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Westminster council authorizes participation in nationwide opioid settlements
Summary
City Attorney reported the council authorized participation in the nationwide Purdue Pharma settlement and in settlements with eight manufacturers; council vote on the settlement authorization was 5-0 and was reported out at open session.
The Westminster City Council on Aug. 27 authorized the city to participate in nationwide settlements related to alleged opioid misconduct, the city attorney reported during the meeting's closed‑session report.
The city attorney said the council authorized the city to participate in a nationwide settlement with Purdue Pharma and certain affiliates and to accept settlement terms that include payments by the Sackler family. "The settlement provides that the Sacklers will pay an aggregate of $6,500,000,000 in 16 payments over 15 years in total to all eligible states, counties, cities, territories, and other creditors," the city attorney reported. The attorney said council also authorized participation in settlements with eight opioid manufacturers; staff described the combined maximum cash payment from those manufacturers as approximately $720,000,000 to participating states, counties, cities and territories to remediate the opioid crisis. The city attorney said the action on the settlement authorization was a 5-0 vote, with a motion by the mayor and second by Vice Mayor Monzo.
The city attorney additionally reported that of four closed-session matters, three had no reportable action and that one matter was delayed to a future meeting because it could not be concluded in time. The attorney also said he did not participate in one of the matters and that there was no reportable action on that item.
The city identified the Purdue litigation as "National Prescription Opiate Litigation, USDC Northern District of Ohio, MDL No. 2804" in the closed-session agenda. The council's authorization allows the city to participate in the nationwide settlements under the terms outlined by staff; the city attorney indicated that staff would proceed consistent with council authorization and report further as required.
No specific allocation of settlement funds to Westminster or budget actions were presented during the open-session report at the Aug. 27 meeting.
