IM approves settlement in opioid suit
IRON MOUNTAIN — A settlement of $25,212 paid over a 13-year period is expected as part of an opioid litigation participation agreement approved by Iron Mountain City Council.
The payments will come from a settlement with defendants Teva, Allergan, Walmart, CVS and their related companies.
This is in addition to a previous settlement with other defendants of $31,830 over 18 years, said City Manager Jordan Stanchina. The city has so far received $4,602 of that amount, he said.
About four years ago, the city retained Weitz & Luxenberg P.C. of Detroit to represent it in the National Prescription Opiate Litigation heard in federal court. Plaintiffs alleged the manufacturers of prescription opioids misrepresented the risks of long-term use and distributors failed to properly monitor suspicious orders of prescription drugs — all of which contributed to the opioid epidemic.
About 4,000 local governments have brought lawsuits similar to Iron Mountain’s. The state of Michigan will receive an amount equal to what the city receives under a resolution adopted Monday by the council.
In other action, the council:
≤ Approved a request from the Dickinson County Office of Veterans Affairs to close part of Stephenson Avenue for a Memorial Day observance Monday, May 29. A parade will start at 8:45 a.m. on East Ludington Street and proceed east on Stephenson Avenue to the county courthouse. After the ceremony, Iron Mountain High School band will go east on Cedar Street to the Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center. Last year’s ceremony was held at the downtown stage due to courthouse tower repairs. This resulted in a savings to the city of $1,300 in overtime costs, Stanchina noted.
he city must apply to the Michigan Department of Transportation for the highway closure.
≤ Reappointed Peter Tomassoni and Barbara Spooner to four-year terms on the Iron Mountain Housing Commission.
≤ Opened bids for lawn mowers for the cemetery and public works and referred them to staff for review. Also opened were bids for the purchase of a used half-ton pickup truck, which were referred to a committee.
≤ Agreed to waive City Park pavilion rental fees for Camp 911 on June 14-15. A $75 security deposit will be required.
≤ In previous meetings, appointed Theresa Guiliani to a term expiring Jan. 1, 2026, on the Board of Review and Julie Olson to a term expiring Jan. 1, 2024, on the Board of Review.