Barren County opioid settlement committee to hold first meeting
Meetings are scheduled for Aug. 17, Sept. 14, Oct. 19, Nov. 16 and Dec. 14. Special-called meetings may also be necessary.
GLASGOW, Ky. — Barren County’s newly formed Opioid Settlement Committee will hold its first meeting Monday, beginning the process of determining how the county’s opioid settlement funds will be distributed.
The committee will meet at 9:30 a.m. Aug. 17 in the Barren County Fiscal Court Chambers, located on the third floor of the courthouse at 117 N. Public Square in Glasgow. The meeting is open to the public.
Barren County has been receiving opioid settlement payments since 2023, but the county had not spent any of its settlement funds as of March. At that time, the county held $495,866.87, including accrued interest, according to County Treasurer Amanda Steger.
The settlement payments are expected to continue through 2040, although the amount and timing of individual payments can vary.
Barren County Judge/Executive Jamie Bewley Byrd previously said the county planned to establish a committee to help guide decisions on how the money should be spent.
“We are taking our time,” Byrd said previously, explaining that the county wanted to make sure it made the right decisions.
The committee is composed of the county judge/executive, sheriff, jailer, county attorney, two magistrates and one citizen-at-large, Bethany Steenbergen.
What to expect at the first meeting
Monday’s meeting will include the election of a chair and vice-chair, a welcome and discussion of a tentative timeline for the grant process.
According to the agenda, the committee plans to complete a needs assessment during Monday’s meeting using a Recovery Ready Communities assessment.
The assessment is designed to measure the community’s existing resources and gaps related to substance use and recovery, with criteria covering prevention, treatment, recovery support, healthcare, first responders, courts, corrections, employers and local government.
Allyson Dix
The timeline
The committee’s planned timeline calls for it to finalize its evaluation criteria and grant application Sept. 14. Applications are expected to become available to the public Sept. 17 and will be due Oct. 15.
The committee plans to evaluate applications Oct. 19 and interview finalists Nov. 16. Grants are scheduled to be awarded Dec. 14.
All regularly scheduled committee meetings will begin at 9:30 a.m. in the Fiscal Court Chambers. Meetings are scheduled for Aug. 17, Sept. 14, Oct. 19, Nov. 16 and Dec. 14. Special-called meetings may also be necessary.
Groups already seeking funding
The committee will also be considering a process for organizations seeking a share of the funds. Two organizations have already publicly outlined potential projects.
In May, Bridge Kentucky told magistrates it was seeking $75,000 for services including its homeless shelter, utility assistance, clothing and food aid.
The organization said it serves people experiencing homelessness, including those dealing with substance use and other challenges.
NET Recovery also presented a proposal involving a neurostimulation device intended to help people experiencing withdrawal symptoms.
The organization said Barren County had been offered two free treatments to evaluate the technology before considering broader use.
Monday’s meeting will be the first step in determining what those needs are and how local organizations may eventually seek funding to address them.
