Smithville Council Meeting with Sober Living Director Monday

Smithville’s City Council will meet with the director of Sober Living during Monday’s meeting to address some concerns expressed by citizens.

Mayor Josh Miller said the purpose of the meeting will be for Sober Living to educate the city on the services they provide.

“I asked Mr. (Tom) Vickers from Sober Living to come and just educate the council and also the public on his business, how it’s ran, what they do, and just explain the program,” Miller said. “This is not a testimonial meeting, I guess you could say. It’s something that’s just meant to be informative.”

Miller said several citizens have contacted him regarding potential issues and incidents involving residents at the Sober Living facility.

“You just hear a lot of complaints among the public. They come to city hall and they ask questions, and a lot of the questions I don’t have answers for,” Miller said. “That’s when I decided to call Mr. Vickers and just ask him to come in. I asked him if he would consider coming in and just explaining what they do, what happens after the program… If I don’t have the answers to the questions, I think it’s my obligation and the city’s obligation to get those answers.”

Sober Living Director Tom Vickers said the organization has standards in place for its residents. However, Vickers adds the service aims to help those battling addiction or reentering society from incarceration regain their footing.

“If you’ve been here two months and you have a job and you’re working, it’s hard to tell somebody they can’t walk to McDonald’s,” Vickers said. “We’ve got 24-hour-a-day staff at each one of these houses… [Residents] are drug-tested and monitored. If they don’t pass their drug test or do what they’re supposed to, they’re discharged.”

Vickers stands by the program and reaffirms local citizens that a few residents who disobey guidelines doesn’t represent Sober Living and its services as a whole.

“It’s all-around a good program. Is everybody going to do good? Absolutely not. Everybody isn’t ready to get clean,” Vickers said. “But if you want the opportunity, we’re able to get people jobs and we’ve got the transportation. It’s all-around a good thing.”

Miller said there isn’t much the city can do in regards to the concerns brought forth by citizens and that those who attend the meeting Monday may not feel any different.

“I don’t think Monday night, if you come in and you’re for [Sober Living], I think you’re going to leave for it,” Miller said. “If you’re against it, you’re probably going to leave against it. We hear so much talk here at city hall that, at the end of the day, the city has no jurisdiction on these places. I’ll say right now what I’m probably going to say Monday night, if you’re for it or you’re against it, you need to call your state reps and your state senators. That’s basically all that it is.”

The City Council meeting begins at 6 p.m. Monday inside City Hall.