DRUG TREATMENT FUNDS DISPERSED

Jackson County Legislators on Monday approved an amended version of the
COMBAT Commission's community drug treatment funding recommendations.

COMBAT's treatment budget is more than $2.6 million and will provide funds
for 22 agencies. The Community Backed Anti-Drug Tax generates approximately
$18 million annually.

Five of the seven top-rated agencies will receive less than the
commission's recommended amount, but all allocations for the top seven
exceed 1999 figures.

Other full-time drug treatment facilities not included in the top seven
were given more than the recommended amount, including Comprehensive Mental
Health Services Inc., said Dan Tarwater, D-Kansas City, and chairman of the
anti-drug committee.

Consideration was given to agencies "that have been with us," Tarwater
said, "whose only job is rehabilitation."

Comprehensive, with headquarters in Independence, went from a recommended
$290,000 to $325,000. The agency provides addiction recovery services and
community support services for adults with mental illness.

William H. Kyles, president and chief executive officer for Comprehensive,
said the amended allocation will allow Comprehensive to keep its four
residential drug treatment beds, "the only residential beds in Eastern
Jackson County."

The new amount, Kyles said, "is more in line with what we received the
previous year."

Susan Griffle, executive director of the COMBAT Commission, said the amount
of funding for 2000 contracts decreased because the commission no longer
has COMBAT trust fund budget surplus distributions from 1995.

In other business, County Executive Katheryn Shields discussed collections
department setbacks.

The department was last to become Y2K compliant, and due to a new computer
system, she said, there have been delays in mailing property tax receipts.

"One day 12,000 receipts did not get printed," she said, "and another day
1,900 did not go out."

The receipts have since been mailed, she said, and all problems should be
corrected by next week.

The Legislature selected six people as candidates for positions on the
Jackson County Sports Complex Authority board. They are:

Republican panel:

Gerald E. Winship of Lee's Summit.

Joseph A. Privetera of Kansas City.

Carl Schweitzer of Kansas City.

Democratic panel:

Francis A. Quinn of Raytown.

Jerry Mackey of Independence.

Charles E. Sandage of Independence.

The panels will be submitted to Missouri Gov. Mel Carnahan for consideration.