Council OKs opioid settlement funds for Community Missions and six other groups
Cameron Montemayor
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Local organizations working to treat, educate and prevent opioid and substance abuse received a boost in funding at Monday’s City Council meeting from the latest round of opioid settlement funds.
From non-profit groups to law enforcement, groups like Community Missions, the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office and the Samaritan Center were approved as recipients of 2025 settlement awards, the second round of funding since it began in 2024.
A total of $125,600 will be awarded in 2025, $84,000 from the city and $41,600 from the county. Approximately $156,000 was awarded in 2024.
St. Joseph and Buchanan County received roughly $2 million in opioid settlement funds as part of a massive $26 billion settlement in 2021 following lawsuits from dozens of states against the country’s top opioid manufacturers.
Awards are only given to groups that prioritize treatment, education or prevention of opioid and substance abuse.
Funding awards in 2025:
1. Community Missions Corporation: $58,670
Aftercare Specialist position
The Aftercare Specialist position will engage people experiencing homelessness that suffer from co-occurring disorders including opioid and other substance use disorders, currently being solicited by a housing opportunity.
An Aftercare Specialist is instrumental in the success of overcoming addiction and securing housing, preventing reoccurring institutionalization. Funding will be reimbursed for invoiced, allowable costs.
2. Alano Club of St. Joseph: $5,000
Reimbursement for conference/meeting room furniture
This funding will purchase conference and meeting room furniture for use during on-site meetings, events, and activities for the education regarding, and prevention of, substance use disorder and/or co-occurring mental health conditions. Meeting spaces are provided at no cost to participants.
3. Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office: $5,000
Reimbursement for medication prescribed and administered as part of a Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) program for individuals that are incarcerated at the Buchanan County Jail.
Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) has operational oversight of the Buchanan County Jail, and is responsible for the fair and firm care, custody, and control of all sentenced and non-sentenced inmates charged to the care of the Sheriff. The BCSO provides a complete range of services for all inmates while they are incarcerated, including necessary and appropriate medical care. This includes providing MAT services to inmates under the direction of a qualified medical provider.
4. Mid-City Excellence (MCE) Community Learning Center: $11,000
1. Reimbursement for opioid prevention curriculum and training $7,3002. Reimbursement for transportation components $1,8003. Reimbursement for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports $1,900
Funding will be utilized to purchase opioid prevention curriculum and provide training for lead coaches and instructors of the curriculum. Funding will also be used to purchase fuel, van insurance, and to make van repairs as needed, to allow for transportation of participating youth and accompanying adults, to and from field trips, outreach, and expanded weekend programs.
Finally, funding will be used to purchase Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) incentives, allow for career exposure field trips, and cover costs associated with an End-of-Year Youth Showcase, for youth participants, as these activities provide healthy alternatives to substance use for MCE program participants.
5. New Seasons St. Joe Metro Treatment Center: $5,000
1. Pre-paid bus passes to be purchased from St. Joseph Transit for patients to utilize for transportation to and/or from provided appointments.
2. Reimbursement for Uber Health transportation rides, utilized for patients with transportation barriers, so that they may attend necessary services.
The target population will be patients 19 years and over, with a diagnosis of Opioid Use Disorder (OUD), experiencing transportation barriers. Each bus pass will be specific to and for use only by the recipient. The Uber Health transportation model shall be reserved for patients who meet specified criteria. Funding will be reimbursed for invoiced, allowable costs.
6. The Samaritan Center: $32,140
1. Peer Support Specialist position $31,0002. Transit passes for clients receiving substance use disorder services $3603. Mileage reimbursement for PRSS staff travel for business purposes $780
The Peer Support Specialist position will engage and support people in treatment and recovery from opioid use disorder and any co-occurring substance use disorder and/or mental health conditions through evidence-based programs and strategies, providing counseling, peer support, recovery case management and treatment with access to medications for those who need it.
Once established, some services performed by this position will be billable for MO-HealthNet and Medicare reimbursement, to help promote future sustainability of the position. Funding will be reimbursed for invoiced, allowable costs. St. Joseph Transit bus passes will be provided to clients receiving treatment for substance use disorder that also experience transportation barriers. Finally, funding will allow for the reimbursement of mileage costs incurred by a Peer Recovery Support Specialist working with people in treatment for substance use disorder, traveling for business purposes.
7. Youth Alliance: $8,790
1. Support high school Youth Summit and support activities $3,1102. Equipment and supplies for middle school events $4,1103. Youth engagement items for coalition capacity building $7004. Equipment and supplies for high school prevention groups $870
Funding will be used to reimburse expenses related to the High School Youth Summit event, an interactive day of learning focused on substance use prevention and mental health awareness.
