CITY BRACES FOR METHADONE BATTLE

The director of a methadone clinic in Bessemer has notified a state board
that he intends to open a new methadone clinic in Alabaster.

Robert White filed a letter of intent with the State Health Planning and
Development Agency on Dec. 14. According to state law, he must file the
letter of intent before applying for a Certificate of Need from the board.

The notice comes on the heels of a year-long battle surrounding the
proposed Shelby County Treatment Center in Saginaw, just a few miles from
Alabaster.

In that case, Shelby County Circuit Judge Dan Reeves blocked the clinic
from opening, contending the applicants failed to give residents fair
notice of the clinic's opening.

Shelby County Treatment Center applicant Susan Staats-Sidwell has filed an
appeal of Reeves' decision, and she said Tuesday she still expects her
clinic to open.

"We feel very confident it will be open," she said.

Although Staats-Sidwell said she is not a part of the application for the
new clinic in Alabaster, she agrees that methadone is needed in the county.

"There is a need, no matter what happens," she said.

Staats-Sidwell said her application process for a Certificate of Need took
six months, but the State Health Planning and Development Agency eventually
granted her one for a methadone clinic in the county.

White declined comment for this story.

Alabaster city leaders are not withholding their thoughts on a clinic, however.

On Monday, Alabaster City Council adopted a resolution opposing the
proposed methadone clinic.

City leaders and legislators seem prepared to re-start the battle against
methadone that began last December when Staats-Sidwell began her
application process.

This time, residents might be better prepared.

Rick Walters, president of the Alabaster City Council, said the city is
prepared to block the methadone proposal.

"The intent of the resolution was to send a clear message to our residents
and to the people proposing this clinic that we don't want it here,"
Walters said.

"We tap our city as a city for families. We don't believe that bringing
people in for methadone is in the best interest of the city. It doesn't
serve our residents."

If White continues with his application process, Alabaster officials will
look at what else they can do to block it, according to Walters.

"We're going to do whatever it takes," he said.