Residents of southeast Weld County now have a place closer to home to handle county business, from voter registration to health issues.
The Weld County Commission and Fort Lupton officials hosted a ribbon-cutting celebration Aug. 15 at Weld County’s new County Service Center, located at 2960 9th St. in Fort Lupton.
“I think the idea of the commissioners providing services to the residents, rather than the residents having to go find the services, is great,” Fort Lupton Mayor Zoe Hubbard said. “It’s a great step forward and I’m always happy to steal a service from Firestone. My son lives within sight of the Firestone offices so I know how busy they’ve been.”
Mayor Zoe Hubbard spoke, saying the Fort Lupton community is excited to have a new county service center in the area.
Credit: Beren Ward
She said this shows how much Fort Lupton and the surrounding area have developed.
“We’re excited to be able to accommodate the overflow and do even more for our residents. The fact that we’ve grown so much over the last five, six, maybe seven years has really created that demand in this part of the county,” Hubbard said. “It’s great that the commissioners have seen fit to provide us with a great new building.”
The new facility brings together accessible services that address the needs of the community in one building, including the Motor Vehicle, Probation Services Division and the Clerk and Recorder’s Office. The Probation Division provides support services to people on probation.
Weld County Commission Chairman Kevin Ross said the new office demonstrates the county’s commitment to residents in the southern part of the county.
“We’re excited to be here today. This isn’t just about opening a building,” Ross said, “We’ve built bricks and mortar all over the county. This building represents our commitment to Weld County, this part of our great county, the Fort Lupton area and beyond.”
Demand grows for Fort Lupton
Following a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the facility’s opening, residents were invited to tour the offices.
Weld County Commissioner and Chairman Kevin Ross is pleased that Fort Lupton was selected as Weld County’s new county service center. Photo by Belen Ward
“We’ve continued to do a lot of work this year with facilities and the master plan and with the county commissioners and we can see why there’s an increased demand for these services in Fort Lupton,” Ross said.
“How can we do that in Fort Lupton,” he said, “bring our services here from Greeley and beyond and help the residents around Fort Lupton. The services that will be provided here will improve people’s lives through the convenience of the location and easy access that may not have existed before.”
“This is a commitment from the county commissioners and beyond that we are committed to this community, so we’re very excited about this and we’re here to work for you.”
Weld County Clerk-Recorder Carly Koppes said people can get marriage licenses at the new county service center. Photo by Belen Ward
Weld County Clerk-Recorder Carly Koppes said county officials have the duty and ability to serve all residents in the community and can make it easy for residents to register and license their vehicles.
“The fun part is we get to issue marriage certificates and civil union certificates to couples,” Koppes said. “It’s great because we were a little cramped in our old building. There was very little space and the lines would often go out into this parking lot.”
Services should also become more efficient, she said.
“With the expansion of the equipment and area, we now have the option to have more service desks,” she added, “everyone has the option to sit down instead of standing. It’s great to be able to sit down while you wait in the building and have our administrative and records staff available to assist you.”
It also looks better: Coppes said the new offices have much better views of the mountains from the windows, and staff are ecstatic to have better facilities for customers.
“We are the department that has the most contact with the public in the county and we’re excited to expand this area, add more desks and make it easier for you to get in and out. Your time is valuable and we know that and we want you to enjoy this great area,” Koppes said.
Construction on the building began in 2023. The 16,818-square-foot building cost $5.3 million to build and took nine months to complete.
Health Clinic
Ross said the building houses services such as clerks, recorders and legal services, as well as a licensed pharmacy and the Department of Health, including a food testing laboratory under the Food and Drug Administration.
The facility also houses a Public Health Services Clinic, the second in Weld County – the first is at 1555 North 17th Ave. in Greeley.
The Health Services Clinic is open every Wednesday from 8am to 5pm and offers a variety of vaccines, including those required for school entry and optional vaccinations recommended by health professionals. With the new school year starting, these services are especially in demand.
Weld County Health Department Director Jason Chesher thanked staff for their hard work.
Weld County Health Director Jason Chesher said the clinic provides health services to the uninsured and underinsured, including vaccinations, preventive care and cancer screenings. Photo by Belen Ward
“Without our employees, the Department of Public Health and Environment would not exist,” Chesher said.
“We look forward to using the facility and know it will be put to good use. The Health Department isn’t very good at building facilities, but I want to thank the Facilities department and several other support departments for making this possible. This is a growing area of the county. There is a growing demand for public health services. We are pleased to have the resources and be here to help those in need and meet that demand.”
Chesler said the Public Health Department not only provides the services the public expects, but also a safety net arm of health care services such as vaccinations, preventive care and cancer screenings for the uninsured and underinsured.
“We’re going to provide those services and personnel here at this facility and meet the demand for those services, and we also offer a lot of educational services,” Chesler said. “We also offer pre-diabetes testing, so please talk to us about it. It’s one of the many educational activities that we do to help maintain overall health, and we want people to be aware of it.”
The clinic will also host classes to educate residents on preventing diabetes and keeping it from progressing to a severe stage, as well as other educational classes on healthy cooking and active lifestyles, he added.
“These are the services that our department at this facility provides. Thank you so much for coming. We’re happy to be here.”