The Village of Minerva held a ribbon cutting and open house June 7 to mark the opening of its new Customer Service Station. From left, front row, Jerame Patterson, Brenda Albaugh, Lori Zwahlen; back row, Mayor Tim Tarbet and Village Administrator Benjamin Gunderson. (Submitted photo)

MINERVA – The Village of Minerva held a ribbon cutting and open house June 7 to mark the opening of its new Customer Service Station.

The Customer Service Station is a project that came about after conversations between staff and members of village council. Oftentimes visitors to village hall had difficulty finding the right employee on the correct floor to get the information they needed. There is now a centralized location where residents can pay water bills, reserve the community building or park pavilions, buy pool passes, apply for permits, get answers to questions, and more.

“The goal of the Customer Service Station is to enhance the efficiency of operations such as permitting, community rentals, pool passes, water bills, and general questions from the community,” said Village Administrator Benjamin Gunderson. “The Customer Service Station will adapt constantly to the needs of the community and will be an excellent vehicle the village plans to utilize for public relations and operational efficiency.”

“In early 2023, the village identified ‘efficiency’ as one of its key words headed into 2024,” Gunderson added. “We want to continue to improve efficiency and effectiveness across all operations, and customer service and public relations continue to be a focal point as we look to educate and inform residents and visitors.”

The station is located in the lower level of city hall, 209 N. Market St., next to the Minerva Police Department, and is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It is staffed by administrative assistants Brenda Albaugh and Lori Zwahlen.