Further, funding will provide supplies and equipment to support substance use prevention and educational activities for middle-school aged youth, by creating societal norms around social events that do not promote or include drug use or the consumption of alcohol.
Funding will help support community-based education and/or intervention services for youth outreach, and educational items to help engage youth in programming and build the capacity of the Partners in Prevention coalition within the community. Finally, funding will support evidence-informed high school prevention programs or curricula to provide substance use prevention and activities providing an alternative to substance or alcohol use.
Youth Alliance coordinates the Partners for Prevention coalition that promotes substance use prevention strategies for youth within the community. Their work focuses on making changes in societal norms regarding substance use, and they challenge local youth to choose a life free of substances and addiction through the incorporation of alternate activities and behaviors.
Substance use prevention strategies include, but are not limited to, facilitating monthly coalition meetings, coordinating an annual Youth Symposium event for high school students, facilitating middle and high school substance use prevention events employing tools and resources to demonstrate effects of substance use, supporting local data collection and dissemination, partnering to offer messaging and other education toward substance use prevention, working with other local agencies to offer unified education and outreach efforts.
City to resurface Hy-Vee bus station parking lot
A popular city-owned bus station by Hy-Vee is in line for a series of asphalt tune ups.
Councilmembers approved a $109,000 purchase order with Herzog Contracting Corp. for an asphalt overlay project at the Hy-Vee bus station parking lot.
Crews will perform a 2” mill and overlay of the bus lot and driving lanes, including furnishing and installing pavement markings where needed.
City sets out on improvements to Fairview Golf Course
Monday’s meeting saw the approval of a $210,000 work order with Transystems Corporation for design services to improve Fairview Golf Course. Design services will be funded with Parks Sales Tax funds.
The popular golf course is in need of improvements to help support its long-term functionality and support efficient water management for irrigation.
Key components of the planned improvements include:
Site surveying using aerial LiDAR or photogrammetry.
Hydraulic analysis and modeling of the stream feeding into the pond.
Environmental permitting support through coordination with the U.S. Army Corps ofEngineers (USACE).
Dredging of the existing silted-in ponds located through the center of the golf course.
Construction of a new pedestrian/cart bridge structure to replace the aging bridgespanning the pond.
Council hears first reading on Aquatic Park lap pool demolition
Councilmembers heard a first reading on a $239,000 contract with TNR Construction, LLC, to demolish the lap pool and slides at the Aquatic Park on South Noyes Boulevard, two structures that have long out of service.
Despite the planned demolition of the structures, the existing shallow activity pool and lazy river will remain in place and be available for residents in future pool seasons.
Councilmembers previously approved a contract last August for design services for demolition of the Aquatic Park lap pool, a project that hinged on the city agreeing to a partnership with the YMCA for a $15 million indoor aquatic center up north, a 35,000 square foot facility.
A final vote on demolition is expected to take place at the next council meeting on Monday, Sept. 1
City transfers land ownership for highway intersection project
Councilmembers approved the execution of a quit claim deed for a tract of land adjoining Highway 169 at the intersection of Route FF to the state of Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission.
The MHTC has requested the city relinquish the rights to the property adjoining Highway 169 at Route FF as part of the upcoming project that will see MoDOT redesign the intersection.
Intersection improvements will include the addition of left-turning lanes on 169, channelized right turn lanes on FF and 49th Street, bulb-outs for large vehicles, and intersection lighting.
Outside the intersection, MoDOT will also be extending the nearby culvert and grading the clear zone, and extending the left turn lane from the intersection of FF and 169 to UPS.
City approves $600,000 for landfill equipment rebuilt program
Roughly $611,000 will be used to purchase a CAT Certified Rebuild and Reusability Programfrom Foley Equipment Co. for St. Joseph Sanitary Landfill.
The landfill’s Caterpillar D8T Dozer, purchased in 2013 for $606,321.93, has accumulated approximately 18,791 operational hours and services as a key asset for daily operations, including moving waste on the active face, maintaining overfilled areas, and removing shale and cap rock.
This unit is equipped with a caterpillar waste handler package, which includes enhanced guarding and upgraded filtration systems specifically designed for landfill environments.
Purchasing a new 2026 Caterpillar D8 Dozer equipped with the same waste handler package would cost approximately $1,230,000.00.
To extend the life of the existing unit at a lower cost, the department is pursuing a Cat Certified Rebuild through Foley Equipment Co., a designated Caterpillar Dealer and the exclusive Certified Rebuild Dealer for our region