FLDS asked to cut back construction
 
Jason Ferguson
Custer County Chronicle - Custer, South Dakota
 
Custer County officials recently met with officials from the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) in an effort to come to an agreement over FLDS construction hours. Whether or not the meeting amounted to much is yet to be seen.

At the Aug. 24 meeting of the Custer County Commission, commission chairman David Hazeltine told of the meeting, at which the head of the FLDS compound in southwest Custer County, Ben "Ed" Johnson, told county officials he would talk with landowners surrounding the compound and get back with them. Landowners around the compound have been up in arms recently over the compound’s 24-hour construction.

Commissioner Phil Lampert told the commission that Jim Farmer, owner of Canyon Rim Ranch which sits near the compound, told him he had been contacted by the FLDS, as had some of his renters. FLDS members hoped plates of cookies would pacify the neighbors.

The county is still weighing its options on whether or not to enact an ordinance that would tie building permits into hours construction could take place. FLDS officials were made aware of county restrictions that could be coming down the pike if some sort of agreement was not reached between them and their neighbors. The commission hoped to hear back from the FLDS prior to the Aug. 24 meeting, but did not. The commission decided it should get in touch with the compound to see what, if anything, was worked out between the FLDS and its neighbors.

Available only in the print version of the Custer County Chronicle. To subscribe, call 605-673-2217.
 
CusterCountyNews.com
Originally published Wednesday, August 31st, 2011
 
Back