Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
PORTALES — Roosevelt County will join a growing number of entities across the state and nation to sue pharmaceutical companies for their alleged role in the opioid epidemic, following approval of a retainer agreement with an Albuquerque law firm at Thursday’s commission meeting.
“The opioid epidemic has a local impact, and the county has experienced this with law enforcement, detention, and healthcare services,” said County Manager Amber Hamilton. “We are hopeful joining this battle will result in direct tangible benefits for Roosevelt County.”
The retainer agreement will come at no cost to the county taxpayers, said Hamilton, and it specifies that the county will pay the firm 25 percent of all amounts recovered from any successful litigation.
The Albuquerque firm Fadduol, Cluff, Hardy & Conaway, P.C., represents “personal injury and wrongful death victims’ claims against multi-billion dollar corporate defendants,” according to their website.
The retainer agreement also associates the New York law firm Napoli Shkolnik PLLC, which contends on its website that doctors and pharmacists who breach medical standards in prescribing addictive drugs “should be held liable for addiction and harm.”
County Attorney Randy Knudson was not available Thursday afternoon for detail on any specific pending litigation to be filed on behalf of the county.
Also at Thursday’s commission meeting:
• Commissioners selected improvements at the Roosevelt County Fairgrounds for potential community development block grant projects, which would include “drainage and (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance improvements,” Hamilton said.
• Approval of bid award to White Rock Crushing, LLC for crush caliche materials for the road department.
• In her county manager report, Hamilton said that on March 21 she submitted an application for three tracts in Roosevelt County to be considered for designation as an “opportunity zone” by the state’s economic development department. The county “applied for a variety of different projects in those zones,” she said, and if approved they would qualify for tax incentives from investors.
• With the Roosevelt County Detention Center, commissioners approved the annual review and revision to its policies and procedures manual as well as a renewal of a housing agreement between the jail and Cannon Air Force Base, Hamillton said.
• No action was needed or taken following an executive session in which limited personnel and “attorney-client privileged information” was discussed, Hamilton said.
