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Warren to ask voters for $180,000 in methadone suit

By Heather Steeves, BDN Staff
Posted Sept. 01, 2011, at 5:24 p.m.
Last modified Sept. 01, 2011, at 7:06 p.m.
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WARREN, Maine — This town, which is being sued by a methadone clinic in federal court, plans to ask voters to spend $180,000 in relation to the lawsuit.

Further details were unavailable Thursday evening, according to Town Manager Grant Watmough, who was still in talks with the town’s attorney. He could not say if the money would be used as a settlement or for legal fees, but did say it was directly related to mediation that occurred Wednesday.

The town called an emergency Board of Selectmen meeting for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 6, at Town Hall. There, the board will talk with its attorney and then vote to hold a special town meeting to ask the voters to raise the $180,000.

The decision to schedule the emergency board meeting was made the day after representatives for the town and CRC Health Group met in mediation in the federal court houst in Portland.

CRC Health Group, which had hoped to open a methadone clinic in town, and a man who intended to lease land to the group are both suing the town under the Americans With Disabilities Act. The lawsuit came after the town put up a temporary moratorium against methadone clinics.

Last month the town held a special town meeting to raise $30,000 more than the $16,000 that was already in the town budget this year for attorney fees to help with the lawsuit.

If the Board of Selectmen approves a special town meeting, the date will likely be Wednesday, Sept. 14, Watmough said.

The 2010 town budget for Warren was $2,006,800. That means the town will be asking for almost 9 percent of its entire budget to contribute to the lawsuit.

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  • Anonymous

    I hope the town of Warren fights this to the end. That stuff is legal poison. Americans with Disabilities Act?  Methadone disables one by making them high.

  • Anonymous

    NO.

  • Anonymous

    NO.

  • Anonymous

    NO.

  • Anonymous

    NO.

  • Anonymous

    NO.

  • Anonymous

    NO.

  • Anonymous

    NO.

  • Anonymous

    NO.

  • Anonymous

    NO.

  • Anonymous

    What a scam these “clinics” are, just state subsidized drug dealers. Now taxpayers are forced not only to buy these scumbags their “fixes” but to pay to keep these addict congregation areas conveniently located so the scums don’t have to far to travel!

  • Anonymous

    What a scam these “clinics” are, just state subsidized drug dealers. Now taxpayers are forced not only to buy these scumbags their “fixes” but to pay to keep these addict congregation areas conveniently located so the scums don’t have to far to travel!

  • Anonymous

    What a scam these “clinics” are, just state subsidized drug dealers. Now taxpayers are forced not only to buy these scumbags their “fixes” but to pay to keep these addict congregation areas conveniently located so the scums don’t have to far to travel!

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_Q5REH3OTONH3DIPC7W43V4UKDI Bright

    While I agree with your issues with Methadone treatment, the Town of Warren and the Town manager botched this from day one. It’s classic spot zoning, they approved of the sale silently until the public got wind of the actual use, then they tried to reverse their earlier deal. 

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_Q5REH3OTONH3DIPC7W43V4UKDI Bright

    While I agree with your issues with Methadone treatment, the Town of Warren and the Town manager botched this from day one. It’s classic spot zoning, they approved of the sale silently until the public got wind of the actual use, then they tried to reverse their earlier deal. 

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_Q5REH3OTONH3DIPC7W43V4UKDI Bright

    While I agree with your issues with Methadone treatment, the Town of Warren and the Town manager botched this from day one. It’s classic spot zoning, they approved of the sale silently until the public got wind of the actual use, then they tried to reverse their earlier deal. 

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_Q5REH3OTONH3DIPC7W43V4UKDI Bright

    While I agree with your issues with Methadone treatment, the Town of Warren and the Town manager botched this from day one. It’s classic spot zoning, they approved of the sale silently until the public got wind of the actual use, then they tried to reverse their earlier deal. 

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_Q5REH3OTONH3DIPC7W43V4UKDI Bright

    While I agree with your issues with Methadone treatment, the Town of Warren and the Town manager botched this from day one. It’s classic spot zoning, they approved of the sale silently until the public got wind of the actual use, then they tried to reverse their earlier deal. 

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_Q5REH3OTONH3DIPC7W43V4UKDI Bright

    The townspeople should demand the persons complicit in the decisions regarding this case pay, not the taxpayers who were only involved after the deal was initially made. The taxpayers need to hold the town manager, code officer and select board accountable for this deal and subsequent costs.

  • A shmidt

    I am thinking of starting a bath salt clinic. Maybe call it the Bath House. Shoot you up with bath salts and then lash you to a gurney for 12 hours. All at taxpayer expense.

  • A shmidt

    I am thinking of starting a bath salt clinic. Maybe call it the Bath House. Shoot you up with bath salts and then lash you to a gurney for 12 hours. All at taxpayer expense.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Regina-Hosebeast/100002095287763 Regina Hosebeast

    Warren is being sued and is forced to spend $180,000 because they wisely put up a moratorium to stop it? Ridiculous. Yet Warren will be much better to pay it and not have to deal with a clinic. Hoards of addicts come to town for the clinic, roughly only 1/2 are successfully treated but they all stay. Suddenly, the town’s addict population explodes and the crime rate goes through the roof. Over the ensuing years money spent on social services for this new “population” will greatly exceed $180,000. If you don’t believe me, take a good look at Bangor and listen to what Police Chief Ron Gastia has to say.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Regina-Hosebeast/100002095287763 Regina Hosebeast

    Warren is being sued and is forced to spend $180,000 because they wisely put up a moratorium to stop it? Ridiculous. Yet Warren will be much better to pay it and not have to deal with a clinic. Hoards of addicts come to town for the clinic, roughly only 1/2 are successfully treated but they all stay. Suddenly, the town’s addict population explodes and the crime rate goes through the roof. Over the ensuing years money spent on social services for this new “population” will greatly exceed $180,000. If you don’t believe me, take a good look at Bangor and listen to what Police Chief Ron Gastia has to say.

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