(Waukesha, WI)- Waukesha County leaders have taken steps to ensure that residents are able to safely access most county services during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Most offices continue to be fully staffed and able to provide government services online, over the phone, by mail, or through drop-off sites. However, in-person visitors will go through new screening processes and will have limited access to most Waukesha County facilities starting on Wednesday, March 25, 2020. While online, phone, and drop-off sites will continue to operate under normal business hours, public access to the Waukesha County Courthouse is limited from 10:00 am until 3:00 pm until further notice.
New Screening Process
In light of COVID-19 and the declared public health emergency, and for the safety of all, visitors seeking entry into the Waukesha County Courthouse will be screened with the following questions:
- Do you have a fever, cough or shortness of breath?
- Have you been in close contact with a person known to have COVID-19?
- Have you recently traveled to Level 3 Countries or CDC designated out of state “hot spots?” (will be depicted on a sign)
If a visitor answers “yes” to any of the above questions, they will not be allowed access and will be directed to conduct their business through on-line services or to call the office they intended to visit for further direction.
Waukesha County Administration Center
The Waukesha County Administration Center will be closed to the public starting on Wednesday, March 25. Public services that take place here can continue to be accessed through the Waukesha County Courthouse main doors, but will be relocated to the Business Center in C112. Residents should check with individual departments to learn whether walk-in services are still available or if they must make an appointment in advance in order to follow proper social distancing protocols.
Waukesha County Circuit Courts
In an effort to protect the public, attorneys, courts staff and judges from the health risks associated with COVID-19, the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the Waukesha County Circuit Court have issued orders. These orders include guidelines that ensure that the essential functions and operations of the court continue while mitigating risks to employees and the public. This includes the temporary suspension of in-person proceedings with certain limited exceptions through May 22, 2020. In addition, all civil and criminal jury trials scheduled to begin before May 22, 2020 are cancelled and will be rescheduled.
Traffic Calendars for citations are cancelled through May 22, 2020 and will be rescheduled.
All Juvenile and Probate Courts operations and hearings will be relocated to the main Courthouse effective Wednesday, March 25.
At this time, all jury services scheduled from March 16, 2020 through May 22, 2020 are limited to emergencies only. Jurors summoned for this time period should not report to the Courthouse for jury service, but should continue to call in as instructed.
All other cases will proceed as scheduled unless otherwise notified by the court. More information is available at www.waukeshacounty.gov/circuitcourts/.
Waukesha County Health and Human Services Center – CORRECTED INFORMATION
The Health & Human Services Center will be open 7:45 am – 4:30 pm Monday – Friday. No public services provided after the building closes at 4:30 pm.
Waukesha County Parks
Waukesha County Parks’ parks, trails, golf courses, and Dog Exercise Areas are open to the public while staying in compliance with the State of Wisconsin’s “Safer at Home” order and all rules and regulations set forth by the State of Wisconsin and the Department of Health Services. At this time playground equipment is closed, we are not able to wipe down tables and other surfaces so we invite our guests to bring hand sanitizer with them, just to be safe.
For More Information
All other changes to Waukesha County operations and hours are posted online at www.waukeshacounty.gov.
