Life skills proposal awaits decision

The mentoring program would operate on weekday evenings and weekends.
By VIRGINIA ROSS
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- City council likely will decide at its Nov. 22 public meeting whether to allow the Lawrence County Drug and Alcohol Commission to establish a life skills center downtown.
The drug and alcohol commission has proposed setting up shop at 20 E. Washington St., the former site of the House of Brews coffee shop.
J. Richard Mauk, who manages the building, is asking the city to approve his request for a conditional-use permit for the proposal. Mauk made the request earlier this year on behalf of himself and the drug and alcohol commission.
At a recent public hearing conducted before council, Mauk said he is prepared to begin renting the property to the drug and alcohol commission as soon as possible. At that hearing, several people spoke in favor of the life skills center. No one spoke against it.
Judy Thompson, executive director of the drug and alcohol commission, has explained that the life skills, or mentoring, program would serve as part of an overall recovery effort for people who have successfully completed a drug or alcohol rehabilitation treatment.
For example, clients would receive assistance with budgeting, job searching and r & eacute;sum & eacute; writing, among other skills.
All clients must be screened and evaluated by the commission before being admitted into the life skills program. Thompson added the clients must remain drug free.
The center, which is to be funded with an initial state grant of $371,000, would operate weekday evenings and weekends.
Recommendation
Last month, the city planning commission sent council a recommendation to approve the request.
The recommendation was made with reservations, however. Planning commission members said they support the idea, but they are concerned about the intended location because it would not coincide with the city's proposed comprehensive land-use plan.
Speaking on behalf of Mauk and the drug and alcohol commission, Atty. Charles Sapienza said the commission has spent a great deal of time looking for an appropriate spot for the center.
He said the program could quickly and easily be established at the proposed site without having to spend a lot of the grant money on renovations or improvements. He said the request falls in line with the city's current zoning regulations, and, as a professional service, the center would be near other professional service offices.
Council has moved its next work session to Nov. 20, and its next public meeting to Nov. 22. The sessions are typically conducted Tuesdays and Thursdays, respectively, but were rescheduled because of the Thanksgiving holiday. Both meetings are to begin at 7:30 p.m. in council chambers at city hall.