To: Board of County Commissioners
Through: Ron Carl, County Attorney
Prepared By:
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Ron Carl, County Attorney
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Subject:
title
Resolution Approving Opioid Litigation Settlements
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Purpose and Request:
recommended action
Request adoption of a resolution authorizing the County Attorney to execute documents necessary for Arapahoe County to participate in a settlement with the “Remnant Defendants” in the nationwide opioid litigation.
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Alignment with Strategic Plan: Safe and Healthy Communities - Improve public health initiatives, including access to food security programs, healthcare, and immunizations.
Background and Discussion: An additional settlement has been negotiated in the nationwide opioid litigation with six regional distributor/dispenser defendants (the “Remnant Defendants”). These defendants are: Associated Pharmacies, Inc. (and American Associated Pharmacies); J M Smith Corporation; Louisiana Wholesale Drug Company, Inc.; Morris and Dickson Co.; North Carolina Mutual Wholesale Drug Company, Inc.; and United Natural Foods, Inc. (including subsidiaries SuperValu and Advantage Logistics). It has been recommended by outside legal counsel representing the County in the opioid litigation that the County participate in the settlement. The resolution will authorize the County Attorney to execute the participation forms and releases needed for the County to participate.
Alternatives: : The alternative would be for the County to not participate in the settlement and to instead continue to litigate against the defendants in the hope that a better result could be achieved. This would be costly and would have an unlikely outcome and is not recommended.
Fiscal Impact: The fiscal impact of the settlements, assuming enough local governments agree to participate, is that the County and its region will receive additional funding to use for opioid crisis abatement purposes.
Alignment with Strategic Implementation Strategies: N/A.
Concurrence: N/A.