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Board of County Commissioners Meeting Minutes - Final March 5, 2024 Attachments: Staff Report Commissioner Loar inquired about the eligibility criteria for attending the Public Safety Council for Criminal Justice, Mental Health and Substance Abuse (Council) meetings and who would be entitled to the funds. Other organizations may also be interested in receiving a share of the funds, and the Board relied on the Council's recommendations for distributing funds. In response, Vice Chairman Flescher explained that the Council was an appointed committee, but members of the public were also welcome to attend. The Council heard presentations related to the settlement from both members and non-members. Vice Chairman Flescher also mentioned that if the Veterans Council had participated in the meeting, they could have applied for a portion of the funds. Chairman Adams stated that the Board had discussed the need for a Needs Assessment after evaluating where to allocate funds and supported the Council's recommendations. She favored funding the Needs Assessment as it would provide the necessary data. She stated the Board needed a straightforward process similar to the Tourist Development Council (TDC) or the Children's Services Advisory Council (CSAC). The Board was tasked with using the funds appropriately and the need to monitor their performance since the funds would diminish over the next 18 years. She agreed with Vice Chairman Flescher that the Council had done an excellent job with limited information and ever-changing parameters. County Attorney Bill DeBraal reported that the Council held its quarterly meeting on February 23, 2024, and discussed the distribution of a $99,139.70 surplus from the Manufacturer's Settlement. He stated the Council recommended allotting $60,000 to the Substance Awareness Council for a needs awareness study and adding a dashboard. The remaining $39,139.70 would be rolled over to FY 2024-25. Carrie Lester, Executive Director of the Substance Abuse Awareness Center (Center), stressed the need for a live dashboard. She believed monitoring progress in real-time and making data -driven decisions for the next 17 years was crucial. She called for a coordinated effort to enable the Center to track progress and take necessary actions. A motion was made by Commissioner Loar, seconded by Commissioner Earman, to allow the additional allotment of $60,000 to the Substance Abuse Awareness Center to expedite the Needs Awareness study and the creation of the dashboard. The motion carried by the following vote: Aye: 5 - Chairman Adams, Vice Chairman Flescher, Commissioner Earman, Commissioner Moss, and Commissioner Loar 14. COMMISSIONERS MATTERS Indian River County Florida Page 17