Oct 3, 2002 By Steve Ostrosky 4 min read

WAYNESBURG – In the continuing battle over plans for a halfway house in Jefferson Township, the Greene County commissioners announced their intent Wednesday to send a letter to state officials to alert them of what they say is a violation of state standards. Commissioner Farley Toothman said he and his counterparts attended a public meeting Sept. 14 with residents of the township, township supervisors and employees of The Turning Point, a company that operates a halfway house for women in Washington. At that meeting, women in rehab for drug and alcohol addiction problems and previous clients spoke out in favor of the halfway house and the support the staff can provide.

Toothman said he and the other commissioners believe the actions taken by Turning Point staff were violations of state standards of professional conduct for drug and alcohol providers. He asked that a letter be sent informing the state of what transpired at the meeting at the Jefferson fire hall.

“I think it was inappropriate for a provider of drug and alcohol counseling services to parade people in the system or that have been in the system in front of a group of public to argue the ‘not in my back yard’ issue,” he said. “Turning Point has not been, nor do they continue to be, administrating this issue fairly.”

The issue of the halfway house came up during Wednesday’s agenda meeting as chief clerk Gene Lee read a letter from Turning Point officials updating their progress on converting an already-purchased home into a halfway house for men.

The letter states that Turning Point considered making the halfway house for women instead of men, in an attempt to diffuse some of the concern by neighbors and township residents, but the letter states that township Supervisor Richard Faddis declined that offer.

All three commissioners again voiced their opposition to any halfway house going in at the proposed site, and Commission Chairman Dave Coder said the letter to the state will contain their position on the plan.

The halfway house, which could accommodate as many as 10 men, could be open by the end of the year.

In another matter, Toothman said the county has gotten some additional time from the state to solicit applications and hire a director for the county’s drug and alcohol agency. Karen Bennett, human services administrator, has been serving in that capacity since Greene County began handling its own services, but she said the county has until Dec. 31 to fill the position.

A drug and alcohol position is also open in Fayette County, and Bennett said hiring a director will greatly increase the county’s administrative costs.

“We receive about $400,000 a year in drug and alcohol money, and I think we need to look at all the options on this over the next several months,” Bennett said.

Commissioners will also vote today to sell property they purchased last year near Ryerson Station State Park in Aleppo Township through public auction after state agencies and private parties expressed interest in the site.

The commissioners also will vote today to direct Lee to solicit bids for the demolition of the Curry Home and to solicit proposals for the asbestos removal portion of the work and determine how much the total project will cost.

Among the other items on the agenda for today’s meeting are the following:

– A grant agreement between the county, the state and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission for continued archiving work in the prothonotary’s office.

– A memorandum of agreement between the county and the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy for the group to conduct a national heritage inventory of the county. The project will include the locations of historical sites and endangered species and will be part of a nine-county regional inventory, according to county director of planning and development Ann Bargerstock.

– A contract to be awarded for the Rices Landing street project, funds for which are coming from the Community Development Block Grant program.