LA GRANGE, Ky. — What used to be the old library on Jefferson Street, just a block from the Historic La Grange Main Street, had new plans under Kentucky Mental Health Care (KMHC), a facility planning to offer both harm reduction and methadone treatment to those suffering from addiction and mental health concerns.

“We have 5,000 total patients and 300 get drug treatment services since 2018,” said Joseph Nalley, CEO of Kentucky Mental Health Care. “Where’s our focus? Mental health. Addiction is mental health care.”

Nalley spoke at the La Grange City Council meeting Monday night. The owners of KMHC, hoping to open the facility, met with city leaders and members of the community.

It was a meeting that Mayor John Black said did not go well.

“The presentations were not what they should have been on a first time appearance. I’m honestly going to say they got off on the wrong foot,” Black said.

Long-time La Grange resident, Carl Rogers, was at the meeting. He and others said they don’t have a problem with what the clinic would offer, only its location.

“We do know our community and our needs and we do not need anything within the center of our town,” Rogers explained. “We need that in the outskirts, maybe closer to the hospitals.”

Although the facility meets the planning and zoning requirements, Mayor John Black denied their request for a business license on Wednesday. 

“I denied their business license because there are too many questions yet to be answered, too many unknowns,” Black said.

Unknowns that Jason Kinser, owner of a downtown La Grange restaurant, isn’t comfortable having so close to his business. 

“The building is located a block and a half from me. It is in the historic district of La Grange. It is four blocks from an elementary school,” Kinser said. “Our concern was that there are going to be a lot of people coming out [of the clinic], probably on methadone.”

Mayor John Black is expecting to meet with KMHC leaders soon.

“Upon advice from the council, we will be accepting their business license to be presented to us, but that does not mean we’re going to be issuing any license at this time,” Mayor John Black said.

Kentucky Mental Health Care provided Spectrum News 1 with the following statement:

“What we’re seeing in La Grange is the stigma issues on full display. Fear, falsehood and old ways of thinking are the exact reason we find ourselves in a mental health care crisis in our country.”

Mayor John Black says he will take the business license under review and research the history of their LLC.