MONROE - The Green County Justice Center was ready for business Tuesday.
Some offices moved into the county's 64,700-square-foot facility earlier this month. Wisconsin Department of Corrections-Probation and Parole and the State Public Defender's office moved in the first week of September. The University of Wisconsin-Extension office moved in the following week.
The court system offices, which include the clerk of court, circuit court office, child support and corporation counsel moved in last week.
By Tuesday, files had been organized and workers were prepared to begin their first day on the job in the new building.
"I think the public will be happy with this building," Green County Circuit Court Branch One Judge James Beer said. "This was very well done. It's going to serve the county for years."
Beer and Green County Circuit Court Branch Two Judge Tom Vale settled who would get their pick of offices and courtrooms democratically.
"I got to pick which office I wanted, and he got to pick which courtroom he wanted," Beer joked.
County employees said they appreciated the extra room in the new building.
"All of our files are in one place," Clerk of Court Carol Thompson said.
In the past, court files were kept at the Courthouse and at Pleasant View because there wasn't enough room to store them all at one location.
Thompson said a lot of the files are in the clerk's office while the rest of them are stored in the storage area on the ground floor.
For some offices, such as Green County Child Support, the extra space will give them a place to talk to clients.
"We interview people on a confidential basis," child support administrator Vicki Miller-Share said. "We have our own conference room."
Miller-Share said the people who work in her office will be able to organize their case files more easily since there is more room.
"I'm happy to have the extra space," she said.
Construction on the Justice Center began in September 2008.
The building houses the county's court system offices and also includes the University of Wisconsin-Extension office on the lower level.
All of the phone numbers, e-mail addresses and fax numbers for the judicial offices and UW-Extension remain the same.
Some offices moved into the county's 64,700-square-foot facility earlier this month. Wisconsin Department of Corrections-Probation and Parole and the State Public Defender's office moved in the first week of September. The University of Wisconsin-Extension office moved in the following week.
The court system offices, which include the clerk of court, circuit court office, child support and corporation counsel moved in last week.
By Tuesday, files had been organized and workers were prepared to begin their first day on the job in the new building.
"I think the public will be happy with this building," Green County Circuit Court Branch One Judge James Beer said. "This was very well done. It's going to serve the county for years."
Beer and Green County Circuit Court Branch Two Judge Tom Vale settled who would get their pick of offices and courtrooms democratically.
"I got to pick which office I wanted, and he got to pick which courtroom he wanted," Beer joked.
County employees said they appreciated the extra room in the new building.
"All of our files are in one place," Clerk of Court Carol Thompson said.
In the past, court files were kept at the Courthouse and at Pleasant View because there wasn't enough room to store them all at one location.
Thompson said a lot of the files are in the clerk's office while the rest of them are stored in the storage area on the ground floor.
For some offices, such as Green County Child Support, the extra space will give them a place to talk to clients.
"We interview people on a confidential basis," child support administrator Vicki Miller-Share said. "We have our own conference room."
Miller-Share said the people who work in her office will be able to organize their case files more easily since there is more room.
"I'm happy to have the extra space," she said.
Construction on the Justice Center began in September 2008.
The building houses the county's court system offices and also includes the University of Wisconsin-Extension office on the lower level.
All of the phone numbers, e-mail addresses and fax numbers for the judicial offices and UW-Extension remain the same.