Kenosha committee votes to accept city attorney recommendation to opt into opioid settlement offers

The Kenosha Finance Committee voted unanimously Sept. 3 to accept the city attorney’s recommendation to opt into multiple opioid settlement offers and related participation agreements.

Committee members moved into closed session under Wisconsin Statute 19.85(1)(g) to consult with legal counsel about settlement and release agreements tied to litigation against numerous pharmaceutical manufacturers and to plan participation in the Purdue Pharma bankruptcy case (S.D.N.Y. case number 19-BK-23649). After returning to open session, the committee voted 5–0 on each item to concur with the city attorney’s recommendation to accept the offers and opt in.

Why it matters: The items covered settlement and release agreements naming multiple manufacturers and allocation/participation arrangements that affect how the city may receive future settlement proceeds or participate in plan voting. Committee members cited attorney advice before voting; no specific settlement dollar amounts or allocation details were disclosed on the public record during the meeting.

What the committee did: The motion — moved by Alderperson Dyson and seconded by Alderperson Rosenberg — directed concurrence with the city attorney’s recommendation to accept the offers and opt in on four related agenda items. The committee then took separate roll-call votes on items labeled on the agenda as items 6 through 9, and each vote carried 5–0.

Discussion and process: The committee first held a closed session pursuant to Wis. Stat. § 19.85(1)(g) to consult with legal counsel about the matters. After the closed session, the committee returned to open session and proceeded to vote separately on each item; there was no extended public discussion in open session. The record shows the committee followed the city attorney’s recommendation on all four items.

Votes at the meeting: For each of items 6, 7, 8 and 9 the tally was 5–0 in favor. Roll-call voting recorded Alderperson Harper, Alderperson Dyson, Alderperson Rosenberg, Vice Chairperson DeBaer and Chairperson Wilson as voting "aye."

What was on the table: According to the public record read into the minutes, the agreements discussed included settlement participation forms and release agreements related to opioid litigation naming several manufacturers (see authorities). Item 8 specifically referenced participation in plan voting in the Purdue Pharma matter in the Southern District of New York, case number 19-BK-23649.

Next steps and limits: The committee acted to accept the attorney-recommended offers and to opt in; the public record did not include dollar amounts for the individual offers nor a detailed distribution schedule. The committee did not announce any immediate follow-up reports or timelines during the open session.