Doctor apologizes for rush to open needle exchange. He feared a public health ‘disaster’
But city officials indicated Tuesday they will collaborate with the doctor-backed team that's relocating a controversial exchange from
It wasn't the welcome Dr.
He'd raced to save the exchange when he learned it was being evicted by the
Allgaier and Blue Mountain Heart to Heart, a
It will operate
Apology at
Chastened by complaints he didn't do enough to alert neighbors, Allgaier apologized Tuesday, when a routine
"Frankly, we did not do a very good job in the way we notified people," Allgaier admitted to a 100-plus crowd.
The
"We want to bring the community together, not cause extra divisiveness," he said.
Allgaier said he went into "recon mode" when he learned
Its
Allgaier and his partner, Dr.
He and Elgi personally funded the purchase and own the property as Incident 8 LLC.
They will lease space to
About a third of the roughly 30 people who spoke at the council meeting work for Allgaier's company or are clients who shared heartwarming stories of recovery and the need for compassion and support.
The rest were Tri-Citians who shared mixed views about the exchange and its new location.
Public health benefits
Few dispute the public health benefits.
Exchanging dirty needles for clean ones reduces the number of discarded syringes off streets, where they're a threat to the public. Clean needles reduce the transmission of blood-borne diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis C.
Users who patronize exchange are five times more likely to seek treatment for opioid addiction and 3.5 times more likely to cease injecting than those who don't, according to the federal
In
Local health officials uniformly encouraged
Ideal Option is growing
Allgaier and his partners are medical doctors and certified in both emergency medicine and addiction.
They formed Ideal Option in
The company is on a growth streak after an investment by
The investment is fueling expansion, Varsity said in an October news release.
Terms of the investment, including the amount and Varsity's ownership stake, were not disclosed.
More recently, Ideal partnered with
It has 64 locations in 11 states, including offices in
Allgaier said
He said he and his partners couldn't stand on the sidelines once they saw the syringe exchange forced out of
"We understand this is a very polarizing issue," he said. "As physicians, it's our duty to do everything we can."
Homeless camping issue
But
The area was overwhelmed by homeless camping about two years ago when a local church allowed nonprofits to establish a soup kitchen and use the building and its grounds as an informal campground.
Business fled, saying unruly campers were menacing staff and customers and leaving drug and human waste outside their businesses.
Today, the encampment is gone. A city ordinance bars people from camping on sidewalks and police patrol the area. But memories of what one former tenant called a "hot mess" remain.
"There are serious legal questions about the process the city has engaged with here," he said.
The owner of a dance studio catering to young children said news of the exchange spread quickly. She's received cancellations and an instructor has given notice to quit.
Young moms won't feel safe bringing toddlers and infants to a neighborhood that needs its own police officers, said
Hope &
Even a representative from the church at the center of the homeless camp crisis expressed reservations.
Tobaski Snipes directs A New Start In Life at River of
Snipes has played a key role in keeping drug dealers and campers at bay.
City's hands tied
The clinic is an allowed in the community commercial zone. The building itself is a former clinic and doesn't need updates that would require a permit from the city or inspections by code enforcement or the fire department.
Ideal Option is a private business and already has a license from the city.
Tuesday's meeting offered the city's elected leaders a chance to share their thoughts on the exchange.
Mayor Pro Tem
Lee said he understands the challenge of running a business people don't want in their back yards. But he said he supports
He said he doesn't see any reason why the exchange would stop the efforts to clean up the
Mayor
Councilman
Councilman
"I have a deep concern for the neighboring businesses," Trumbo said.
Allgaier donated gift cards to the police department so officers can provide food and other support to people who need help.
"The doctor has been very, very good to work with," Hohenberg told the council.
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