The delicate nature of helping the young house has been highlighted in recent weeks after the Montrose United Methodist Church received a cease and desist order from Montrose County Public Health Department. The order cited sanitation issues at the church's homeless encampment. Prior to the order, the city of Montrose sent numerous fines to the church for violating a recent camping ban in the city.
Before the the February 19th abatement hearing in municipal court, KVNF spoke to congregant Paul Zaenger, who spoke passionately about the church's mission to help those in need.
"We're not turning people away. That are in great need. Um, that's, that's, that's a provision that's in the Bible. It's in the book of Matthew, and you can look that up at the latter half of chapter twenty-five It's quite clear that when people come to you and they're in need, that this is a responsibility from a religious standpoint, from a faith-based standpoint.," Zaenger told KVNF.
During the nearly five-hour-long hearing on the 19th, Montrose Municipal Court Judge Erica Maxwell ruled in favor of the church, allowing unhoused individuals to remain on the property, pending a report from the Montrose Fire Marshal.
As a follow-up to that story, KVNF's Lisa Young spoke with Montrose County Manager Frank Rodriguez on how the county is handling the ongoing situation. Rodriguez, who spoke on behalf of the county and its public health department, was unable to address certain details surrounding the issue due to the ongoing court case.
Lisa Young: What can you tell me about the unhoused situation in the county?
Frank Rodriguez: I can't speak to the actual numbers that we have in Montrose County. However, I can tell you that from the county's perspective, we want to ensure that, everybody recognizes they're also our customers. So whenever the county gets involved in something, it's not by no means that we're targeting anybody. We're actually doing the exact opposite, we're trying to protect everyone.
So with regard to the in housed in Montrose County, you know, from our perspective, we're also trying to ensure is a holistic approach and ensuring that we get every individual what he or she may need in order to help them out in a manner that is unique to their circumstances.
Young: In what ways is Montrose County helping the unhoused? Are there programs or funding that you have available?
Rodriguez: While we specifically do not have a Montrose County program, we do recognize our partners in the community and those are the partners that we reach out to and make ourselves available in order to support them and make them successful in their application of addressing the unhoused.
Young: Are you able to answer the question, why did the public health department issue a citation to the church and do you know what those violations were?
Rodriguez: I don't want to speak specifically to the violations. I think the best way to address that answer is we're in a partnership with the city of Montrose. Our involvement is everybody's public health. That is why we've been involved. So the spirit in this case is very important and I want to convey to anybody listening is that. Again, We're not targeting anyone. We just want to make sure everybody gets taken care of.
So when we involve, that is really kind of the ethos that we go into approaching that situation. Based off of objective findings and in those objective findings that kind of highlights to us whether or not people are at risk. And in this case, again, not being specific, we have identified some of those things intended to protect everyone involved.
Young: Going forward, I'm curious about how the county will respond to the church?
Rodriguez: Again, a very professional and objective approach in everything we do within the county. We serve everyone, right? We have a county of approximately 44,000 citizens and everyone is not only a customer, they're all our partners as well. And that would not change regardless. In this case what the court decides is ultimately the law and that's what we're going to follow with regard to public health.
Again, our responsibilities and obligation extend not to just one group expect it extends the entire community and if we are not addressing it responsibly and appropriately, our failure in one small area could lead to a larger problem. Which again in recent history, as I said in COVID that response was very, very deliberate and I think it's a great example of any type of disease process Or the potential thereof and how we address that is extremely important.
Young: Is there anything else that you would like to add that we haven't talked about that you think listeners at this point need to hear?
Rodriguez: Whether I clarify or I'm being repetitive is that Montrose County is extremely compassionate, not just for one particular group or sector or type of person. We, we are compassionate with everyone and we apply everything within our boundaries appropriately. We do so in a way that only not only ensures good professional objective application, but at the same time never misses the spirit of human compassion and we do that.
And this thing has garnered a lot of interest because we're talking about human beings and I have not nor will we lose sight of the fact that we recognize it but we the county are applying any actions that we take appropriately and consistently intended to take care of everyone in the county and that's our obligation and that's our oath.
