To PD or not to PD: A community divided over establishing Moffat’s first police department

Hunter Horsely points towards his home, halfway from Moffat to Crestone.
Photo: Chase McCleary, Rocky Mountain PBS

One of the two paved roads in town ended abruptly on the other side of the Highway 17, just a few football fields away from the Moffat School. The only turn off was “Shakedown Street,” a gravel road leading to an expansive array of fenced-off structures, many of which were painted bright, neon green. 

The chain-link entrance was guarded by a few derailed train cars. One car was painted bright green and read, “Area 420.” Another, more worn car, bore a banner reading, “Dispensary Coming Soon.”

Derailed train cars reading “Area 420” stand in front of the 420-acre cannabis collaborative.
Photo: Chase McCleary, Rocky Mountain PBS

“Social equity farmers can come here and apply and acquire the land without having massive amounts of money to start out with,” said Horsely, “so it’s essentially a commercial cannabis operation for small craft, mom and pop-type cannabis operations to have place where they can combat corporate cannabis.”

Horsely claimed that many of the updates made on the recently-renovated Moffat School building were thanks in part to the excise taxes generated from Area 420.

But Tina Eastman, the founder and operator of a homey diner named Grammy’s Kitchen and a sitting school board member, was not so quick to credit the marijuana money nor the marijuana farms for Moffat’s improvements.

“School funding mostly comes from property taxes, state funding, federal grants…” said Eastman. While some of the excise tax money from Area 420 may have gone to purchasing the land for the new school, most of the funds were raised elsewhere, she said. 

Eastman is one of five generations of Eastman’s who have called Moffat home.

Tina Eastman, the founder and owner of Grammy’s Kitchen, stands in front of a mural painted for the restaurant by her daughter.
Photo: Chase McCleary, Rocky Mountain PBS

Eastman’s resume also includes a previous term as the town clerk and as the town mayor.

“I was actually Moffat’s first female mayor,” smiled Eastman, “so [I] kind of [feel] a little bit of ownership of the town.” 

“It would be awesome if we had some… law presence around,” she said, “but my big things is does the town have enough [money] to cover it.” 

Eastman highlighted Moffat’s need for a new water and wastewater system, something she has been pushing for nearly two decades (since her time as mayor).

Currently, all residents of the town have their own septic tanks and either pull water from their own personal wells or from a handful of shared town wells.

“If your neighbor takes a long shower one night, you may not have all that much water,” said Eastman.

Horsely acknowledged the need for reformed water systems. He gestured to the town’s volunteer fire department. 

“The town has been trying to raise money to put a well in for the fire department right here on their own property,” said Horsely. 

He pointed to a small, cement block sitting a few hundred feet away from the fire department. No larger than a small toolbox, the block rested among some burned debris from a recent structural fire.

“That’s the well,” Horesly said. “Does that look safe to you?”

The population of Moffat increased when 420 acres of land were annexed for the Area 420  cannabis collective in 2018. Eastman argued that with more people came more crime and less community. 

“You don’t really get to know the locals,” said Eastman. 

Eastman noticed the small town growing since her childhood. Despite the fact that Moffat’s population still only hovers around 108, Eastman said the town’s original neighborliness has been steadily dissipating. 

“When I was growing up… you knew everybody,” said Eastman. She remembered singing Christmas carols with neighbors, and when she wanted spending money, she’d offer to wash neighbors’ dinner dishes for 50 cents.

Gradually, many of Eastman’s childhood neighbors passed away, and the new residents in town have either stayed for a short time or have kept to themselves.

“There’s an increase in human population in the area, and it has increased the crime,” she said. Eastman cited thefts, hard drug use, shootings and a few missing persons cases over the past couple of years. Some of the missing were found dead. 

Currently, the Saguache County Sheriff’s Office is responsible for covering the entire county, which stretches many thousands of miles. While the county hired four new deputies in 2019, many residents feel the department is still being stretched too far and too thin.

Eastman mentioned rising housing and cost of living prices, which she claimed came in part due to Area 420. This has led to an increase in residents facing homelessness and unfit living conditions, including local students.

This has forced many to work multiple jobs; Eastman’s son, who cooks alongside her in Grammy’s Kitchen, also serves as a fireman and works on an excavation team. 

With less time to themselves, Eastman said that many find it difficult to attend town meetings where issues are discussed and decided.

“The last time it was full was when they were talking about changing the town name,” said Eastman. A few years ago following Area 420’s arrival, some locals had proposed changing the town’s name from “Moffat” to “Kush.”

Eastman is on board with the idea of assigning Horsely solely to Area 420 as opposed to the entire town.

 “It’s about prioritizing needs,” she said.

Chase McCleary is a multimedia journalist at Rocky Mountain PBS. Chasemccleary@rmpbs.org.