Otsego County accepts opioid settlement funds

Feb. 1—The Otsego County Board of Representatives voted to accept an opioid settlement during its board meeting Wednesday, Feb. 1.

Prior to approving the resolution, the board went into a closed-door session to discuss the litigation that led to the settlement. The county joined with several others across the state to sue several defendants, including manufacturers of opioids, distributors of opioids and pharmaceutical chains, the resolution said.

Teva Pharmaceutical industries offered to settle the claims of Otsego County against it by paying the sum of $375,216.98, the resolution said. "The settlement also includes injunctive relief, such as agreeing to a ban on high-dose opioids (greater than 40 mg) and prescription savings programs; prohibitions on marketing opioids and funding third parties that promote opioids; restrictions on political lobbying; and disclosure of TEVA opioid product clinical data," the release said.

During the meeting, the board also approved contracts with several organizations that help people suffering from addictions.

The county received $480,127 from the state Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services to provide information, education and referral services for county residents with alcoholism and other addictions. The county contracted with the Leatherstocking Education on Alcoholism/Addictions Foundation for the program.

The county contracted with Friends of Recovery of Delaware and Otsego County for recovery support services as there is a need for peer recovery support services and adolescent and young adult clubhouse services for county residents, the resolution said. FOR-DO will receive $679,640.

The county received $1,928,986 from the state Office of Mental Health for rehabilitation services, including housing stipends, transportation, psychosocial clubs, vocational services, warm-line, care management, family stabilization and other rehabilitation services, the resolution said. The county awarded the contract to Rehabilitation Support Services Inc.

In addition to funding those programs, the board approved resolutions to update the software at the Emergency Services and Real Property Tax departments, approved creating positions, recognizing the county's 232nd anniversary on Feb. 16, continuing an agreement with the Otsego County Soil and Water Conservation District and adding .25% to the mortgage tax.

Vice Chair Margaret Kennedy, R-Hartwick, Milford, New Lisbon, said the county currently receives .75% tax, and would like to add the .25% to make it 1%. Most counties in the state receive 1%, she said. The law must be passed by the state legislature and signed into law by the governor. The county has tried for several years to get the increase, but either the governor has vetoed the bill or let it lapse without signing it, she said.

The board also approved changes to its video conferencing system policy. Kennedy said one of the biggest changes is that representatives cannot be remote during closed-door sessions and must attend the meetings in person.

In addition, representatives who attend the meeting remotely must give notice 10 days in advance about where they will be during the meeting and must have the camera on during the meeting.

Rep. Edwin Frazier Jr., R-Unadilla, asked if members had to have their cameras on if they were just watching a committee meeting and not participating in the meeting because they're not on the committee.

Board Chair David Bliss, R-Cherry Valley, Middlefield, Roseboom, and County Attorney Denise Hollis suggested representatives watch the committee meetings via Facebook Live instead of on Zoom.

Rep. Jennifer Mickle, R-Decatur, Maryland, Westford, Worcester, said she didn't have a Facebook account and it wouldn't let her watch the meetings.

It was decided if representatives weren't on a committee, they could observe the meeting via Zoom without their cameras on, but they couldn't participate in the meeting.

However, all committee members who are participating remotely must have their cameras on because the "community needs to know if they are present," Hollis said.

"It's just like here," Bliss said. "If you're in this room, you can leave to take a phone call." Representatives who leave the room are marked absent for the few minutes they are out of the room in the minutes of the meeting.

Rep. Adrienne Martini, D-Oneonta City Wards Three and Four, asked about a provision that said members have to say who else is in the room with them when they are connected remotely.

"If I was at Panera or in a hotel lobby would I have to introduce everyone there?" Martini asked.

Hollis answered, no, she would just say how many people were there.

The board unanimously approved the changes to the resolution with an amendment saying only committee members had to have their cameras on during a meeting if meeting remotely.

Vicky Klukkert, staff writer, can be reached at vklukkert@thedailystar.com or 607-441-7221.