Beginning June 1, the doors at both Washington County’s Historic Courthouse and its Johnson City office will reopen to in-person service with precautions in place.
“We ask that everyone enter the courthouse from the side entrance across from Texas Burritos and More, or the ground floor entrance for ADA access, and follow the signage in the lobbies and observe physical distancing while in line for services,” explained Mayor Joe Grandy. “For the first couple of weeks and per CDC guidelines for office buildings, we will temperature check anyone entering the courthouse.”
Out of an abundance of caution, county offices closed to in-person service on March 23. County employees continued to provide services over the phone, online and through the mail. Those measures, coupled with the extension of deadlines by Governor Bill Lee, allowed for a continuation of business.
“We are encouraging the continued use of online services for renewing tags, applying for permits and scheduling inspections to limit the number of individuals inside county buildings,” Grandy said.
Under Governor Bill Lee’s Executive Order No. 36, the deadline for renewing tags that expired in March, April or May is June 15, so residents have a little more time than usual.
At this time, the county plans to hold county committee meetings and the June commission meeting electronically. The occupancy limit still applies to courtrooms at the George Jaynes Justice Center. Libraries will open within the next few weeks, but continue to provide curbside service for patrons.
For the latest details on county government, please visit washingtoncountytn.org.
