Hancock County Commission should do its due diligence before awarding opioid funds to Family Care Excellence and exercise extreme caution before handing out large sums of money.
Commissioner Tommy Ogden exhibited common sense when he urged the Commission to take a closer look at the Opioid Fund request from Family Care Excellence a few weeks ago. The owner of Builder’s Supply, Ogden pointed out that the cost per foot for construction was way to high for the building Family Care Excellence was requesting. After much discussion, the award was amended from $800,000 to $100,000 contingent upon an agreed-upon memorandum of understanding be arrived at during a workshop between the commissioners and Family Care Excellence.
Let’s hope the Commission does its due diligence and thoroughly examines the organization, There are questions looming as organizations (among them the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office and the Regional Jail Fund,) vie for those funds.
Among those questions:
**Did Family Care Excellence file bankruptcy and subsequently move their incorporation to Ohio? If so what happened to make bankruptcy necessary and are their still local vendors owed money?
**Explain the $500 tuition charged each patient?
**What is the ratio of Ohio vs West Virginia residents being treated, It’s critical that the Commissioners apply the opioid funds hard-won by attorneys on behalf of West Virginia residents.
**The organization is not credtialized nor does it have licensed social workers on staff, What does a treatment plan for someone entering the facility consist of?
If we’ve learned anything from the Hancock County School takeover is that each elected official needs to be diligent and watchful of the documents put before them to approve.Commissioner Tommy Ogden exhibited common sense when he urged the Commission to take a closer look at the Opioid Fund request from Family Care Excellence a few weeks ago.
Without any forewarning the request of, $800,000. Was placed on the agenda to construct a building which they said would house men. Ogden, owner of Builder’s Supply, noted the amount requested and the plans for the building were too high for the structure. The amount requested was reduced and passed contingent on arriving at a Memorandum of Understanding between the commissioners and Family Care Excellence.
That workshop/ meeting is slated for 9 a.m. Thursday just hours before the Commission meeting a 2:30 p.m. that same day.
