MOULTRIE, Ga. — The Moultrie City Council voted Tuesday to join in on a settlement of the national opioid litigation.

The council approved a memorandum of understanding Tuesday night to participate in the national settlement with pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson and drug distributors McKesson, AmerisourceBergen and Cardinal Health. 

This comes only two weeks after the Colquitt County Board of Commissioners approved the same memorandum in its Nov. 23 meeting. 

J&J and the distributors are offering $5 billion and $21 billion, respectively to resolve their liabilities in all the suits against them. To read more on the suit and the county’s decision you can find The Observer’s previous article here.

The city’s attorney for this case, Hayden Willis, spoke to the council on its options during the work session that preceded Tuesday’s meeting. 

“You have the option to join in on the partial settlement with other municipalities or you basically have to go in it alone,” Willis told the council. 

The council then voted to move into executive session to discuss their options. Later during the regular session, the council voted unanimously to join in with other municipalities. 

The council also undertook actions to move forward on the opening of the new Colquitt County Mental Health Center. The city was awarded a Community Development Block Grant in October that provided the funds to purchase and partially renovate the building, according to Moultrie City Manager, Pete Dillard. The city has been working to finalize requirements to open the new facility on Second Avenue at First Street Southwest in a building previously owned by Southwest Georgia Bank.

The council conducted a public hearing to discuss the approved activities of the CDBG for the mental health center. There was no discussion by either citizens or council members. Along with the public hearing, the council adopted a Language Access Plan, which was described by Dillard in the work session as “a necessary requirement by the Department of Community Development in order to utilize the grant.”

Plans are to have the facility open “sometime in January,” Dillard said in an interview Wednesday.

“There are still a few things that need to be done before we can officially hand over the keys,” Dillard said. “But tentative plans are to open it after the first of the year.”

In other action taken by the council, Councilman Cecil Barber was appointed as a liaison to the Sunbelt Expo Board. The term of office was not discussed. 

Rich Gallagher was reappointed to the Moultrie-Colquitt County Humane Society Board for the term of Jan. 1, 2022 to Dec. 31, 2024.

Council also considered bids for the Spence Field Regulator Project. The project is a continuation from the previous year when one-third of the electric regulators were replaced, according to Dillard.

“The power tends to spike and sag out there so these regulators help keep everything level,” Dillard told the council during the work session. 

The consent agenda was approved by the council. Those items include:

• Consider agreement and resolution with the Georgia Department of Public Safety for a Speed Detection Permit Renewal. 
• Consider approval of appropriation resolution for Fiscal Year 2021-2022 budget amendment
• Consider bid for dozer to Yancey Brothers of Valdosta, Ga. in the amount of $151,555 from the General Fund Public Works Street Division. 
• Consider bid for a half-ton crew cab pickup truck to Robert Hutson of Moultrie in the amount of $39,863 from the General Fund Public Works Beautification Division.
• Consider bid for five half-ton regular cab pickup trucks to Robert Hutson of Moultrie in the amount of $25,798 each from the Internal Service Fund Meter Reading Department, Water/Sewer Fund Sewer Collection Division, Water/ Sewer Fund Sewer Plant Division, General Fund Public Works Garbage Division and General Fund Public Works Beautification Division. 
• Consider bid for one ton regular cab dual wheel truck from Robert Hutson of Moultrie in the amount of $54,940 from the Gas Fund Gas Distribution Division. 

During the work session, Dillard introduced the new finance director, Jessica Perdew. She took over duties on Dec. 6, but current finance director Garry McDaniel will continue to work with her for a time, according to Dillard.