“‘Basic needs.’ How are Cape towns planning to spend their $8.3M opioid settlement money?
Rasheek Tabassum Mujib – Cape Cod Times
EXCERPT:
“What is the Outer Cape doing?
The four Outer Cape towns — Eastham, Wellfleet, Truro and Provincetown — are working together in working groups, according to Emily Beebe, the health and conservation agent for Truro.
In total, Eastham is expected to receive $165,000 in settlement funds. Wellfleet is expected to received $140,000. Truro is slated for $127,000, and Provincetown $188,000, according to the attorney general’s office.
Proposals for the programming are being made to each town’s Select Board and Board of Health, and by early in the new year the four towns hope to finish that, Beebe said.
The towns have been working with Outer Cape Community Solutions, a network of group organizations “working to improve the health and well-being of residents across the Outer Cape,” according to the website. “We’re working with all of their network members and that is basically the start of how we will be reaching out to the public,” said Beebe.
“We’re not trying to create anything new, we’re trying to fund the testing efforts and try to support the people already affected by this issue,” she said.
It’s important to know that the money will be received over a long period of time, Beebe said.
“Planning is very important at this stage to make sure that we’re addressing what’s happening right now and also try to mitigate the issue over a long period of time. We really want people to feel comfortable in their community, finding help in resources,” she said.
At a Provincetown Select Board meeting on Dec. 11, Alex Nelson, the network coordinator for Outer Cape Community Solutions, shared which agencies are currently working on the Outer Cape to figure out how to spend the funds.
“We also have direct partnership with the Truro Police Department and Wellfleet Police Department,” said Nelson at the meeting. “They were active in the meetings, giving feedback all along and this group of agencies has been meeting since January 2023, every month.”
See the full article from The Cape Cod Times.