Grand Forks committee authorizes city to join revised Purdue and generic opioid settlements

The Grand Forks City Council Committee of the Whole on Sept. 8 voted unanimously to authorize city finance to execute documents to participate in two revised opioid settlements tied to the Purdue Pharma LP bankruptcy and a separate settlement with several generic opioid manufacturers.

An attorney for the city’s litigation team told the committee the settlements resolve long-running claims against Purdue and the Sackler family and a later, smaller group of generic manufacturers. “The Sacklers will pay up to $6,500,000,000 in 16 payments over 15 years, with another $900,000,000 to be paid by Purdue,” the attorney said, and added that the agreements also include injunctive relief. The attorney recommended that Grand Forks sign on, saying, “there's really no downside to signing onto those settlements.”

Why it matters: the settlements are nationwide and payments will be distributed among states, counties and…