LEADERS TO APPEAL CLINIC DECISION

Community and business leaders said Thursday they were appealing a state
agency's decision to allow a methadone clinic to locate near the downtown
area of Johnson City.

Doug Varney, Frontier Health chief executive, told the Johnson City City
Commission that his organization has appealed a June decision by the state
Health Facilities Board to grant a certificate of need to a facility that
treats heroin and other opiate addicts by using an alternative substance.
Officials with the clinic said last month they hoped they would be
operating in the building at 200 W. Fairview Ave. in about six months.
"This method of treatment just won't work," Varney said during the
commission's regular meeting, He said he felt there was not sufficient need
in Johnson City to justify such a clinic.

"If we had a large population of street heroin addicts, our position might
be different, . . . but we don't have that population," Varney said. The
Rev. John Goah, who works in the neighborhood next to where the clinic will
be located, said he fears for the people in the area. "I think this would
be a disservice to our community," Goah said. He said if such a business
has to come to Northeast Tennessee, perhaps it could be located in a
less-sensitive area.

"I think the clinic does not have to be located in the middle of our city,"
Goah said. Members of several downtown organizations told the commission
they feared the clinic would counteract their efforts at revitalization.
"We feel it is very bad for what we're trying to do in downtown and for
Johnson City," Dan Porter, Johnson City Development Authority director,
said. Porter said the JCDA has also filed a request to appeal the CON.
Though it is up to the state board - which is undergoing a reorganization -
to make the decision about the clinic, those opposing its locating in
Johnson City hoped the commission would back their efforts. "It is really
going to take a pretty concerted, focused effort if we are going to have
any impact on stopping this clinic from coming to Johnson City," Varney said.

Following the lead of Commissioner Steve Darden, the commission stopped
short of taking a stand on the clinic, but did decide to send a letter to
the state asking for another public hearing as part off the appeal process.
"I think at some point, this commission will have to take some position (on
whether the clinic should come to Johnson City), but I don't think it is
essential to do it now," Darden said. "In fact, I don't think we're
prepared to do that now."

Commissioner Ricky Mohon asked if the clinic could be stopped by rezoning
the area to make it illegal for such a business to locate in the proposed
area, but city staff said such an effort would likely fail a court
challenge. "Because of the other medical-related uses we allow (in the
surrounding area) . . . we would not be on very strong ground to deny a
permit on zoning," said Jim Moody, the city's planning director. In other
business, the third and final reading of a rezoning ordinance to allow
Mountain States Health Alliance to move forward with the development of a
Walgreens pharmacy at the corner of West State of Franklin Road and West
Market Street was deferred.

After a long debate over what the city should pay its Juvenile Court judge,
the commission set the salary at $60,000 with an annual 3 percent increase.
Sharon Green, the only candidate running for the judgeship in the Aug. 1
election, has been working as the court's substitute judge for the last
four years. She will become the new judge barring a successful write-in
campaign. Retiring Judge Shirley Underwood makes about $68,000 in the
position, and the commission had proposed cutting it to $55,000 for Green.
But Commissioners Pete Paduch, Mohon, and C.H. Charlton all argued the
importance of the increase and how the salary should not be cut to such an
amount. Darden said he felt the salary should be brought down to $52,500.
Green, who has 25 years of experience as an attorney, said the salary was
unimportant, though generally a new judge receives the same amount as a
predecessor.

"I'm excited about becoming the city's next juvenile judge," she said. "I'm
going to serve the city no matter what."

A discussion about a decade-old contract between the city and Hands On!
Regional Museum led to a heated exchange between Paduch and Charlton.
Paduch was chastising City Manager Mike West about what he said were West's
ineffectual research abilities. Charlton broke into the criticism and
demanded a change to the tone of commission meetings, or he would vote to
take future meetings off television.

"This is not meant to be a venue to publicly insult employees," Charlton
said. He said he is often told by members of the community that they enjoy
watching the humor of Paduch's verbal attacks.

"We've got to stop letting this become the Thursday night governmental soap
opera," Charlton said.

Paduch defended his style as just holding people accountable. "We've
sugarcoated things too long in Johnson City," Paduch said, giving a list of
what he sees a problems in the city.

"If you think that you have in any shape, form or fashion any chance of
changing me, you need to go back to church and pray to God," he said to
Charlton, who is a minister.