Arizona to close state offices in FLDS town
 
By Suzanne Adams
Kingman Daily Miner
Deseret News
 
KINGMAN, Ariz. — Over the objections of the sheriff, attorney and Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard, the Mohave County Board of Supervisors approved the removal of property from satellite state and county offices in the Colorado City area by a 2 to 1 vote.

The adjoining polygamist communities of Colorado City, Ariz., and Hildale, Utah, are both home to the Fundamentalist LDS Church.

A five-year lease the county has with Mohave Community College expires April 1. The college sent a letter to the county on Feb. 5 stating it will not continue to lease the property to the county and requested that the county remove all items, including a double-wide trailer, from the property.

The trailer houses satellite offices for the Mohave County sheriff, county attorney, Arizona attorney general and Arizona Department of Economic Security. It also houses an office for the Defenders of Children. The move could make it more difficult for residents in the area to receive county services and make it more difficult to provide adequate law enforcement or emergency services in the area.

"This is just a lease expiring," community college chancellor Michael Kearns said Monday, when asked if the termination of the lease had anything to do with the Defenders of the Children or the drop in MCC enrollment figures in the area, "There are many, many factors that come into play in that area (Hildale/Colorado City). We're not trying to pre-empt or respond to anything. We're not making a statement about anyone."

There are plenty of other properties in the area the county could use, he said.

The topic was first brought to the attention of the board in January, when a sublease with the Defenders of the Children was brought up for renewal. At that time, a representative from the Colorado City area objected to the renewal of the lease. The board was to meet with the MCC governing board or Kearns about the situation.

County Manager Ron Walker said he and supervisor Gary Watson met with Kearns in January. At that time, Kearns told them that the college's lease with the county was up in April and it was unlikely that the college would renew the lease. The college later sent the letter stating it would not renew the lease.

Mohave County Supervisor Buster Johnson questioned whether that information was ever brought back to the board before Monday's meeting and if the lack of offices in the area would be a detriment.

"This is not their (MCC's) problem to solve. It would be up to us and the state of Arizona, if the board so chooses, to maintain a presence in the area," Walker said. "I don't feel we have the position to argue with someone who owns the property and tell them how they ought to manage it."

The county has made a good effort to provide needed services to residents in the area, said David Gardner, from Colorado City.

"However several problems have come up with that particular building," he said. "First, it was put into Colorado City on a political and emotional hype, with the appearance of doing it to the people rather than doing it for the people."

"They referred to the building as a big step in providing increased assets to victim services and law enforcement," Gardner said. "They advertised that hundreds of women and children would soon be fleeing to them. That statement has been proven false and would be laughable if it wasn't so tyrannical."

However, the county should still consider putting in satellite offices in the area to help serve residents' needs, he said.

Mohave County Sheriff Tom Sheahan, County Attorney Matt Smith and Goddard argued against removing offices from the area. It was up to the college whether to renew the lease or not, Sheahan said.

"I think that we need to send a message that we're going to have law enforcement, trustworthy law enforcement there, a law enforcement office that all people can call when they need assistance," he said.

"I feel compelled to speak because of some of the issues that were raised by Mr. Gardner today," said Smith. "It's a done deal. MCC has the right to terminate the lease. There was really no opposition to it. Yet, Mr. Gardner had to come in here with his political rhetoric and try to tell you that there was no need to have this building up there and nothing could be further from the truth."

Law enforcement had to be brought to the area, because the law enforcement in the area served its allegiance to the FLDS Church, not the community, he said.

"It was the decision of the board, with the backing of the county manager as well, to do something about what was going on up there that has led to the fact that the prophet (Warren Jeffs) is sitting in our jail right now," Smith said.

Smith expressed concern that investigator Gary Engels, who had done a number of investigations into the FLDS, have an office in the area to continue his work. The board also received a letter of concern from Goddard.

"I fear that closure of that facility will have dire and irreversible consequences and set back six years of joint efforts by Arizona and Utah law enforcement to bring justice and services to the victims of abuse in Colorado City," Goddard wrote. The presence of state and local offices in the area have helped to break down barriers to victims in the area and provided needed resources.

The board may ask staff to consider looking for a new location for offices in the area in the future.
 
DeseretNews.com
Originally published Monday, March 2, 2009
 
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