HERMANN — It is now up to the Gasconade County Commission to determine how to use nearly $70,000 received so far in payments through the settlement of state and local governments’ class-action lawsuits against producers and distributors of opioid drugs.

On Thursday morning, the Commission received a packet of information that had been compiled by Prosecuting Attorney Mary E. Weston in her role as administrator of the funding. The prosecutor’s office had been designated at the start of last year as the chief handler of the money coming to the county as a result of the settlements. According to the schedule of payouts by producers and distributors that agreed to the settlement, Gasconade County will receive a share of the money in each of the next 15 years or so. Thus far, the county has received between $60,000 and $70,000.

At the start of the allocation process last year, the prosecuting attorney assembled the Opioid Settlement Team to research possible uses of the money. That team includes representatives of health and mental health agencies, law enforcement, social service agencies and public education representatives, among others. Weston said at the time of the team meeting that she would like to see the funding use to bolster programs already in place in the county aimed at combating opioid addiction.

She envisioned using the money for such things as public awareness and education campaign, supplying first responder agencies with the anti-overdose treatment Narcan and working with public schools to teach about the dangers of addiction to prescription opioid medication, as well as supporting treatment programs for individuals looking to break the grip of addiction.

The decision to turn over the allocation program to the Commission came after county administrators were approached by the operator of a treatment program based in Franklin County requesting a share of the county’s settlement funds. The Commission at the that time said it would ask the prosecuting attorney for an update on any plans that had been developed for using the money.

Now, the development of a plan is in the hands of the Commission.

“It’s back in our court,” said Southern District Associate Commissioner Jerry Lairmore, R-Owensville, during last week’s session.

But for the three county administrators, it’s back to the beginning in order to get up to speed, looking through the materials regarding possible uses that was handed over by the prosecutor.

“We just need to educate ourselves on it,” added Northern District Associate Commissioner Jim Holland, R-Hermann.

“The only thing I do know,” said Presiding Commissioner Tim Schulte, R-Hermann, “is the money appropriated for this will go to this.”

The Commission might be looking to regional planning officials to help with the opioid settlement program. Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) last year offered to administer the funding — much as it administered the county’s CARES Act and ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) money. However, at that time county officials decided to keep management of the funds in-house by having Weston overseeing the program.

The Commission said it would talk with MRPC and possibly with other counties to see how they are handling their shares of the settlement funds.

Meanwhile, in other matters at last week’s session, the Commission agreed to boost the budget’s line-item amount for Buildings & Grounds from $200,000 to $250,000 to ensure adequate funds for upgrades to buildings near the courthouse now being used for storage of equipment and supplies.

“I think we need to have enough in there” to cover possible needs, such siding and guttering, said Lairmore.