RESOLUTION NO. 24-4769
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MURRIETA, CALIFORNIA, AUTHORIZING THE CITY’S PARTICIPATION IN THE NATIONAL OPIOID LITIGATION SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT WITH KROGER CO AND ALL OTHER FUTURE NATIONAL OPIOID SETTLEMENTS, AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO TAKE ALL ACTIONS NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT WHEREAS, the United States is facing an ongoing public health crisis of opioid abuse, addiction, overdose, and death. The State of California and its local governments spend billions of dollars each year to address the direct consequences of this crisis; WHEREAS, since 2017, state and local governments in California and throughout the United States have been pursuing litigation against certain distributors, manufacturers and retailers of opioid pharmaceuticals (the “Opioid Defendants”) in an effort to hold the Opioid Defendants financially responsible for the impact of the opioid epidemic on the state and local governments, including the City of Murrieta (“City”), and resources necessary to combat the opioid epidemic; WHEREAS, In 2021, nationwide settlements were reached to resolve all Opioids litigation brought by states and local governments against the largest pharmaceutical distributors: McKesson, Cardinal Health, and AmerisourceBergen (“Distributors”), and manufacturer Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and its parent company Johnson & Johnson (collectively, “J&J”), Teva, Allergan, CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, and Kroger Co; WHEREAS, On December 21, 2021, the City Council authorized settlement agreements with McKesson Corporation, Cardinal Health, Inc., Amerisourcebergen Corporation, Johnson & Johnson, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and Janssen Pharmaceutical, Inc, and elected to take direct distribution of settlement payments; WHEREAS, On March 2024, thirty-three (33) settling states, participating political subdivisions, and Kroger Co reached a settlement agreement totaling $1.2 billion, which will be paid out over eleven (11) years; and WHEREAS, The City of Murrieta is considered a primary Subdivision that is a General Purpose Government with a population of over 10,000 as defined in the Kroger Settlement Agreement. Allocation of settlement funds to the primary subdivision are set out in the Kroger Settlement Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MURRIETA, CALIFORNIA, DOES HEREBY RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
Authorize the City to participate in the National Opioid Settlement agreement with Kroger Co; and Authorize the City to participate on all future national opioid settlement agreements; and Authorize the City Manager to take all actions necessary to implement the settlement agreement.
PASSED, AND ADOPTED, this 2nd day of July 2024, by the City Council of the City of Murrieta, State of California.
Lori Stone, Mayor
ATTEST:
Cristal McDonald, City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Tiffany Israel, City Attorney
STATE OF CALIFORNIA ) COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE ) CITY OF MURRIETA ) I, Cristal McDonald, City Clerk of the City of Murrieta, California, do hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution No. 24-4769 was duly adopted by the City Council of the City of Murrieta at the regular meeting thereof, held on the 2nd day of July, 2024, and was signed by the Mayor of said City and that the same was passed and adopted by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES: ABSENT: ABSTAIN:
Cristal McDonald, City Clerk