Most St. Joseph County and City of South Bend offices will continue to be closed in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19.
This follows a recommendation from the St. Joseph County Health Department. Limited in-person access to the County City Courthouse Complex will continue, with the facilities closed to the public until the county is listed as Yellow on the state’s COVID-19 County Metrics Advisory Map.
As of Friday, the county remained in the Orange category, but has spent some time recently in the more widespread Red category that dominates the state.
All county meetings will continue to be conducted virtually in accordance with the Governor’s Executive Order allowing remote participation. The public may access these meetings via the information provided on the corresponding agenda for each meeting. Agendas for each meeting can be found at http://sjcindiana.com/agendacenter.
The South Bend Common Council will continue to hold meetings virtually. Residents can access the agenda and links to join the meetings at https://southbendin.gov/department/common-council.
Anyone under the supervision of the Adult Probation Department is directed to call their Probation Officer to determine reporting requirements.
Those needing services for all other departments are encouraged to contact those departments directly to either schedule an appointment, or to conduct their business either over the phone, or online. Many county services are available online at http://sjcindiana.com. City services can be found at http://www.southbendin.gov/covid19cityservices.
A full directory of county offices is available online at http://sjcindiana.com/directory. City offices can be reached by dialing 311, or by calling 574-233-0311.
Persons needing to conduct business with the courts should utilize drop boxes located in each courthouse. Child Support and Small Claims payments can still be made in person.
The Juvenile Justice Center will be closing to the public at noon daily. Those with business before the Probate Court, or under the supervision of their probation department should contact them directly to determine reporting requirements and case status.
The St. Joseph County Jail and Police Records Division are also closed to the public and will not be conducting fingerprinting. Information about requesting background checks by mail and instructions for Handgun Licenses can be found at http://sjcindiana.com/357/Records-Division.
The County Services Building in Mishawaka remains open for those interested in visiting the Health Department’s Immunization Clinic but calling ahead and booking an appointment is encouraged. To make an appointment, please call 574-235-9750, Ext. 5. Due to staffing requirements at the COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic at St. Hedwig Memorial Center, the Immunization Clinic at the County-City Building is currently closed.
The Penn Township Assessor’s office continues to be closed to the public.
St. Joseph County Parks remain open to the public, and outdoor activities where physical distancing can be maintained is encouraged, however their offices are closed to the public.
