Resident has many questions about rehab facility

To the Editor:

I live in the township of Cassian approximately a half mile from the proposed site of the GLITC rehab and recovery center. We are not saying that the facility is not needed, but why is it not closer to their community. I, as well as many of the residents, have lots of questions on why this site was chosen. It was said by many members of the native community that the people entering the facility should not be taken from their family and be put in a facility away from them. So if someone is living down near the Milwaukee area or other areas, is this not removing them from their family for treatment. How will this be helping the patients in the long run?

My other concern is what will happen to our water quality and whether our wells will dry up from the amount of water this site will use per day? They are expecting to use approximately 5,800 gallons per day. How will this affect the wells in the area, plus how much waste water will be leaked into the ground, and affect the drinking water quality and what will this do to the nearby river system?

What about our roads? The roads are not set up for heavy traffic, who will pay for the upkeep? What about the increased traffic that will be brought to the intersection of Hwy 51 and Hwy K/Swamp Lake Rd? This has been a dangerous intersection lately, (with casualties this year alone.). Multiple departments were on scene for these accidents. This will put increased workload on the volunteers who already give their time. Plus the fact that medical services are 30-40 minutes away. When the flight for life was brought in, the highway had to be shut down. Will there be anything coming in from the facility to help with this? This will be a burden on the township and the taxpayers. We did not ask for this facility in our township and we should not have to pay for this. I realize that we already paid for this facility through the grants they received but we should not have to have our taxes raised because of this.

Winter traffic will also be a problem. Last year on the heaviest snow storm, it was 3 days before the roads in our area were plowed. Resources and staffing are tight now, who will burden the cost?

Who will pay for the patient’s schooling? Will this be added to the taxpayers as well?

What will happen if a fire breaks out? The area has all volunteer firemen that all work normal jobs. It will take at least half an hour for any of them to get there. For example, look at what happened on Hwy Y in the township of Little Rice Jan. 8. Multiple departments were called in and the structure was a total loss. What will happen to this facility if a fire breaks out. Will one fire department have to pull themselves from a scene to go help? Who will stop this from turning into a forest fire? There are a lot of pine trees in the area and lots of dry needles to keep a fire going.

Why do they need 289 acres? GLITC states they need the land to teach the kids how to hunt and fish. I would have figured that if the kids were into hunting and fishing, they would already know all this. Why would there be any weapons on hand? This could turn into a big problem. I do not trust anyone with mental or drug addiction to handle any weapon.

What will happen along the river that runs along this land. This river is used for recreational purpose. Many kayakers and canoeists use this. Is there the possibility that people could come up this river and smuggle drugs into the facility? What about friends coming to visit? This would also bring on the possibility of drugs coming into the facility. It was also told to us that it is voluntary to enter this facility. How do you limit what is brought into this facility? (Drugs and weapons). Some drugs can be brought in small amounts that can go undetected.

Security for the facility and the neighbors in the area. We were told it would be a locked facility, but if people are coming and going (as this is voluntary), what happens if one of the residents decides to leave. What about fencing? Only around the garbage area’s? How will this be protecting the residents who live here?

Staffing? We have been told that since it will be 36 beds, staffing would amount to around 40-50 people. There is a facility in Lac Du Flambeau that is sitting empty as they have been unable to get/keep staff. This is happening all across the state. The clinics and hospitals are having a hard time staffing or getting people to work, as a lot of people come to the area for recreation. Departments in the clinics are closing as physicians are not coming to the area. The spouses want to be near bigger cities where there is more going on. Local businesses are having a hard time finding employees also. Why would you build another facility if staffing issues are a concern.

What about housing? We were told that there is a good possibility that housing may be built to help workers. This would add to more strain on the roads and wells in the area.

It was said by Bryan Bainbridge at the first meeting, they will be bringing the advantages of better internet, and electricity to the area. Most of the residents already have internet with the availability of Starlink. As for the electricity, the three phase that is being brought in will not help residents out. Three phase is made for facilities like hospitals, clinics and stores. This will not help any of the residents out.

GLITC has more planned then what they are telling us.

Please take a good look at all the possibilities that could happen and deny this from going through.

Thank you.

Kris Steines

Tomahaw