HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-066-06/01/2021-Designating mayor Jeni Arndt to replace former mayor Wade Troxell to represent the city on the ColorC
RESOLUTION 2021-066
OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS
DESIGNATING MAYOR JENI ARNDT TO REPLACE
FORMER MAYOR WADE TROXELL TO REPRESENT THE CITY
ON THE COLORADO ATTORNEY GENERAL’S LOCAL GOVERNMENT OPIOJD
SETTLEMENT FUNDS STAKEHOLDER WORKING GROUP
WHEREAS,according to the U.S.Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”),
in the late 1990’s,pharmaceutical companies reassured the medical community that patients
would not become addicted to opioid pain relievers and healthcare providers began to prescribe
them at greater rates;and
WHEREAS,this led to increased prescription of opioid medications,and then to
widespread misuse of both prescription and non-prescription opioids,before it became clear that
these medications were in many instances highly addictive;and
WHEREAS,in 2017,HHS declared this opioid crisis a public health emergency,and the
Centers for Disease Control announced that life expectancy in the United States had declined in
the prior several years,due to the increase in drug overdose deaths;and
WHEREAS,opioid addiction is understood to cause many negative consequences for
individuals,families and communities,including significant detrimental impacts to health and
human services,child welfare,criminal justice systems and other support systems,as well as
local and state governments that provide them;and
WHEREAS,widespread and increasing prescription of opioids,which tracked the
increase over time of opioid-related deaths,enriched the manufacturers,distributors and retailers
of opioids (“Opioid Defendants”);and
WHEREAS,lawsuits filed by several hundred counties across the United States along
with a handful of states based on the marketing conduct,distribution conduct and regulatory
violations of these Opioid Defendants are being managed together as part of a nationwide “multi-
district litigation”or “MDL”that began in 2018;and
WHEREAS,as of September 2020,over 2,600 county and city governments had filed
suit against 28 Opioid Defendants,including manufacturers,distributors and pharmacy chains,
many states had filed cases and all states were in some form of organized negotiations with the
Opioid Defendants;and
WHEREAS,over the past decade,Colorado has lost over 5,000 Coloradans to opioid
overdose deaths and another 2,000 to heroin and fentanyl overdoses;and
WHEREAS,Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser has,on behalf of the people of
Colorado,sued Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family,and is currently engaged in a range of
settlement conversations with other companies,in an effort to recover needed funds for Colorado
to support prevention and education efforts,drug treatment and recovery programs;and
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WI-JERp~5 although the details of these settlements are still being worked out,a
fundamental tenet of the settlement plan under discussion would result in Colorado receiving
twice the amount of settlement dollars if the state and local governments can agree to a single
plan for distribution and use of the settlement funds;and
WHEREAS,in an effort to develop a consensus plan and obtain local government
agreement on it,AG Weiser has been working for many months to engage with and work toward
a framework for settlement agreeable to local governments across the board;and
WHEREAS under the expected settlement framework,in addition to the distribution of
funds directly to local governments based on an allocation formula,funds will be allocated to
state infrastructure and partnership initiatives and the majority of the funds will likely be directed
to abatement efforts planned and managed at the regional level;and
WHEREAS,a coalition of Colorado Counties,Inc.,Colorado Municipal League and
representatives of many counties and municipalities (the “Coalition”)has collaborated to propose
a regional map and general approach for consideration;and
WHEREAS,building on his conceptual framework and the proposal of the Coalition,AG
Weiser has convened a stakeholder working group to continue to develop a consensus plan for
eventual presentation to Colorado local governments for approval;and
WHEREAS in early 2021,former Mayor Wade Troxell was invited to participate as a
member of the Attorney General’s Opioid Settlement Funds State Local Government Small
Working Group (“Opioids Working Group”)and was designated to represent the City in
Resolution 202 1-013;and
WHEREAS,the efforts of the Opioids Working Group were expected to take place
primarily in the early months of 2021,with the goal of developing a proposed framework for
allocation,use,governance and oversight structure for the opioid settlement funds (“Opioid
Settlement Framework”)to be presented to Colorado local governments for timely approval;and
WHEREAS,the work of the Opioids Working Group has not yet been completed and is
continuing,and Mayor Jeni Amdt has been invited to replace former Mayor Troxell in this role;
and
WHEREAS,Section 2-570 of City Code allows City Council to appoint,in its discretion,
any number of its own members to serve as City representatives to,or members of the boards of
directors of,other governmental or private agencies;and
WHEREAS,Mayor Arndt is interested in sen ing in this capacity and the Council desires
to designate her to represent the City in that role.
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NOW THEREFORE,BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF FORT
COLLINS that the City Council hereby designates Mayor Jeni Arndt as the City’s representative
on the Opioids Working Group formed by AG Phil Weiser.
Passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the Council of the City of Fort Collins this 1st
day of June,A.D.2021.
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