Andrew O’Brien’s recent timeline regarding a methadone clinic for Dunkirk — as reported in this newspaper on Oct. 6 — has been an eye-opener for many. O’Brien, highly respected former director of behavioral health at UPMC Chautauqua — formerly WCA Hospital, advocated and worked for a clinic in the city.

His agency even had a location for it at 306 Central Ave. once the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services had approved a three-year, $1.5 million grant to expand opioid services in Chautauqua County.

What was unexpected was that another agency would win a successful application for another clinic in the city. Besides UPMC, Hispanics United also won approval to have a site. UPMC, which was hoping to “break even” and not profit from the service, had to reconsider its investment. With two winners, running a deficit was more likely for the health provider.

In the meantime, Hispanics United chose a poor location near the Northern Chautauqua Catholic School that was later rejected in the summer of 2018. It has provided no further updates since then.

“Myself and others at UPMC were astonished that at no time were the public informed that UPMC had a site that was approved that was better placed than Hispanics United,” O’Brien told the OBSERVER last week. “At no time did the mayor of Dunkirk reach out to us and ask us to renew our Dunkirk plans since the Hispanic United’s plan was stuck in limbo.”

This angle, reported exclusively here, brings plenty of questions at a bad time — an election year. But this had been going on long before now — and all elected city officials were silent.

From this account, we should not still be at square one.