Opioid funds application process outlined for county

In a detailed presentation to the Okmulgee County Commissioners, Terry A. Simonson, Special Council for the Office of the Attorney General, laid out the application process for the opioid abatement funds, as organizations and municipalities work to confront the ongoing crisis.

Simonson, who has worked with several local and state administrators, said he also worked to disburse $253 million in CARES and ARPA funds for Tulsa County between March 2020 and the summer.

In discussing opioid litigation, he explained that Purdue Pharma is only one of fourteen companies involved in the manufacture, distribution, and sale of opioids that have agreed to a structured, multiyear settlement. Oklahoma could receive between $500 and $700 million from this settlement.

The funds are managed by the opioid abatement board under the Attorney General’s Office, which distributes them to qualifying applicants for opioid- related initiatives. The nine-member board consists of (Oklahoma Statue Title 74, sections 30.3 through 30.8):

• Attorney General Genter Drummond, appointed by the statute

• Josh Cantwell, appointed by the Governor

• Leroy Young, D.O., appointed by the State Auditor and Inspector • Scott Martin, appointed by the State Treasurer

• Mike Hoskins, appointed by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction

• Sarah McFadden, appointed by the Speaker of the House

• Dr. Kelly Dunn, appointed by the Speaker of the House

• Lori Parish, appointed by the Senate President Pro Tempore

• Dr. Atul Walia, appointed by the Senate Pro Tempore Simonson noted the challenge in bridging the gap between eligible entities (cities, counties, schools,) and the services needed for opioid abatement, which are often provided by organizations that cannot directly apply for the funds. He encouraged these groups to reach out to those who can apply to coordinate a plan.

Simonson also emphasized the distinction between public health initiatives and traditional law enforcement activities.

“It’s not about drug enforcement. This is a public health initiative more than public safety,” Simonson explained. “So it’s not that law enforcement is cut out, it’s just you got to find that slice of law enforcement where mental illness, public health, or opioid addiction might fit.”

He spoke about dealing with what he referred to as the “fourth or fifth” wave of the opioid crisis, which has seen a shift from prescribed opioids to synthetic alternatives, heroin, fentanyl and methamphetamines.

“Once people got addicted to a painkiller, just because you stopped making it or making them available doesn’t mean they won’t find something else,” he explained.

Simonson also urged the commissioners to consider partnerships and collaborative efforts in their applications to maximize the impact of the funds. He discussed the potential for partnership with tribal nations, which as he explained, receive a separate allocation of funds for opioid abatement.

“So you come up with your plan and figure out how much would it cost to address this and you would then do an application or the city – or however you guys decide to partner it up – and you would submit it to the portal to the Attorney General’s office,” Simonson said.

The deadline for eligible groups to apply is March 29.

— Also approved at the meeting: • Minutes from the Feb 20 regular meeting

• January report from the Election Board

• Blanket Purchase Orders: General Government – Comdata (fuel) for $1,000; District 1 – Cintas (uniforms) for $800, S&H Auto for $1,000; District 2 – RPI for $1,000, Cintas for $700, O’Reilly’s for $250; District 3 O’Reilly’s for $1,000, Cintas for $500

• Employee Forms: District 1 – David Branson, part-time; District 3 – Michael Bevanue, fulltime Before going into an executive session, the board heard the weekly report from EM Director Jeff Moore, who said they dealt with an uptick in grass fires and explained the process for enacting a county-wide burn ban.

“I will contact every representative from every fire department, they will vote, I will cast the vote if there’s a tie, and then we will bring it before the Board of County Commissioners who have the ultimate say so on whether or not a burn ban gets put in place,” Moore stated.

He added that the ban has to encapsulate the entire county, not just particular sections.

His full report can be found in this edition.