By Molly Walsh
cleveland.com
CHARDON, Ohio — Geauga County commissioners are preparing to open up $100,000 in opioid settlement money for local grants, with the county’s Mental Health & Recovery Board hoping to use funding for an addiction recovery home and equipment for the Geauga County Sheriff’s Office.
Commissioners discussed the plan during Tuesday’s meeting, describing the effort as a partnership between the Board of Commissioners and the Geauga County Board of Mental Health and Recovery Services, which will issue a request for proposals by the end of January.
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Under the arrangement, the mental health board will administer the application process and conduct technical evaluations, while final funding decisions will be made by the commissioners, Commissioner Carolyn Brakey said.
Brakey said the board plans to initially set aside $100,000 for grants but may adjust that amount depending on the proposals received.
Christine Lakomiak, executive director of the Geauga County Board of Mental Health and Recovery Services, said Lake-Geauga Recovery Centers previously received $300,000 in OneOhio opioid settlement funds to establish a recovery house, but spent about a year searching for a suitable property. Officials have now identified a home in Geauga County with an estimated price of $350,000, leaving a $50,000 funding gap, she said.
If the purchase is approved as part of the grant process, the home would be fully renovated and furnished and could serve about 12 people in recovery.
Lakomiak also raised a potential need at the Geauga County Sheriff’s Office, where recently renovated space for partner agencies lacks basic equipment, such as tables and chairs. She suggested opioid settlement funds could be used to cover those costs rather than relying on county tax dollars.
Commissioners emphasized that all funding requests — including those from county departments — must go through the RFP process and be evaluated under the same criteria before any money is awarded.
The funding is part of Ohio’s broader opioid settlement effort, which directs money to local governments to support prevention, treatment and recovery-related services.
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