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REGULAR MEETING February 25, 2019
<br /> hundred sixty-five (365) days a year. The leader of the staff will be a certified recovery coach and
<br /> behavior interventionist that is working under the direction of a licensed Master's-level counselor.
<br /> If you continue on through the packet provided, we have a layout of the building and we have
<br /> drawn in there the changes that we would like to make as well as the bed layout we are looking at
<br /> implementing. Currently, if you look at the top left of that page, the left side of that parking lot is
<br /> open as you can also see from the pictures. We do plan on putting a privacy fence and also a gate
<br /> there to make that more secure. In addition to that, we are going to have to add some toilets and
<br /> showers to the property. If you look to the bottom-left corner, you will see a room currently sixty-
<br /> seven(67) square feet. We plan on adding two (2) toilets to that room. Just south of that, we plan
<br /> on adding a shower room with four(4) showers.Also, in the sleep area labeled seven hundred and
<br /> twenty-four(724) square feet, we plan on building two (2) additional bedrooms. That would bring
<br /> our total to ten(10)bedrooms, looking at housing twenty(20)patients.
<br /> Mr. Adolf continued, During this process, we have tried to do a lot of community outreach. We
<br /> have received a lot of positive feedback and have many people here today to support us.
<br /> Additionally, we have received some negative feedback and hypothetical situations that have
<br /> caused fear or reduction in property value. We understand that many of these issues are very
<br /> serious and we will work our absolute hardest to ensure we provide safety not only to our clients
<br /> but our community. Even with all of this, all of the members we have met with that have been
<br /> opposed to this project have had one (1) fundamental agreement - that this is great for our
<br /> community and is needed greatly. However, they just do not want it near them. I want you guys to
<br /> look at the facts. The facts are Choices Recovery has been point three(0.30)miles down the street
<br /> from this current location in this neighborhood. It has been there operating for over four(4) years.
<br /> It has an even more vulnerable population housing detox and RTC-level of care patients who are
<br /> at the height of their withdrawal. Even if all these situations are hypothetical,we have not had any
<br /> issues in our four (4) years that we have been there. Our largest complaints that we have heard
<br /> from the community to date has been a volleyball going over our fence and our music being too
<br /> loud during a Fourth (4th) of July barbeque. I do know those are serious and we will work very
<br /> hard with our clients to keep the noise down, but I just hope that in this day and age, 2019, with
<br /> the epidemic affecting our country, that most likely will take the life of one(1)of my good friends
<br /> today, we value human life over potential property value reduction and hypothetical fear.
<br /> Ms. Brown stated, I serve as the Outreach Coordinator for US Addiction Services. I'm also the
<br /> President and Founder of a local non-profit organization called F.A.N.S. As a resident of South
<br /> Bend, Indiana, for the past two (2) years and a resident of St. Joseph County for the past thirteen
<br /> (13)years,I currently stand before you five and a half(5.5)years in recovery from opiate addiction.
<br /> This was a ten (10) year-long battle of my life. During my life in active addiction, I did serve a
<br /> total of five (5) years in the Department of Corrections through three (3) separate incidents. I did
<br /> serve executed time in St. Joseph County Community Corrections and probation. However, in my
<br /> recovery, I worked to initiate change in our community and throughout the State. I stand before
<br /> you tonight as someone who needed these services back in 2007 and could not get them because
<br /> they were not available here in our community yet, when I needed them. I was married at the time
<br /> of my addiction and incarceration and I had good health insurance. I had the means but no local
<br /> resources. I vowed that if I was ever given the chance, I would pave the way for others in the same
<br /> predicament. I have often heard people ask, what can we do? Or they say,we should do something
<br /> about this. On the flipside, I've heard,you don't belong here.You're never going to be clean. Who
<br /> does she think she is?And,most recently,you should have died and taken another addict with you.
<br /> Harsh, right?
<br /> Ms. Brown continued, Well, I stand here tonight, proud to be alive, who I am today and all that I
<br /> have accomplished on behalf of other addicts and the addicts that are still suffering. I believe there
<br /> is a time for change, ladies and gentlemen, and I believe that time of change is now. I have had the
<br /> opportunity of getting out in our community and discussing this at great lengths. I appreciate the
<br /> feedback, both good and bad, because it has allowed us, as new staff of Choices Recovery, who
<br /> has only been on staff since 2018, to make some decisions and much needed improvement. So,
<br /> tonight, I bring a letter that is also in your packet, and it is a letter of intent. We have found that
<br /> there have been some noise issues and complaints at our current location of Choices and we want
<br /> to fix that. So, we have a letter of intent that for the next six (6) months we are going to improve
<br /> those things by working with the local members of our immediate area. We have worked to try
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