To: Board of County Commissioners
Through: Ron Carl, County Attorney
Prepared By:
prepared
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 certain settlements 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: Additional settlements have been negotiated in the nationwide opioid litigation. These new settlements are with Purdue Pharma and the Sackler Family, and defendants Alvogen, Amneal, Apotex, Hikma, Indivior, Mylan, Sun, and Zydus. It has been recommended by outside legal counsel representing the County in the opioid litigation that the County participate in the settlements. The resolution will authorize the County Attorney to execute the participation forms and releases needed for the County to participate. The resolution also authorizes the County Attorney to indicate the County’s support and approval of the proposed Purdue Pharma bankruptcy plan, which is necessary for the implementation of the settlement with Purdue Pharma.
Alternatives: The alternative would be for the County to not participate in the settlements 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 significant additional funding to use for opioid crisis abatement purposes.
Alignment with Strategic Implementation Strategies: N/A