Rancho Cordova council reports opioid-case settlements and authorizes $40,000 Dimitrios payout

The Rancho Cordova City Council reported that it had authorized settlement agreements in two anticipated litigation matters related to national opioid issues and, during the current meeting, authorized a $40,000 settlement in the case of Peter Dimitrios and Julie Dimitrios v. City of Rancho Cordova.

A city staff member, Adam, told the council that at its Sept. 2 closed session it had “received updates from and provided authorization to enter into settlement agreements” in two opioid-related cases; he said those settlement documents are available at City Hall. For tonight’s meeting, Adam said the council “authorized the city to settle litigation for the amount of $40,000” in the Dimitrios matter.

The report was delivered during the council’s public meeting as a closed-session report-out. The council’s authorization to settle the two opioid-related cases and the Dimitrios lawsuit were presented as formal actions; the staff report did not include mover/second information or a vote tally in the record presented to the public. The transcript indicates the matters were discussed in closed session and that the council provided authorization to enter settlements, but does not quote individual council members making or seconding motions.

The council’s report did not specify payment sources, settlement terms beyond the $40,000 amount in the Dimitrios case, or whether additional approvals are required for payment. The staff member said the opioid-case settlement agreements are available for inspection at City Hall.

No additional legal citations or ordinance numbers were provided in the report-out. The record presented to the public identifies the Sept. 2 closed session as addressing “anticipated litigation” involving two national opioid cases and identifies the Dimitrios case by the parties’ names.

The report-out closed with no further public details in the transcript about the substance of the opioid-related settlements or the terms of the Dimitrios settlement. Members of the public seeking copies of the settlement documents were directed by the report to City Hall where the agreements are available.