Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-65 CC ResolutionRESOLUTION NO. 2021-65 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF TEMECULA AUTHORIZING THE CITY TO ENTER INTO THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENTS WITH MCKESSON CORPORATION, CARDINAL HEALTH, INC., AMERISOURCEBERGEN CORPORATION, JOHNSON & JOHNSON, JANSSEN PHARMACEUTICALS, INC., ORTHO-MCNEIL-JANSSEN PHARMACEUTICALS, INC., AND JANSSEN PHARMACEUTICA, INC., AGREE TO THE TERMS OF THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING ALLOCATING SETTLEMENT PROCEEDS, AND AUTHORIZE ENTRY INTO THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO TAKE ALL ACTIONS NECESSARY AND CONVENIENT TO IMPLEMENT THE SETTLEMENTS WHEREAS, the United States is facing an ongoing public health crisis of opioid abuse, addiction, overdose, and death. The State of California and California 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 around the United States have been pursuing litigation against certain manufacturers, distributors, and retailers of opioid pharmaceuticals (the "Opioid Defendants") in an effort to hold the Opioid Defendants financially responsible for the impact on of the Opioid Epidemic on the City of Temecula ("the City") and resources necessary to combat the opioid epidemic; WHEREAS, negotiations to settle claims against several of the Opioid Defendants, specifically McKesson Corporation, Cardinal Health, Inc., AmerisourceBergen Corporation, Johnson & Johnson, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and Janssen Pharmaceuitca, Inc. (the "Settling Defendants") have been ongoing for several years; WHEREAS, negotiations with the Settling Defendants have resulted in proposed nationwide settlements of state and local government claims to settle the Litigation; WHEREAS, the proposed terms of those proposed nationwide settlements have been set forth in the Distributors Master Settlement Agreement and the J&J Master Settlement Agreement (collectively "Settlement Agreements") available for review on-line at https:Hnationalopioidsettlement.com/; WHEREAS, copies of the Settlement Agreements as well as summary of the main terms of the Settlement Agreements, the deadlines for submitting the Participation Agreements to the Settlement Agreements and the MDL Court's Order setting deadlines for any Plaintiff who 1 declines to enter into the Settlement Agreements; WHEREAS, the Settlement Agreements provide, among other things, for the payment of a certain sum to settling government entities in California including to the State of California and Participating Subdivisions upon occurrence of certain events as defined in the Settlement Agreements ("California Opioid Funds"); WHEREAS, California local governments as well as the attorneys representing those local governments have engaged in extensive discussions with the State Attorney General's Office ("AGO") as to how the California Opioid Funds will be allocated, which has resulted in the Proposed California State -Subdivision Agreement Regarding Distribution and Use of Settlement Funds- Distributor Settlement and the Proposed California State -Subdivision Agreement Regarding Distribution and Use of Settlement Funds- Janssen Settlement (collectively the "Allocation Agreements,") which are agreements between all of the entities identified in the Allocation Agreements; WHEREAS, copies of the State Allocation Agreements are available on-line at https://oag.ca.gov/opioids ; WHEREAS, the Allocation Agreements propose to allocate the California Opioid Funds 15% to a State Fund; 70% to local governments in an Abatement Accounts Fund; and 15% to litigating local governments in a Subdivision Fund. For the avoidance of doubt, all funds allocated to California from the Settlements will be combined pursuant to Allocation Agreements, and 15% of that total shall be allocated to the State of California (the "State of California Allocation"), 70% to the California Abatement Accounts Fund ("CA Abatement Accounts Fund Allocation"), and 15% to the California Subdivision Fund ("CA Subdivision Fund Allocation"); WHEREAS, the funds in the CA Abatement Accounts Fund (the California Abatement Accounts Fund Allocation) will be allocated based on an allocation model developed in connection with the proposed negotiating class in the National Prescription Opiate Litigation (MDL No. 2804). The percentage from the CA Abatement Accounts Fund allocated to each eligible local government (any county or city above 10,000 in population) "Eligible Local Government") is set forth in Appendix 1 to each Allocation Agreement and provided to the Council with this Resolution. The City's share of the CA Abatement Accounts Fund is a product of the total in the CA Abatement Accounts Fund multiplied by the City's percentage set forth in Appendix 1 (the "Local Allocation"). WHEREAS, any city that is an Eligible Local Government will be allocated its Local Allocation share only when it becomes a Participating Subdivision by signing the Participation Agreements to the Settlements. The Local Allocation share for a city that is a Participating Subdivision will be paid to the county in which the city is located, rather than to the city, so long as: (a) the county is a Participating Subdivision, and (b) the city has not advised the Settlement Fund Administrator that it requests direct payment at least 60 days prior to a Payment Date as defined in the Settlement Agreements. FA NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: 1. The City Council hereby approves and authorizes the City Manager to settle and release the City's claims against the Settling Defendants in exchange for the consideration set forth in the Settlement Agreements, Allocation Agreements including taking the following measures: A. The execution on behalf of the City of the Participation Agreement to the Distributors Settlement Agreement and any and all documents ancillary thereto. B. The execution on behalf of the City of the Participation Agreement to the Janssen Settlement Agreement and any and all documents ancillary thereto. C. The execution on behalf of the City of the Proposed California State - Subdivision Agreement Regarding Distribution and Use of Settlement Funds- Distributor Settlement. D. The execution on behalf of the City of the Proposed California State - Subdivision Agreement Regarding Distribution and Use of Settlement Funds- Janssen Settlement Allocation Agreements. 2. The City Manager shall have authority to, and is directed to, take all actions necessary or convenient on behalf of the City to implement and effectuate the agreements approved by this Resolution. 4. All actions heretofore taken by the Council and other appropriate public officers and agents of the City with respect to the matters contemplated under this Resolution are hereby ratified, confirmed and approved. 5. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this Resolution. PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Temecula this 141h day of December, 2021. 71 (Maryann Edwards, Mayor ATTE Rands Johl, City Clerk [SEAL] STATE OF CALIFORNIA ) COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE ) ss CITY OF TEMECULA ) I, Randi Johl, City Clerk of the City of Temecula, do hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution No. 2021-65 was duly and regularly adopted by the City Council of the City of Temecula at a meeting thereof held on the 141h day of December, 2021, by the following vote: AYES: 5 COUNCIL MEMBERS: Alexander, Edwards, Rahn, Schwank, Stewart NOES: 0 COUNCIL MEMBERS: None ABSTAIN: 0 COUNCIL MEMBERS: None ABSENT: 0 COUNCIL MEMBERS: None Randi Johl, City Clerk 4