Commissioner Cozzens rejects ‘forced entry’ wording, votes to approve June 8 minutes

Paul Cozzens, Iron County Commissioner, read a prepared statement at the June 22 commission meeting disputing an allegation made at the June 8 meeting that he had "forced his way into the jail." Cozzens said the allegation is false and described his version of events: he entered through the public access area and rang the doorbell to deliver a gallon of distilled water for his son's medical device. "To say someone forced their way into a jail suggests they overcame security, entered without authorization, breached a secure facility, or committed a serious security violation," Cozzens said, adding that no detention, arrest, incident report, or investigation followed because no breach occurred.

Cozzens told the commission he had requested related video and communications under GRAMA but had not yet received the records. He also criticized personal attacks during public discussion and said he regretted language he used when the meeting became heated. Still, he explained, "I will vote to approve the minutes as a record of what was said, but I do not concede the truth of every statement made." The commission approved the June 8 minutes on a motion by Cozzens, seconded by Commissioner Michael Bleak; the recorded vote was Bleak Aye, Cozzens Aye, Kenneth Robinson Absent.

The statement functions as Cozzens's public rebuttal of the prior meeting's characterization; he asked for video evidence and for the record to reflect his version of events. The clerk's minutes were approved as the official record, but Cozzens emphasized the distinction between approving minutes as a transcript of events and endorsing the accuracy of contested factual claims. The county did not provide additional evidence or a differing account during the June 22 meeting, and Cozzens said the GRAMA-produced records he requested remained outstanding.