved for Thrive was $50,000 and the funding for CEASe was $81,800 to be used for their matching grants that will contribute to helping people in the community with drug-related circumstances and education on substances to aid in prevention.