McClintock wrote that if the California Area Indian Health Service continues to pursue the Honeyrock site, he would insist Congress not approve funds for the project. He also suggested a broader investigation of the service as a whole.
"I am being kind when I say your efforts to engage the community and work with local leaders have been extremely poor," McClintock said.
McClintock sent the letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Nov. 15, stating he has written before requesting information and raising concerns that have evoked no response.
"In subsequent correspondence with Area Director Margo Kerrigan, I specifically requested that IHS conduct additional community outreach and work to address the concerns of Oroville residents in this matter," McClintock wrote.
David Sprenger of Indian Health first introduced the plan for a Youth Regional Treatment Center in June 2009 at a Noon Rotary meeting, which was reported in a follow-up article in the Mercury-Register.
The proposed center would treat non-violent teens,12 to 17, for substance abuse with 24-hour supervision.
At that time, Indian Health had been looking in Northern California for more than a year and had narrowed
the search down to two Oroville sites.The preferred site was the 32-acre Honeyrock site. The alternative was off Lincoln Boulevard between the railroad tracks and the cemetery.
In early August 2009, a meeting at Foothill Community Church aired concerns about the center.
On Aug. 27, 2009, representatives from IHS and its parent agency the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services held a meeting at the Southside Community Center to answer questions and take comments from the community.
A couple of hundred people attended. The majority said while there is a need for alcohol and drug treatment for teens, the foothill residential area is not the right location.
Neighbors cited traffic, land use and zoning in an area where there are small farms, public safety and fire hazards.
Sept. 15 of that year, Indian Health representatives presented information about the project to the Butte County Board of Supervisors. The supervisors voted 5-0 against the project, although it wasn't on the agenda as an action item.
This week Steven Zerebecki, public affairs officer for IHS, explained federal regulations prohibited the agency from applying for use permits. Federal agencies are not subject to local zoning regulations.
As the plan moved forward, Indian Health brought a panel of experts in various fields to a meeting on Aug. 31 this year at Gold Country Casino to introduce the environmental assessment of the project, which determined no significant impacts.
Neighbors also aired their opposition to the center at Honeyrock at that meeting.
But a few people, including former police chief Mitch Brown, spoke in favor of the center, saying there were already a number of substance abuse treatment facilities in residential areas, including those for adult offenders with a criminal history.
American Indians spoke of the great need for a center to treat their youth and asked neighbors to support the site.
Zerebecki said Indian Health representatives have been meeting with a group of neighbors at the Sacramento office, and have given presentations to community groups that asked. He said they have met with McClintock, and have given him all the information he requested.
"I'm not sure what more we can do in terms of public affairs," Zerebecki said.
Zerebecki said because the environmental impacts on the site were insignificant, they weren't required to hold public meetings, but they had.
"Right now we're at an impasse," Zerebecki said. "The small group we are talking to wants us not to build at Honeyrock," Zerebecki said. "They have agreed to support the project if we identify another property."
"As a federal agency, we have a very special congressional mandate to carry out," Zerebecki said. "Our responsibility is to provide health care to Native Americans."
He said they had followed the federal process for selecting the site and for acquiring the property, which is still in escrow. McClintock is asking them to abandon the federal process and follow one dictated by the community.
"I think we would be setting a dangerous precedent if we did that," Zerebecki said.
Wednesday, McClintock said by telephone his major objection is that the community opposes it.
"They are not listening to the community," McClintock said. "They seem devoted to this one site, and they aren't listening to the community's strong opposition." McClintock said that had been clear at a town hall meeting he had in Oroville this summer.
McClintock said he would like to see a public meeting on the project that did not focus on the Honeyrock location.
McClintock said in the past he has fought NIMBYism — the not in my backyard syndrome — but this is not NIMBYism.
"I think IHS needs to listen to the community, and they haven't," the congressman said.
Zerebecki said the door isn't closed. Indian Health is still talking and is willing to discuss compromise.
Staff writer Mary Weston can be reached at 533-3135 or mweston@orovillemr.com.
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