After closing its door in March due to COVID-19 concerns, Wake County’s Northern Regional Center reopened on Monday, Aug. 24, with new safety precautions. The center will offer residents – for the first time – the opportunity to drive up to the building and pay their taxes or get copies of their birth certificates.
“This is exactly the kind of ingenuity we need to keep our residents safe as we provide them with the services they need during this pandemic,” Wake County Commissioner Susan Evans said. “These new drive-through options will not only increase efficiency, but they will also reduce residents’ risk of possible exposure to the virus.”
The center is located at 350 East Holding Avenue in Wake Forest. It is now open on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
While the building’s lobby will be open for guests who choose to enter the building, those who prefer to avoid interaction with others can remain in the safety of their cars as staff complete their transactions.
“COVID-19 is still prevalent in our community, but many still need the services or resources we offer,” Northern Regional Center Director Russ Yeager said. “We were eager to open our doors again to the community, but we wanted to do so in a responsible and safe way.”
Residents who want to use the drive-through services must follow clearly marked steps, which include:
— Obtaining a sanitized envelope from the first station they will see;
— Placing required documents, a form of identification and payment in the envelope;
— Placing the envelope in a marked mailbox and raising the flag to alert staff;
— Moving to the waiting area in the parking lot; and
— Receiving completed documents and a receipt from staff when the transactions are completed.
Resident are still encouraged to wear masks while in their car, and all Wake County staff members will wear PPE while working.
Payments may be made by either cash or check. Residents can fill out the proper paperwork in advance of their visit by going to the online Wake County website, www.wakegov.com, for the Tax Administration office for tax forms and the Register of Deeds for birth certificate forms.
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