WENDELL — The Selectboard voted unanimously Wednesday to pursue its portion of statewide opioid settlements, while acknowledging the amount is minuscule.

Members agreed to sign a settlement participation form to collect $2,209 that will support opioid use abatement strategies over the next 16 years. This equates to $138 per year from 2022 to 2038.

Selectboard member Gillian Budine questioned whether this minuscule figure would be worth the time and paperwork required.

“I just want to go in with our eyes wide open,” Budine said. “It’s not going to be a windfall.”

Town Coordinator Glenn Johnson-Mussad, who was tasked with filing the necessary paperwork, said the money could be given to the town Board of Health, a North Quabbin youth substance abuse prevention group or a similar organization.

“If you don’t mind me sharing my personal opinion,” he said, “the citizens of Wendell experienced harm from these horrible companies, and this is what we got. Maybe it’s not a lot — definitely not if anyone had any major damage to their family or friends based on their addiction to these substances because of these companies, then $2,200 is a pittance. But at least it’s what we got.”

State Attorney General Maura Healey announced in July 2021 a $26 billion resolution with three of the nation’s largest opioid distributors — McKesson, Cardinal Health and AmerisourceBergen — and with opioid-maker Johnson & Johnson that would provide millions to cities and towns to fund opioid use prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery efforts. The agreement would resolve investigations and litigation over the companies’ roles in creating and fueling the opioid epidemic.

Healey’s announcement stated that Massachusetts will “receive more than $500 million.” In addition to Massachusetts, state negotiations were led by the attorneys general from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas.

According to the Massachusetts Municipal Association, settlement money that is not distributed directly to municipalities will go to a new statewide opioid recovery and remediation fund.

Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 262.