NEW TOWN – The chairman of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation, also known as the Three Affiliated Tribes, says a permit matter involving the demolition of a structure on property owned by the Three Affiliated Tribes in Las Vegas has been rectified.

Last week a Las Vegas newspaper reported the tribe demolished the former White Sands Motel on property the tribe bought last spring but didn’t have the required permit for the demolition work according to the local building department’s records.

“We contracted a locally-licensed contractor to conduct the demo work of the former White Sands,” said Mark Fox. He said the demolition was necessary not only because of the need for future development, but was also a significant health concern as it was dilapidated and full of junk, debris, etc.

“By contract, the group we hired were required to get the proper permits for the cleanup project. They secured permits, but were missing an important one, something they have since corrected by paying a fee and penalty, and now have all permits required. The contractor apologized to us for the mistake and error,” Fox said.