Dickinson Co. Supervisors Vote To Join Opioid Lawsuit; Hear Update From UDMO; Vote 4-1 To Add Disclaimer To COVID-19 Precautionary Statements

(Spirit Lake)– The Dickinson County Board of Supervisors today (Tues.) voted to sign on to a lawsuit over opioids. Assistant County Attorney Lonnie Saunders told the board there is no cost to the county, which would get a share in a settlement if the suit is successful…Supervisors120801 

“The goal here really is to divide up a pot of money that isn’t there yet but is coming, and divide it between the states participating and the county. Instead of just the state getting the money like it did in the tobacco lawsuits, this would be a situation where the states would get a pot of money and the counties would get a pot of money to divy up. We don’t know how much. We don’t want to get excited about it. It could be $500, it could be $5,000, it could be $50,000. I just don’t know. And we won’t know until it gets settled. But if we want to participate, and we haven’t chose to up to this point, if we want to participate now is kind of our last best opportunity to do it.”

Saunders added attorney’s fees would be paid separately from any amount that’s awarded. The county previously had opted not to join suit, but Supervisor Tim Fairchild said he feels differently about it now after reviewing some new information.

In other business, supervisors heard an update from Upper Des Moines Opportunity. Executive Director Jamey Whitney reported the agency has been busy but has faced challenges serving clientele as they’ve been forced to close or limit occupancy in their facilities during the pandemic. He says they’re also seeing an extremely high demand at their food pantry in Spirit Lake, adding staffing has been a challenge. He says they’re having to bag food items ahead of time for the distribution on Wednesdays, which Whitney says is averaging 60 to 80 people a week seeking assistance…Supervisors120802 

“You know 60 to 80 people times six, six or seven bags per person, is a lot of work for staff and a lot of it can’t be done until Wednesday morning. And that gives us basically when we get there at 7:30, 8:00, until 10:00 when we start, we bag a majority of that during that time. And the people that have come has been great. One thing that I’ve always said about this community is you step up. When it’s in need this county steps up and during this time it’s been very stressful not only for us but for the clients as well. And if it wouldn’t be for this community I don’t think we’d be able to do what we’re doing.”

T.J. Theyer, also representing UDMO, expressed their gratitude to volunteers who help with the distribution and those who donate food to the pantry…Supervisors120803 

“Come on a Wednesday from 10:00 until 3:00. Especially at 9:00 in the morning. The line is there. And so I don’t want it to be a best kept secret but if people think there’s not a need, come at 9:00 am or go to the bank next door and sit in their break room. You can watch it from there. There is a need and it’s being utilized and thank goodness for the community and Wal-Mart and Fareway and Hy-Vee and their responsibility and helping feed families because, you know, we kind of become the vehicle that provides the service and so we get the thank you’s, we get the face value when they see us they say, you know, you’re the one providing and while we do take the thank you and we say thank you but we’ll never forget that we don’t take that thank you on behalf of all the people that donate because we get to see the smiles, the tears, you know, the thankfulness. We get to see all of that. But we could never do it without other organizations, without the community members, individuals. all of the people that are in this fight together.”

In other business, there was more discussion about COVID-19 precautions in county facilities. Supervisor Tim Fairchild said he wants a disclosure added to the county’s policies pertaining to social distancing when not wearing a mask, particularly as it pertains to the courthouse…Supervisors120804 

“I do think we need to change any verbage that suggests that being six feet apart is in any way safe inside this building because it simply can’t be true. The air flow is so low or sub par in this building according to everybody that seems to know about the building, you’d have to assume that six feet is not a safe distance. So what am I recommending? I’m recommending that we strike that six feet number from anything that has our name on it in the county, referring to an inside building, especially this one.”

The supervisors voted 4 to 1 to approve the disclaimer, with Pam Jordan casting the dissenting vote.