The Lincoln County Commissioners approved the submission of a County Community Safety Investment Plan application for State Question 781 funds at their regular meeting on Oct. 19.
The county has applied for these funds in the past and used them for substance abuse services in the jail. This time, they will be used to hire a compliance officer that will be shared by the Sheriff’s Office and Specialty courts. It’s seen as a stepping stone to provide more help to those out of jail. The funding exists because of a formula based on the amount of money the county can save by not incarcerating people.
“And one of the things that’s very apparent is our specialty courts are very under-resourced, and there is a direction that our new DA and the judge wants to move towards, deferring people more rather than the incarceration process and having that expense there. So this is a recommended strategy,” said Judy Smith, Wellness Educator/ Program & Grant Specialist, adding that it’s a crucial piece that makes the county more competitive for federal grants.
The Commissioners also approved a new shared, full-time county position for the Sheriff’s Office and Specialty Courts to act as a peer person to support people in their recovery process.
They also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Community Rehabilitation and Education Outreach Services to replace Gateway.They will provide the same services at the same prices, which will be paid from the existing opioid abatement grant.
The Commissioners approved up to $5,000 from the opioid abatement fund to be used to provide shirts, snacks and lunch for the Girl Power/Wise Guys annual conference.
For the fairground, the Commissioners approved hiring an additional employee and raises to start next month.They discussed but took no action on a grant application to TSET to build a walking path, lights and dog stations at the fairgrounds.They asked to see a site plan or concept showing how it would look.
A county-wide burn ban was allowed to expire due to the rain that most of the area received last week.The Commissioners also approved REAP grant applications from Arlington and Jacktown fire departments. Arlington requested around $90,000 for a 30,000-gallon water tank to improve ISO ratings, while Jacktown requested around $145,600 to put towards a project that will cost a total of roughly $193,600 for a community and training space. It also has an 80/20 grant to help with funding.
The Commissioners approved the disposal of an emergency management trailer that was traded in for $4,700 and EM Director Charlotte Brown’s continued certification and potential deployment as a tactical dispatcher across the U.S. They also approved the reimbursement of funds from two Fire Management Assistance Grants related to the Chandler and Merrick fires in 2025. About $120,000 was distributed to the county and among the fire departments.
No action was taken on potential raises for county employees. The Commissioners approved the annual OSU Extension budget contract as well as deposits of $11,824.80 from Walmart and $2,786 from TEVAfor the OpioidAbatement Settlement Fund. They also approved a resolution appointing, requesting and receiving inventory officers for the DA’s office and a resolution expanding the Rural Water District 3 boundary lines to include the new Department of Public Safety Training Center.