“One thing we found out really quickly is we have to get innnovative to continue serving our residents and meeting their needs,” said District 2 Commissioner Julie Braastad.
The rooms, which will be built in the Job Services Center in Blaine (two rooms), the License Center in Coon Rapids, the Ham Lake Library, and the Mississippi Library in Fridley. The spaces will be outfitted with a camera and screen for video conferencing, a printer, and walls to create a sense of privacy. The sign inside the room instructs the person who shows up for his or her appointment that the county staff member will initiate the video call when the appointment is supposed to begin.
The county set up a pilot room at the Government Center in downtown Anoka, and Braastad said it’s been used dozens of times with great success.
“It’s important for us to make it convenient for everyone in the county,” said Braastad. “We have strategically decided where to place these.”
There will also be a printer in each room so that the staff member can print out any documents the visitor needs.
“We don’t anything to fall by the wayside, because what we do is really important and, so often, we’re the safety net in their lives, so this will really secure that service,” said Braastad.
