LINN — Dispensation of the county’s opioid settlement money has been a topic of conversation at several recent Osage County Commission meetings.

After several meetings of discussion, commissioners agreed to use part of the opioid settlement money to partially fund programs for the Osage County Anti-Drug Community Action Team (OC-ADCAT) and Osage County Sheriff Mike Bonham.

At the Sept. 10 meeting, Osage County Anti-Drug Community Action Team (OC-ADCAT) Executive Director Lorie Winslow asked commissioners to allocate $7,000 from the Opioid Settlement Fund to finance the Strengthening Families program for another session.

The program teaches parents and caregivers how to effectively nurture, discipline, and guide youth while giving children a healthy future orientation and increased appreciation for their parents or caregivers. Strengthening Families also teaches kids skills for dealing with stress and peer pressure. 

The course is taught with 7-10 families over seven weekly sessions that include instruction and a meal. Winslow said the cost of a session is approximately $1,960 for educators, $1,750 for the program director, $350 for babysitters, $400 for supplies, $500 for advertising, and $1,050 for food. A more detailed breakdown of those costs was provided to commissioners.

OC-ADCAT has held four previous sessions of Strengthening Families: spring 2022 (26 graduates/9 children), fall 2022 (14 graduates/6 children), spring 2023 (19 graduates/7 children), and spring 2024 (15 graduates/5 children). Participants are referred through the Gasconade/Osage County Drug Treatment Court and are required to take the course as part of retaining or regaining custody of their children.

As of Sept. 10, 17 participants were registered for the fall session, which commissioners have been asked to fund.

“Ironically,” Winslow said, “this time in the family treatment, of the people we have in Strengthening Families, only two are from Osage County. The rest are from Gasconade. So, we share that with Gasconade County. Anyone’s welcome. They could come from Cole County, and we’d take them in the class because we want people to take the class, but that’s the makeup of the class.”

Winslow also noted that none of the people registered for the fall session currently have custody of their children. While commissioners agreed that Strengthening Families is a valuable resource, they were hesitant to pledge Osage County funds to a program that would mainly benefit Gasconade County residents.

Osage County Presiding Commissioner Darryl Griffin said he would ask the Gasconade County Commission to help fund the program.

“If it’s a $7,000 deal and there’s 17 families, that’s roughly $500 per family,” said Eastern District Commissioner John Trenshaw, “I wouldn’t have a problem with passing a deal that says $500 per Osage County family.”

On Sept. 12, Bonham asked commissioners to commit money to fund membership in the Mid-Missouri Drug Task Force (MMDTF) for four years but received a less-than-enthusiastic response.

“I make a humble suggestion that we do $40,000 for our drug task force,” Bonham said. “That takes care of it for four years.”

“We just talked about that four years,” said Presiding Commissioner Darryl Griffin, “since these two individuals (Trenshaw and Western District Commissioner Larry Kliethermes) are not going to be here, and we just passed a new deal in our handbook that we’re not going to engage anything over one year.”

Griffin noted he wasn’t saying commissioners wouldn’t fund the drug task force for four years, but they didn’t want to commit the total amount at one time, especially given that there will be two new commissioners in January.

“Under the light of what you just explained to me,” Bonham amended, “we request $10,000 for the drug task force. That’s definitely enforcement. They also investigate and track all the data for opiate deaths or overdoses. That would take care of that out of our fiscal year for 2025.”

Bonham said the sheriff’s office also spends about $2,000 per year on the Junior Deputy Program and asked commissioners to fund that out of the opioid settlement money as well. “That is education that we’re already doing in the schools currently,” Bonham said. “But we also can expand that into the community, where we have gone for the assistance of OC-ADCAT and done drug education or awareness to the citizens and in the county. That would help offset the costs we currently are absorbing.”

Commissioners were hesitant to commit $12,000 at one time, explaining that they currently have about $84,000 in the fund. Although more is expected over the next 18 years as part of the settlement, they have no way of knowing how much that will be.

“I don’t want to take the fund down too far and leave it to the next commission,” Kliethermes said.

“Yeah, but $12,000 for one year would not capsize that fund, right?” Bonham asked.

“There might be something else coming up we think would be great,” Griffin replied, “and here we’re already tied down.”

“But we’re only asking for a commitment for one year, correct?” Bonham asked.

“That’s correct,” Griffin replied, “and I’m not trying to be mean, but why can’t you adjust your funds (to) where you get $10,000, and you (use) $2,000 year for Junior Deputy and $8,000 for your other education? Why (does it have to) be $12,000?”

“There’s two different things here,” Bonham replied, “$10,000 for the drug task force, and $2,000 for Junior Deputy.”

“What he asked, though,” Trenshaw interjected, “is can we give you $2,000 for Junior Deputy and $8,000 towards your $10,000 on the other because you’re going to pay the $10,000 out of pocket either way.”

Bonham agreed that the solution would be acceptable.

“So, you guys just want to do that?” Trenshaw asked fellow commissioners.

“I don’t have a problem with it if (Prosecuting Attorney Amanda Grellner) says, ‘Yes, that’s a fund that you can use for that.’ I don’t have a problem doing that, but I see what you’re doing,” Griffin replied. “You always ask for more than what you’re going to get.”

