HERMANN — The Gasconade County Opioid Settlement Committee Thursday morning selected the top priorities for allocating the county’s share of funds from the settlement of lawsuits against makers and distributors of opioid-based medicine.

Working with two staffers of the Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC), members of the group advising the County Commission on distribution of funds identified six main areas that could apply for a share of the county’s funds. The top half-dozen priorities are, along with the number of votes each of the priorities received from those attending the meeting, are Prevention Education efforts (21), Re-entry Specialist (14), Law Enforcement and First Responders (10), Drug Court (9), Support Groups (8), Transportation (8).

The specifics for the top priorities could be refined in future sessions of the committee. For instance, there was some discussion of law enforcement and first-responder personnel becoming better trained as part of Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) in dealing with drug-affected individuals. However, as noted during the meeting, CIT training is time-intensive and could impact a trainee’s regular work schedule.

Several other areas were given a nod as worthy of consideration, such as the low number of people providing counseling for those battling opioid addiction and a general lack of services for those addicted to opioid-based drugs, the relatively small amount of money the county will have to dole out will make some of the higher-ticket priorities less likely for funding.

Gasconade County now has about $61,997 in hand from settlement payments; county officials were notified within the last two months that another $14,000 of settlement money would be forthcoming. However, as County Treasurer Mike Feagan noted, there was no time given as to when the county will receive that money. Gasconade County is projected to receive a total of about $128,000 in settlement money through the end of the 17-year payout schedule that involves pharmaceutical companies and major pharmacy outlets.

MRPC is contracting to administer the county’s settlement money. That agency will be vetting applications to ensure they meet the requirements of the Missouri Department of Mental Health — the state agency overseeing the settlement program that includes more than 100 of the state’s counties — as legitimate uses of the money in the effort to curb opioid addiction.

The final decision on who gets how much is in the hands of the County Commission.

Ann Freand and Samantha Sherman of MRPC’s staff Thursday morning met with four members of the advisory panel and two of the three county commissioners in the initial meeting of the committee.

Committee members attending the session included county representatives Kenna Fricke, administrator of the Gasconade County Health Department, Gasconade County Sheriff’s Departrment’s Chief Deputy Maj. Roger Armstrong, Circuit Clerk & Recorder of Deeds Jenny Schneider, and Hermann Area Ambulance District Chief Mike Mueller, one of the county seat’s representatives. Presiding Commissioner Tim Schulte, R-Hermann, and Northern District Associate Commissioner Jim Holland, R-Hermann, took part in the meeting with the committee. Southern District Associate Commissioner Jerry Lairmore, R-Owensville, was unable to attend the session with the committee, which took place shortly after the Commission’s regular weekly session.

Unable to attend the gathering were Owensville representatives Karen Arnold of the Owensville Ambulance District, Gasconade County R-1 Middle School Counselor Mary Beth Schwenk and Gasconade County R-2 Superintendent Dr. Jeri Kay Hardy.

In a summary of the inaugural gathering, Freand reminded committee members of a few things they need to resolve at their next meeting:

• Should the county allow all Missouri Department of Mental Health-approved uses — with emphasis on the top priority areas — be eligible to apply for funds, or limit applications from the top priority areas?

• How many times and when should applications be received during a year?

• How much funding in total per application cycle each year should be made available?

• Who will be the committee’s main contact person to receive applications?

• Offer any suggestions to the wording of the committee’s by-laws as proposed by MRPC.

Freand said once the panel decides these issues, it should quickly make an announcement.

“I think it’s important that whatever decisions you make, you properly convey them to the public,” she said.