County supervisors look at Colorado City library
 
By JIM SECKLER
Mohave Daily News
 
KINGMAN - Two issues dealing with Colorado City went before the Mohave County supervisors Monday.

The board heard from a library group from that northern Mohave County town wishing to establish a county library there. County director Bob Shupe said the library that had been in Colorado City disappeared when Warren Jeffs, the jailed leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, assumed leadership of the church in 2002.

Shupe said there is an interest in a library in the area and a 4,000-square-foot, two-story former schoolhouse could be used even though the building is owned by the church. The city and surrounding area is currently served using book-by-mail through the county library.

Dist. 1 Sup. Pete Byers supported putting a library in the area as did Dist. 2 Sup. Tom Sockwell but warned the group that the first sign of censorship or removing any books by the church, the supervisors, which also acts as the board of directors for the library district, would close the library down.

Dist. 3 Sup. Buster Johnson opposed the move saying he has not seen a need from the current book-by-mail system. Johnson also questioned if there was adequate parking or handicap access. He also suggested lowering the property taxes for the library district because of an increase in the library budget.

Byers and Sockwell voted to proceed with the library but to come back with proposals on the cost and the final location.

The supervisors also postponed a request by the Defenders of Children to rent space in the county building in Colorado City. The Phoenix group would provide free or low-cost legal services to low-income families.

County Manager Ron Walker raised several questions including liability, damage insurance and possibly sharing the building with other non-profit organizations.

Byers said he would not support the request unless the issue of liability is resolved as well as some sort of rent payment. Byers said non-profit groups normally do not use county buildings.

Denise Meenan, of Community Legal Services Inc., a federally-funded advocacy group in Mohave County, said her group is being overlooked in obtaining space in Colorado City. She has several clients in Colorado City and is willing to share space with Defenders of Children, a group that has only been in existence since January.
 
MohaveDailyNews.com
Originally published Tuesday, May 20, 2008
 
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