This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

The Salt Lake County Council decided Tuesday to proceed with an investigation into whether Recorder Gary Ott resides in his district.

Council members in a unanimous vote formed a three-member special committee to carry out the investigation, Councilman Max Burdick confirmed after the meeting. The committee members are Burdick, Chairman Steve DeBry and Councilman Arlyn Bradshaw.

Burdick said the council will use its subpoena power to try to question Ott — who is said to have an unspecified mental illness — and to obtain documents and other witness testimony related to the recorder's residency.

Living in Salt Lake County is a requirement for Ott's elected position, which handles real estate documents. While Ott owns a home in Salt Lake City, it appears that he rarely visits it, and he may instead spend much of his time in Weber County.

Burdick said the committee planned to meet with the Salt Lake County district attorney's office in the coming week "so we completely understand all of our parameters" with issuing the subpoenas. The district attorney's office itself also has been investigating Ott's living situation.

"We want to try and establish his residency, and see if he's living in Salt Lake County or not," Burdick said. "If he's not living in Salt Lake County, that's very problematic."

Concerns about Ott's well-being and ability to perform his work have mounted since October, when he barely answered basic questions asked by the council. The recorder's office has largely continued without him, at the direction of Chief Deputy Recorder Julie Dole.

County Mayor Ben McAdams recently called on Ott to resign, and other county officials have indicated their preference that Ott step down because of his diminished mental capacity. But they have been unable to find an avenue in state law to remove him. His term expires in 2020, and he makes a base salary of about $149,000.

Ott's secretary and longtime friend, Karmen Sanone, speaks on his behalf. Weber County court records from 2010 also indicate that the two were engaged at the time.

At Ott's Salt Lake City home, The Salt Lake Tribune recently found several signs that the recorder had not been there for some time — an overflowing mailbox, a notice saying his water had been shut off. In addition, a real estate law firm recently filed a notice of default on the home.

Ott may instead be spending the majority of his time in Weber County. Police were called to Sanone's house in Weber County last year to check on his well-being. Last month, North Ogden police were called to a grocery store for a report of a confused elderly man and found Ott wandering. They dropped him off at Sanone's house, where he told officers he lived.

Proving Ott's residency may prove difficult, Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill has said, because residency is not only determined by physical presence of someone, but also where they intend to reside.

Twitter: @lramseth