Courthouse, city buildings re-open Mon.

People driving along Flaming Gorge Way Monday morning would have seen the line.

Several people waited outside the Sweetwater County Courthouse’s south entrance on the first day the courthouse would open after an extended closure resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Once inside, temporary employees met with visitors to find out what they needed to do and placed them into different lines associated with different county functions.

According to Garry McLean, the county’s human resources director, said nearly 20 people were lined up Monday morning, many of whom were there to register vehicles.

Until further notice, visitors can only enter the building through the south entrance facing Flaming Gorge Way and are directed to exit from the entrance facing North 1st West Street to ensure social distancing guidelines are followed. The Flaming Gorge Way entrance has better access for disabled people, necessitating the need to utilize that as the primary entrance.

McLean said there was an initial imbalance between kiosks at the Sweetwater County Treasurer’s Office and the Sweetwater County Clerk’s Office, with five plastic guards installed at the treasurer’s office and two initially installed at the clerk’s office. He said this caused longer wait times for the county clerk’s office, but was something they are working to address.

While there was an imbalance in line speeds, McLean said people at the courthouse were cooperative and understanding of the measures placed at the courthouse.

He also said several residents also used disposable masks and hand sanitizing stations provided to them while waiting at the courthouse.

However, due to the added wait times resulting from social distancing responses the county has enacted, McLean encourages residents to either utilize the online payment options the county has or conduct business and pay fees through mail.

Commissioner Wally Johnson said he can’t say enough about the work county employees performed in getting the courthouse ready for public use, saying many employees worked long hours prior to Monday’s opening.

Municipal buildings in Green River opened the same day.

Visitation at Green River City Hall wasn’t as heavy as the Sweetwater County Courthouse Monday. City Administrator Reed Clevenger said most city business involves permit seeking and other activities which can be done remotely or through scheduled appointments with city employees.

He also said the opening of the Green River Recreation Center went well.

“There were some people who sent some (thank-you notes) for opening,” Clevenger said.

While some limitations do remain, Clevenger said he expects pandemic policies to relax more in the coming weeks.

He also said he will meet with department heads and staff in the future to determine how the city can improve services for residents

“Once the first week goes through, we’ll see if it continues to move smoothly,” Clevenger said. “We haven’t received any complaints.”