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Passport service returning to county

By Staff | Jul 27, 2014

Faribault County is now able to add another service at the courthouse.

At the Faribault County Commissioners meeting last Tuesday, Faribault County Recorder Sherry Asmus shared the news that they have been approved to begin offering passport services in the county again.

In May of 2011 the county was informed they would no longer be able to offer this service. The regulation stated that offices who held birth certificate records could not also offer passport services.

According to Asmus, this was set up in order to prevent fraud situations.

It was in November of 2013 that Asmus informed the County Board the county was applying to be redesignated for this service.

Upon being approved to offer passport services, the county now has the task of hiring a new employee.

“This will not be a new position, we are just filling the vacant one,” says Dawn Fellows of the central services office.

The new employee will be designated as the lead person for the passport services and Clara Vereide in the central service office will work as the backup.

“Again, we are not adding any hours, this new employee will just be a replacement,”?Fellows says. “We have added and shifted responsibilities to add this service.”

The county will be interviewing for this new employee this week and hopes to have the position solidified by the end of the week.

The hours for passport services will be Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Also, as they pick this service back up, they will need to purchase additional equipment.

“We don’t currently offer pictures for passports,”?Asmus says. “But, that’s coming.”

The County Board was informed in November of last year that they may need to purchase this equipment if they were approved to offer this service again.