Doctors, nurses, law enforcement, truckers, grocers and others who have stepped up to keep us healthy, safe and well-fed are heroes who should be celebrated for their extraordinary efforts.
However, during this pandemic, there have been less high-profile jobs done with little acknowledgment. I call them our “hidden heroes,” and they include those of us who kept our court and county business functioning so that our democratic structure never faltered.
Whether recording official records to keep our real estate industry open, allowing due process for our citizens by attending court hearings or securing payments to county vendors to keep businesses afloat, my team of nearly 700 employees have continued working for you.
While our doors were temporarily closed for non-essential services, on Monday, May 11, we will begin our “return to normal plan.” I believe this is the right time to resume services for customers who need to enter into payment plans, visit our self-service center for assistance with landlord-tenant, small claims and divorce issues, or to otherwise seek assistance.
Knowing that safety measures are on everyone’s mind, I have made some important changes to our operations to ensure we are serving you safely. Those changes include:
• Requiring that all visitors to wear face coverings.
• Installing plexiglass dividers in our customer service areas.
• Placing floor decals 6 feet apart inside our customer lobbies.
• Monitoring our lobbies to ensure they do not exceed capacity to meet social distancing guidelines.
To further ensure social distancing and to provide added convenience, some services, including marriage licenses and marriage ceremonies, will be offered by appointment only. To schedule an appointment for a marriage license or ceremony, visit www.mypalmbeachclerk.com/marriage.
For our customers who can do business with us remotely, we continue to provide nearly all of our services online. Visit www.mypalmbeachclerk.com/services for a full list of our online offerings, including paying a traffic ticket, making a child support payment, electronically filing court documents or electronically recording official records such as mortgages and deeds.
Last year, we served more than 600,000 walk-in customers at our offices. We have missed you, and we look forward to safely serving you again.
Sharon R. Bock, Palm Beach County Clerk & Comptroller
