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7 <br /> <br />placed in an interest-bearing bank account. Any interest earned on the special revenue <br />funds must be used in a way that is consistent with this MOA. <br /> <br />IV. Opioid Remediation Activities <br /> <br />A. Limitation on use of funds. This MOA requires that Opioid Settlement Funds be utilized <br />only for future opioid remediation activities, and Parties shall expend Opioid Settlement <br />Funds only for Approved Uses and for expenditures incurred after the effective date of this <br />MOA, unless execution of the National Settlement Agreements requires a later date. <br />Opioid Settlement Funds cannot be used to pay litigation costs, expenses, or attorney fees <br />arising from the enforcement of legal claims related to the opioid epidemic, except for the <br />portion of Opioid Settlement Funds that comprise the Backstop Fund described in Section <br />VI. For the avoidance of doubt, counsel for Litigating Local Governments may recover <br />litigation costs, expenses, or attorney fees from the common benefit, contingency fee, and <br />cost funds established in the National Settlement Agreements, as well as the Backstop Fund <br />described in Section VI. <br /> <br />B. Public health departments as Chief Strategists. For Participating Local Governments that <br />have public health departments, the public health departments shall serve as the lead <br />agency and Chief Strategist to identify, collaborate, and respond to local issues as Local <br />Governments decide how to leverage and disburse Opioid Settlement Funds. In their role <br />as Chief Strategist, public health departments will convene multi-sector meetings and lead <br />efforts that build upon local efforts like Community Health Assessments and Community <br />Health Improvement Plans, while fostering community focused and collaborative <br />evidence-informed approaches that prevent and address addiction across the areas of public <br />health, human services, and public safety. Chief Strategists should consult with <br />municipalities located within their county in the development of any Community Health <br />Assessment, and are encouraged to collaborate with law enforcement agencies in the <br />county where appropriate. <br /> <br />C. Administrative expenses. Reasonable administrative costs for the State or Local <br />Government to administer its allocation of the Opioid Settlement Funds shall not exceed <br />actual costs, 10% of the relevant allocation of the Opioid Settlement Funds, or any <br />administrative expense limitation imposed by the National Settlement Agreements or <br />Bankruptcy Resolution, whichever is less. <br /> <br />D. Regions. Two or more Participating Local Governments may at their discretion form a <br />new group or utilize an existing group (“Region”) to pool their respective shares of <br />settlement funds and make joint spending decisions. Participating Local Governments may <br />choose to create a Region or utilize an existing Region under a joint exercise of powers <br />under Minn. Stat. § 471.59. <br /> <br />E. Consultation and partnerships. <br /> <br />1. Each county receiving Opioid Settlement Funds must consult annually with the <br />municipalities in the county regarding future use of the settlement funds in the