Placer County to increase public counter service June 1

Published May 28, 2020

Placer County will begin increasing its public counter services Monday, June 1, with precautionary measures in place to help protect residents and employees from the novel coronavirus.

While residents are still encouraged to take advantage of the county’s array of online services, in-person assistance with limited walk-in availability will be provided at many county facilities located in Rocklin, Roseville, Auburn and North Lake Tahoe. Placer County has created a public counter service web page to help residents easily access services, online and in person.

“We have been working diligently for the past two weeks to prepare the county’s various public spaces for a safe and responsible reopening,” said Placer County Executive Officer Todd Leopold. “Following the state’s public health guidelines, we are prepared with face covers, sanitizer and a host of procedures that are designed to safeguard customers and employees, but we still want to encourage our residents to take advantage of the county’s online services whenever possible.”

The following is a set of preventive measures the county is implementing in compliance with California’s Resilience Roadmap:

• Physical distancing, including installation of protective barriers at front counters
• Recommending face coverings be worn by customers while inside county facilities
• Requiring  employees to use face coverings when interacting with customers and when physical distancing not possible
• Frequent handwashing and regular cleaning of surfaces
• Employee training on the county’s COVID-19 prevention plan
• Posting of recommended behaviors for employees and visitors

Most public counter services in Placer County have been limited since March 17 due to COVID-19 pandemic but telework has enabled many county workers to provide services remotely. County workers will continue to telework where possible in accordance with the recommendation from the California Department of Public Health.

Starting Monday, Health and Human Services will increase public counter service at its facilities in Rocklin, Roseville, Auburn and Tahoe City for all programs and services with the exception of CalWorks, CalFresh, Medi-Cal and Veterans Services, which are slated for counter service June 8. Check the county website for a complete listing of lobby hours and services.

Public counter services will also open in the Finance Administration Building, which houses the Offices of the Auditor-Controller, Assessor, Treasurer-Tax Collector and Clerk Recorder-Registrar of Voters. Located in the Placer County Government Center in North Auburn, lobby hours will be open from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Marriage ceremonies have already resumed by appointment only in the Clerk- Recorder’s Office but witnesses and family have not been allowed to attend. This restriction will be lifted starting Monday, but wedding parties will be limited to 10 people.

The Community Redevelopment Resource Agency (CDRA), the department where building permits and plan checks are processed, is slated to open its public counters by appointment only on June 8 for both the Auburn and Tahoe City Offices. Appointments will be available Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and can be scheduled through the eServices online appointments feature. Please note, that the eServices digital suite allows residents to conveniently submit applications online for residential and commercial development projects. Customers can also lookup zoning requirements, apply for permits and more from the comfort of their home or business. 

Pet adoptions have continued throughout the pandemic by appointment only at the Placer County Animal Services Center but starting Monday full access to the shelter will be available. Shelter workers plan to limit the number of patrons inside the building to maintain physical distance and will continue to provide virtual meet and greets and adoption appointments.

The county’s libraries and museums will remain closed for the foreseeable future as they are not included in the current Stage 2 of the governor’s four-stage plan to reopen California. Library materials can still be checked out online on the Library Services website and Placer County Museums is offering virtual museum tours of Placer County’s historic destinations.

For a complete listing of public counter services and their reopening schedules please visit the Placer County COVID-19 public counter services webpage for updated information.