DANVILLE -- Opponents of the proposed halfway house at Danville State Hospital will have their chance to speak with state officials during a public forum hosted by the local League of Voters on Wednesday.

The forum will be held at 7 p.m. at the Danville municipal building ballroom, 239 Mill St., and will feature Paul O'Conner, director of the state Bureau of Community Corrections, which operates 50 halfway houses across the state.

O'Conner was among the state Department of Corrections representatives who discussed a proposal last month to use the vacant Kirkbride building next to the state hospital and NCSTU complex as a facility to transition parolees back into the community.

Several local officials will also be on hand to present their case against the proposal, including Jack Gerst, a Montour County commissioner, who has led the charge against bringing a halfway house to the area. Other officials include Tom Beiter, of the Downtown Business Association; Danville Police Chief Eric Gill and Mahoning Township Police Chief Dave Shope.

Local resident Bonnie Trump, who has circulated a petition against the halfway house proposal, will speak on behalf of the neighboring community. Dawn Koons-Gill, a Danville school board member, will also be a presenter and plans to discuss research she has done on the negative impact halfway houses have on local communities.

Diane Kitts, of the League of Voters, said residents will have a chance to comment and ask questions about the proposal. Audience members will each have 30 seconds to speak, Kitts said.

"We've invited a lot of representatives from other counties and municipalities who have a stake in this," Kitts said. "This will be a great opportunity for residents to learn more about the proposal and to give their say on how they feel about it."

Kitts said the goal is to let state officials know how the community feels and to learn what the next step in the process will be.

E-mail comments to jnorth@thedanvillenews.com.