STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — Routt County buildings and offices gradually are reopening to the public following weeks of restricted in-person services due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

People now can make appointments for key activities, such as human services, marriage licenses and VIN inspections. Barriers and signs have been posted in buildings to educate people on guidelines and protocols. All visitors must follow public health rules, including wearing a face mask and maintaining 6 feet of distance between themselves and others. 

Business has been booming this week following the reopening, according to Public Works Director Ray DuBois. On Monday, an employee was outside the alley entrance to the Routt County Courthouse managing a line of clients. By Tuesday, the line had subsided, and people were able to enter the building on their own. 

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“It’s working pretty smoothly,” DuBois said of the reopening. 

Many offices are operating at reduced staff, DuBois said, so people should expect longer waits than normal. The best way to avoid the line is to schedule an appointment ahead of time, which the county highly encourages.

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To make an appointment, visit the county’s website at co.routt.co.us and use the department dropdown menu to find the phone number of the respective office. Signs with department phone numbers also are posted outside county buildings. 

Offices cannot accommodate a large number of walk-in customers under the social distancing guidelines. The Department of Motor Vehicles currently is the only office taking unrestricted walk-ins, according to DuBois. 

Anyone who is feeling sick should stay home, the county advises.

The Routt County Sheriff’s Office is keeping its lobby doors closed but is meeting with people on an appointment basis. Employees are evaluating people’s temperature upon arrival, according to the agency’s website. 

At the Routt County Justice Center, many court activities have been completed online. The Routt County Jail has followed a protocol of issuing personal recognizance bonds to low-level offenders as a way of reducing the number of people in the jail following concerns of exposing inmates to the virus.

Most work at the Routt County Department of Human Services is being done remotely, according to a county news release. People can schedule in-person appointments and interviews with staff. 

The Routt County Fairgrounds in Hayden currently offers open riding to residents of Routt and Moffat counties. 

The Yampa Valley Regional Airport has remained open throughout the pandemic with stricter health protocols in place at the airport and on flights. 

County officials hope to continue their reopening process in the weeks ahead as the state government evaluates the safer-at-home order, which has been extended to July 1.  

To reach Derek Maiolo, call 970-871-4247, email dmaiolo@SteamboatPilot.com or follow him on Twitter @derek_maiolo.