AGENDA DATE: 5/3/2023
TITLE:
Title
Cooperative Agreements for Competitive Opioid Abatement Authority Grants
BODY
SUBJECT/PROPOSAL/REQUEST: Approve staff request to permit County Executive to sign cooperative agreements as part of application for funding from the Opioid Abatement Authority
ITEM TYPE: Consent Action Item
STAFF CONTACT(S): Richardson, Walker, Rosenberg, Bohdan, Dimock, Birch, Sumner
PRESENTER (S): Kaki Dimock, Jacob Sumner
LEGAL REVIEW: Yes
REVIEWED BY: Jeffrey B. Richardson
BACKGROUND: In 2017, several high-profile lawsuits filed against the pharmaceutical companies manufacturing and distributing opioids were consolidated into one Federal case, which was negotiated on behalf of all participating states, including Virginia. Anticipating significant financial distributions from pharmaceutical companies, the Virginia General Assembly established the Opioid Abatement Authority in 2021, Chapter 21, Article 12 of the Virginia State Code. The Opioid Abatement Authority was created ‘as an independent body [whose]purpose is to abate and remediate the opioid epidemic in the Commonwealth through financial support from the Fund, in the forms of grants, donations, or other assistance, for efforts to treat, prevent, and reduce opioid use disorder and the misuse of opioids in the Commonwealth’.
Funds from the consolidated settlement will be distributed directly to localities from the affected companies, through the Opioid Abatement Authority as direct allocation and through a competitive one-year grant, which may be renewed for up to five years. The Opioid Abatement Authority’s initial grant-making cycle opens May 5, 2023. Funds may be used to treat, prevent, or reduce opioid use disorder or the misuse of opioids or otherwise abate or remediate the opioid epidemic. Eligible applicants must work in collaboration with at least one other locality and the local community service board as defined by a cooperative agreement.
STRATEGIC PLAN: Infrastructure Investment - Prioritize, plan, and invest in critical infrastructure that responds to past and future changes and improves the capacity to serve community needs.
DISCUSSION: Each cooperative agreement entered into by localities for the purposes of applying for Opioid Abatement Authority funding must be specifically approved by the Board of Supervisors. Staff seek approval for the County Executive to sign, on behalf of the county, two cooperative agreements for the initial funding cycle of the Opioid Abatement Authority.
The first represents an agreement between Nelson County, Louisa County, Albemarle County and Region Ten, at a minimum, to support the expansion of the Region Ten emergency response system with expanded community outreach capacity, a reception center for individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis, and an expansion of the Crisis Intervention Training Assessment Center. Albemarle County will serve as the fiscal agent for this cooperative agreement.
The second represents an agreement between Albemarle County, City of Charlottesville, and Virginia Supportive Housing to support behavioral health services at the new permanent supportive housing program to be built at Premier Circle. Albemarle County may serve as the fiscal agent for this cooperative agreement. Both the expansion of the emergency service response system at Region Ten and the supportive services component of Virginia Supportive Housing’s Premier Circle project are consistent with the Opioid Abatement Authority’s funding guidelines and with Albemarle County’s strategic interests in the human services arena.
A sample cooperative agreement is attached as demonstration (Attachment A).
BUDGET IMPACT: There is no impact to the budget in approving the cooperative agreements for the purpose of making application to the Opioid Abatement Authority for funds though, if awarded, the county will serve fiscal agent. Should the County be awarded either one or both grants, staff will return to the Board to request supplemental budget appropriation.
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Staff recommend that the Board authorize the County Executive (a) on behalf of the County to execute and deliver two cooperative agreements in connection with grants from the Opioid Abatement Authority to the County, in form and substance acceptable to the County Executive and the County Attorney, and (b) to cause the County to perform in accordance with the terms of such cooperative agreements, including execution and delivery of such other documents as are contemplated by the cooperative agreements, also in form and substance acceptable to the County Executive and County Attorney.
ATTACHMENTS:
A - Sample cooperative agreement