[{"_1":2,"_75":-5,"_76":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6467917,"mediaKeyId","5783750-0f85a07b6a022b7f65502a318cb8a0c3","parentId",5783750,"title","Advisory committee forms subcommittee, sets public listening session and outlines tiered approach for opioid settlement funds","audioSeconds",2692,"startMs",40970,"endMs",2733070,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5783750-0f85a07b6a022b7f65502a318cb8a0c3&start=40&end=2733","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5783750-0f85a07b6a022b7f65502a318cb8a0c3/thumbnail_40970.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6467917/Bangor-City/Penobscot-County/Maine/Advisory-committee-forms-subcommittee-sets-public-listening-session-and-outlines-tiered-approach-for-opioid-settlement-funds","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6467917-c2de91abf47580cc75912c9632898941/orig.mp4?Expires=1770926812&Signature=kzgxUK6orLr51uTGtFA3ENf1osmaBjF5Kx3OIZ9TOl6m3N8dQuWSj31qZNPabr8lx-CxGZPk8GfAPn2Z61aknpE6G-pu-A2CxidNRRPLNeaSZYHdWO1Nn502vPWcl7Uouei2oZEKh29EM6t~obuWweXQ~66lBbJlHz39hmSD-rN6IMMRStZ0Ukl2IzyX6NcA90Q~rRYYuO-as0JReQLBv10JXeW0X59t-5dRIvz8fXvuZozQVsBLr86gbVNJErTi70YPNYvmACgJBC0hJ03-D-HqsaVWnD3huVWP4rZ8APyW-NUqwCmGYeR9MKX7xlR7F9uiqNe5GA1Ar89LDU~5DA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Bangor Maine","date","2025-09-11T04:07:28.767Z","article","The Opioid Settlement Funds Advisory Committee met Sept. 10 in Bangor to review letters of intent and set a process for a formal application (RFP) and public input. Committee members agreed to form a three-person subcommittee to review 12 letters of intent and return recommendations to the full committee, and they set a public listening session for Thursday the 18th at 6 p.m.

The subcommittee will “bring [its] first impressions” back to the full committee, the group decided, and it will help shape the application template and tiers of funding the committee will offer. Committee members said the subcommittee was intended in part to avoid conflicts of interest by excluding members whose organizations might apply. “The first assignment would be is to try to get together with the 3 people and bring it back with your first impressions at our next meeting to the full committee,” one committee member said.

Why it matters: the committee has limited funds on hand and expects smaller annual payments later, so members said they need a process to weigh small operating grants, annual support and larger capital requests. One committee member summarized the practical challenge: with “only… about half a million” dollars available now, the panel must balance smaller, immediate-impact awards against a few larger proposals that could absorb most annual revenue.

Discussion highlights and committee direction
- Scope of requests and categories: Members said the 12 letters of intent fell into several categories—small one-time requests, annual operating asks, and large capital or multi-year projects—with housing-related proposals appearing frequently. “One thing interesting about these proposals… is many of them relate to housing,” an unnamed committee member observed.
- Tiered funding approach: Several members favored a tiered award system (examples discussed included levels similar to a county model described in the meeting), so the committee could fund several small awards, some annual awards, and possibly one larger award. “I think it probably makes sense for us to consider some sort of tier,” an unnamed committee member said.
- Federal funding risks: A committee member noted concerns about how certain recovery activities may affect eligibility for federal grants administered by agencies such as SAMHSA, observing that some program types (for example, syringe exchange programs) could jeopardize federal funding in ways the committee must weigh when recommending awards.
- Role and limits of the subcommittee: The subcommittee will use the letters of intent to inform the RFP/application language and recommended tiering, but members stressed it should avoid evaluating applications in ways that would create conflicts for members with organizational ties to applicants.

Scheduling and next steps
- Public listening session: The committee set a listening session for Thursday the 18th at 6 p.m.; members said anyone—those who submitted letters and others—may attend and present. The committee discussed standard public-comment ground rules and suggested time limits per presenter (members proposed 3–5 minutes per presenter with follow-up questions).
- Subcommittee and follow-up meetings: Members agreed the subcommittee would meet between the current meeting and the next full meeting to sort and prioritize the 12 letters of intent and return broad conclusions to the full committee. The group discussed meeting logistics and venue options, noting space constraints in the chambers and the possibility of holding the subcommittee in the same meeting room.
- Timeline for application release: Members expressed a goal of having an RFP out before year-end with an eye to program starts in early January, depending on how the listening session and subcommittee recommendations proceed.

Quantities and constraints specified in the meeting
- Number of letters of intent received: 12 (as stated by committee members).
- Funds available: committee members repeatedly referenced “about half a million” dollars available now (not specified more precisely), an estimated $200,000 in 2025, and a projected drop in later years (one speaker said it “goes down to like a 140” in later years). Committee members described annual amounts as estimates, not final guarantees.

Unresolved questions noted in the meeting
- Exact award sizes per tier and whether multiyear contracts can be issued depend on incoming funds and were not set at the meeting.
- Which providers will present at the listening session beyond those who submitted letters of intent will be determined by outreach and public notice.

The committee closed by reiterating the subcommittee charge: review the letters, identify common needs and sensible priorities to inform the application document, and return recommendations to the full advisory committee for decisions on tiers and award timing.

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Advisory committee forms subcommittee, sets public listening session and outlines tiered approach for opioid settlement funds