County Joins Opioid Settlement Arrangement

By Bill Vander Weele

The Roosevelt County Commissioners have agreed to participate in an opioid settlement arrangement with the state during their meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 14.

County attorney Frank Piocos approached commissioners about the opportunity and he favored to optin for the settlement.

According to a letter to Montana counties and cities from Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, two proposed settlement agreements were reached after years of negotiations.

The settlement calls for distributors McKesson, Cardinal Health and AmerisourceBergen to pay up to $21 billion over 18 years and parent company Janssen to pay up to $5 billion over no more than nine years for a total of $26 billion.

Of the settlement amount, approximately $22.7 billion is earmarked for use by participating states and subdivisions “to remediate and abate the impacts of the opioid crisis.”

Piocos says about 15 percent of the funds will go to local governments.

Piocos told commissioners that about 80 percent of his cases are drug related.

In other business, commissioners approved a resolution to allow Action for Eastern Montana funds from the American Rescue Plan for the senior citizens fund. The county will provide a match of $11,037, which will come from CARES funds.

Commissioners approved the promotion of jail employee Debra Collins to jail administrator. Troy Blount resigned from the position in November.

Commissioners appointed Ruth Kendig of Culbertson to the Council on Aging board. A board member from Poplar is still needed.

A petition from Bainville is being prepared regarding an abandonment of County Road 1007. Three homes are on the road and because of rural addressing residents of their homes weren’t allowed to vote in a recent city election. The residences will be given a city street address.

Commissioners accepted the resignation of Carly Tattoo from the treasurer’s office.