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Committee approves joining remnant opioid settlement to fund substance‑abuse specialist
Summary
Wauwatosa approved participation in a remnant‑defendant opioid class‑action settlement; the city’s ultimate share is not yet calculated but staff said prior settlements delivered about $541,000 and that proceeds will sustain a substance‑abuse specialist position once ARP funds expire.
The Wauwatosa Financial Affairs Committee voted to participate in a remnant‑defendant opioid settlement and to accept settlement proceeds when the city’s share is calculated.
Miss Tate, appearing by Zoom, said the total settlement is about $97.6 million to be distributed across participating municipalities; exact local shares will be determined after all opt‑ins are known. "At this point, we don't know the exact amounts that we will be receiving," she said, and recommended the city opt in because pursuing separate litigation would be costly and time‑consuming.
John told the committee that prior settlements in which the city participated have yielded $541,000 to date and that the city has spent just $14,556 so far because the substance‑abuse specialist position is currently funded through American Rescue Plan dollars. He said settlement funds can be banked and used for allowable remediation expenses when ARP funding sunsets; staff estimated the combined settlements could provide roughly $1,000,000 over time, enabling funding of the specialist for several years.
Alderman Phillips moved approval of the staff recommendation, and Alder Gustafson seconded. The committee voted to opt into the settlement (vote recorded in transcript as 7–0). No public comment was recorded during committee discussion.
