METHADONE CLINIC CRITICS HIRE LAWYER

The battle against a methadone clinic planning to open in Johnson City
intensified this week as groups working against the facility retained a
Nashville attorney to plead the case before state officials.

"The goal here is to have the certificate of need revoked so that there
would be no methadone clinic in Johnson City," City Commissioner Steve
Darden said from his office Tuesday.

By a unanimous vote, the commission adopted a resolution Thursday declaring
its intent to work against allowing the Johnson City Addiction Research and
Treatment Center LLC to locate at 200 W. Fairview Ave.

The clinic would treat those addicted to heroin and other opiates by using
the alternative substance methadone. In June, the center was granted a
certificate of need by the state Health Facilities Commission to locate in
Johnson City. Clinic official Rusty Titsworth has said the facility could
be open by the first of the year.

The decision has been appealed by numerous Johnson City organizations and
will be heard before state Administrative Law Judge James A. Hornsby on
Dec. 9, 10 and 11.

Darden and representatives from the Chamber of Commerce, Frontier Health,
the Johnson City Development Authority and Asbury Center met Monday evening
and hired Nashville attorney Gayle Malone.

Malone headed back to Nashville Tuesday to appear before Hornsby and
discuss scheduling for the December hearings.

Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Gary Mabrey said he feels confident
the group against the clinic will represent the interests of Johnson City well.

"The community should feel the handful of us . . . (is) going to do
everything we can to address this clinic's locating here," Mabrey said
Tuesday. "There's a good team in place to deal with this."

While a strategic plan of action has yet to be developed by the group - and
will probably not be revealed until the hearing when it does evolve -
Mabrey said the group will continue to work together and consult with
Malone about what direction their efforts should take.

While he would not speculate on his group's chance for success, Mabrey did
say it is important for them to do something.

"I think we have a better chance than if we did nothing," Mabrey said. "And
nothing is not an option."