“Within the fund, to be able to use the fund correctly. ” Bonham acknowledged. “And that it’s going to benefit our citizens and the kids. For me, I think it’s huge.”

“I don’t think there’s anything better than the kids,” Trenshaw agreed. “I’m all in on that.”

“The drug task force,” Bonham continued, “is something that we have used, and we have already reaped the benefit in our county multiple times. So, I mean, it’s not a frivolous expense, and we’re going to spend (that money) one way or the other.”

“I agree with what you’re saying,” Griffin said.” But you might be spending the money — and I’m not saying you’re going to — but I might say, ‘Man, I don’t think that’s something (they) should be doing.’ You know? And we’re not all going to be here forever. There might be somebody else doing your job, and then we already committed longer, and then (say) ‘I don’t like the way that guy’s doing things.’”

“But we’re only committing for one year, though, correct?” Bonham reiterated.

Trenshaw said, “I personally think that the Junior Deputy (program) working hand in hand with OC-ADCAT, we’ve seen (those) results, but I would specifically want at least the $2,000 go to that, and the rest for the drug task force is fine, but I’m specific about Junior Deputy because you see (those) kids — they’re comfortable around law enforcement and willing to talk to them — that’s an ace in the hole right there.”

Griffin revisited the issue at the Sept. 24 meeting. “We didn’t do it last week,” he said, “but I think we need to address this. ADCAT was here asking for some funds this year. You’ve got 17 families that (are) in that program. In my opinion, we ought to fund it for the second session, and then next year, the new commission can look at it each time they want to.”

“We kind of implied at the last meeting that we wanted to put a $10,000 limit on someone when we were talking to the sheriff about his thing,” Trenshaw said, referring to the fact that the commission has already funded one session of Strengthening Families this year. “Do we want to fund (Strengthening Families) $3,000, or do you want to fund it $7,000? Because $3,000 is your $10,000 limit, or (with) $7,000, it gets to $14,000?”

Griffin added that Grellner said the classes meet statutory requirements for spending the funds because they are held in Osage County, even if all participants are not residents.

“I understand that,” Kliethermes said, “but why do we carry the burden of three counties if there’s nobody helping?”

“My answer to that,” Griffin replied, “is that I think we need to fund that this year and then look at it again next year.”

Griffin added that Gasconade County Presiding Commissioner Tim Schulte told him that Gasconade County had formed a committee of representatives from several agencies to administer its opioid funds. The committee required a written application for funds, so Griffin believes OC-ADCAT should apply to that committee next year.

“I will go on record as saying that I will support ADCAT for funding,” Trenshaw said, “but I will only support it to the tune of $500 per family from Osage County. But there’s two of you guys there, and I won’t be upset if you guys vote it in. I’m saying $1,000. That’s my max because this is Osage County opioid money.”

Griffin reiterated that he thought commissioners should fully fund Strengthening Families; however, Kliethermes pushed back, asking why the county with the least opioid money should subsidize those with much more.

Fellow commissioners agreed with Kliethermes’ suggestion to ask Winslow to attend the next meeting, and the discussion was tabled until then.

On Sept. 26, Griffin began the conversation by asking Winslow if she had asked the Gasconade County Commission to help fund Strengthening Families, to which Winslow replied that she had not. Of the 20 current participants, Winslow said, at least 15 were from outside Osage County.

“The problem came from me,” Trenshaw said. “I cannot give you money for Strengthening Families for just taking care of, primarily, people from other counties. I just cannot bring myself to do it. I think the money is for Osage County citizens and should benefit Osage County citizens.” Trenshaw then explained that he would be open to funding OC-ADCAT’s “Too Good for Drugs” program as an alternative because that benefits children in Osage County schools.

Trenshaw also said he felt the county had already received the bulk of expected funds. “While we have 15 more years to collect, I think the bulk of the lawsuits are over,” Trenshaw said. “They’re going to collect from some smaller companies, (but) I don’t see a lot more coming.” Trenshaw further explained that he felt the county would see less than $15,000 more over the next 15 years, so they should be careful with the funds they’ve already received.

Kliethermes added he believed the work in schools was important and that other counties should contribute their share for Strengthening Families. “Why should we bear all their costs?” he asked. “We have other programs that are asking for money, too, and $84,000 is not really that much money anymore.”

After much discussion of the finer points of both programs, commissioners approved Trenshaw’s motion to give $5,000 to OC-ADCAT for the “Too Good for Drugs” program. Griffin asked the other commissioners to consider making a motion to fund an additional $2,000 for the Strengthening Families Program to cover the Osage County residents, but they declined.

“I think that the $7,000 we (did) before and the $5,000 we (did) now is good for one year,” Trenshaw said, “I don’t want to deplete this $84,000 too fast.”

After an additional motion from Trenshaw, commissioners voted unanimously to give the sheriff’s department $2,000 for the Junior Deputy Program but declined to fund the drug task force at this time.

“On the (drug task force),” Trenshaw said, “I don’t see any reason to give it because, again, that money goes out of county to other law enforcement. If our goal is to keep it in the county, that’s what we should do.”