Committee approves participation in opioid settlement with Sandoys Inc.; amount not specified

The Ways and Means Committee voted Aug. 20 to approve a resolution authorizing the county chairman to execute the county's participation documents in an opioid settlement with Sandoys Inc. The county attorney told the committee she did not have the settlement amount available at the meeting.

The county attorney asked the committee to approve the settlement resolution and "to authorize the chairman of the board to execute all the necessary documents, including exhibit c entitled the subdivision participation form," and added, "I unfortunately do not have the amount available, that we would be receiving at this time." Legislator Healy asked whether the agreement was part of a broader class-action suit; the county attorney confirmed it is part of a class-action lawsuit. The motion to approve the resolution was made and seconded and the committee carried the motion.

The county attorney also said the funds "can solely be used for opioid remediation and abatement," limiting how the county may spend any payment it receives under the agreement. Committee members asked whether there were other restrictions; that limitation was the only spending restriction stated during the public part of the meeting.

No dollar amount or distribution schedule was provided during the meeting, and the county attorney said outside counsel had not yet supplied those figures. The committee did not enter executive session on the item.

The resolution approved participation in the settlement and authorized the chairman to sign the required documents; the committee recorded the motion as carried.