Agenda - Council - 12/14/2021 - Laserfiche WebLink

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information you need to make your participation decision. WHY YOU SHOULD PARTICIPATE A vast majority of states have joined the Settlements, and attorneys for many subdivisions have already announced support for them. For example, the Plaintiffs' Executive Committee, charged with leading the litigation on behalf of more than 3,000 cities, counties and others against the opioid industry, and consolidated in the national multi-district litigation ("MDL") pending before Judge Dan Aaron Polster in the Northern District of Ohio, recommends participation in these Settlements. Subdivision participation is strongly encouraged, for the following reasons: First, the amounts to be paid under the Settlements, while insufficient to abate the epidemic fully, will allow state and local governments to commence with meaningful change designed to curb opioid addiction, overdose and death; Second, time is of the essence. The opioid epidemic continues to devastate communities around the country and it is critical that the funds begin to flow to allow governments to address the epidemic in their communities as soon as possible; Third, if there is not sufficient subdivision participation in these proposed Settlements, the Settlements will not be finalized, the important business practice changes will not be implemented, the billions of dollars in abatement funds will not flow to communities, and more than 3,000 cases may be sent back to their home courts for trial, which will take many years; Fourth, the extent of participation also will determine how much money each state and its local subdivisions will receive because approximately half of the abatement funds are in the form of "incentive payments," i.e., the higher the participation of subdivisions in a state, the greater the amount of settlement funds that flow into that state; Fifth, you know first-hand the effects of the opioid epidemic on your community. Funds from these Settlements will be used to commence abatement of the crisis and provide relief to your citizens while litigation and settlement discussions proceed against numerous other defendants in the opioid industry; and Sixth, because pills do not respect boundaries, the opioid epidemic is a national crisis that needs a national solution. NEXT STEPS These Settlements require that you take affirmative steps to "opt in"to the Settlements. If you do not act, you will not receive any settlement funds and you will not contribute to reaching the participation thresholds that will deliver the maximum amount of abatement funds to your state. First, register your subdivision on the national settlement website so that information and documents required to participate can be sent to you. You will need the email address of the person who will be authorized to sign on behalf of your subdivision. This is the only action item needed at this time.