La Plata County Human Services will be closed Jan. 15 as the departments move out of the La Plata County Courthouse and into new office space at 10 Burnett Court.

The move will take place Jan. 15-18. All county offices will be closed on Jan. 18 in observance of Martin Luther King Day.

Human Services Director Lezlie Mayer said the departments will probably “partially open” on Jan. 19, with at least the financial assistance programs up and running.

“This move will give us more space, and all our programs will be housed in the same building,” Mayer said. “It has parking, which was always a struggle before, and I think it will benefit staff.”

Human Services’ white dropbox for applications and documents at the corner of Second Avenue and 11th Street will remain in that place, so clients need not go to 10 Burnett Court to file papers.

Public transportation will be available to reach the new office building. The Crestview/West 160 bus, which drives Route 4 and Route 5, will pick up and drop off riders at Human Services upon request.

Human Services includes child foster care and adult protection services.

The county is leasing the office space for now, though about $8 million was written into the 2016 budget to purchase the building.

The move is part of a larger reconfiguration of county administrative office space. Last month, the county building and planning departments relocated from their courthouse basement offices to offices at 211 Rockpoint Drive.

jpace@durangoherald.com