Polk Courthouse Remodeling Work Will Improve Customer Service

Jim Diamond, left, and Terry Johnston, carpenters with Semco Construction, continue remodeling work for the consolidation of the Civil Division at the Polk County Courthouse in Bartow Friday.

BARTOW | When it comes to making things easier for the customer, the court clerk's office is willing to break down a few barriers in the way, starting with a wall.

In an effort to improve customer accessibility in the Polk County Courthouse, the Civil Division is being remodeled to consolidate all services related to Civil Court activities into one office area, said Stacy Butterfield, Clerk of the Circuit Court.

Since earlier this week, workers have been busy gutting the first floor's southeast corner of the courthouse to make room for family law, domestic violence, domestic relations, probate, juvenile dependency and civil law.

Eventually, a wall in the Civil Division will be knocked down to combine two rooms into one.

Butterfield said the project is part of a strategic plan "to deliver exceptional customer service," and one of the most pressing improvements needed was to consolidate services and office locations.

"I want customers to be able to access our services as quickly and conveniently as possible," she said. "This will eliminate long waits for the elevators and bouncing around the 10-story building. It will also further increase staff efficiencies and resources."

With the current layout, some people go to the front counter in the Civil Division looking for help, but are told to go across the hall or to a different level to address their particular needs, said Kim Stenger, the Civil Division director.

The two rooms to be combined into one in the southeast corner of the first floor will create a total of about 14,110 square feet for the newly remodeled Civil Division, Stenger said.

Customers will be able to walk up to a single long counter for all of their Civil Court needs, Stenger said.

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Polk Courthouse Remodeling Work Will Improve Customer Service