Commissioners Notebook: Board discusses opioid settlement funds; revisions to Emergency Operations Plan
CONCORD– Cabarrus County Commissioners will hold their monthly Regular Meeting on Monday, April 20, at the Cabarrus County Government Center in downtown Concord.
Commissioners will also vote on a variety of items discussed at the April 7 Work Session.
During that meeting, the board:
• Heard a motion to join a new national opioid settlement against six regional distributors/dispenser defendants. The settlement requires that each eligible entity opt in on the settlement. The participation rate will be used to determine if the settlement will move forward. Through 2038, Cabarrus County is slated to receive nearly $23 million dollars from lawsuits connected to the national opioid settlement. To help guide transparent and accountable use of all these funds, the County launched Collaborative Opioid Recovery and Education, or CORE, last year. CORE is a community-driven initiative dedicated to opioid prevention, education and recovery. Funded through the settlement, the program focuses on transparency, accountability and collaboration to ensure the settlement dollars directly support residents, families and providers most impacted by the opioid crisis.
• Heard a request from Emergency Management Director Jason Burnett to adopt the 2026 Cabarrus County Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) revisions. The EOP establishes a framework of policy and guidance for County disaster preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation operations. The document consists of the basic plan and 18 functional annexes, which define responsibilities and actions of County government personnel during emergency situations. The key proposed revisions align the plan with the 2025 Cabarrus Stanly Union Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan, move shelter operations guidance to a separate guideline, add a section on creating and sending emergency messages and update the Emergency Operations Center structure to match the department's incident command system-based model. Periodic revision and formal adoption of the EOP are considered best practices in emergency management and help ensure the plan remains relevant.
• Heard a request for an increase in grant funding from Burnett. Cabarrus County Emergency Management will receive $31,000 to continue emergency preparedness support as a host county associated with the Duke Energy McGuire Nuclear Station. The grant award was originally $25,000. The additional $6,000 will be used to address increased equipment and supply costs necessary to support the operation of the Reception and Congregate Care Center. This will ensure Cabarrus County can effectively register, decontaminate, shelter and care for displaced Mecklenburg County residents if a radiological emergency arises.
The April Regular Meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 20, at 6 p.m. at the Cabarrus County Government Center in downtown Concord.
The board is also scheduled to hear multiple proclamations, including National Library Week (April 19-25), Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week (May 17-23), and Mental Health Awareness Month (May). Commissioners will also recognize the retirement of Senior Zoning Enforcement Officer James "Jay" Lowe.
More information from Cabarrus
Residents can livestream commissioner meetings from the homepage at cabarruscounty.us or YouTube (@CabarrusCounty). Meetings also air on CabCo TV (Spectrum Cable Channel 22).
To read the full Work Session agenda, visit cabarruscounty.us/Government/Boards-and-Committees/Board-Meetings, click the April 7 Work Session tab and select "Agenda" under "Related Information." Watch the full April Work Session at youtube.com/cabarruscounty.
Stay updated on these and all County programs and projects by visiting cabarruscounty.us/CabGo.
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This story was originally published April 19, 2026 at 5:39 AM.