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Steamboat Springs — The city of Steamboat Springs on Thursday gave Routt County officials a temporary certificate of occupancy for the new Routt County Justice Center on Shield Drive.

Despite lacking such a permit, the $18 million Justice Center has been open and in use by the state's 14th Judicial District since mid-September. No county employees work at the Justice Center, which houses judicial district employees and facilities including attorneys, clerks and courts.

Final checks on the Justice Center, before its opening, revealed three minor issues that prevented the facility from receiving occupancy permits. But the opening was not delayed, county officials have said, due to the judicial district's need to move its operations - and scheduled court proceedings - from the Routt County Courthouse on Lincoln Avenue to the new building on a predetermined date.

The county has been working since the Justice Center's opening to bring the building into compliance with city codes, but officials have yet to resolve two items required for a permanent certificate of occupancy. Those items are a light pole that needs to be removed in front of the building and a standing puddle of water in a drainage area. Two fire sprinklers requested by Steamboat Springs Fire Rescue had also been missing but were installed this week.

Thursday, County Manager Tom Sullivan said that while all of these issues are conditions of the certificate of occupancy, they shouldn't have prevented the issuance of a temporary certificate. Routt County Commissioner Diane Mitsch Bush said delays with over-booked contractors held up installation of sprinklers and discussions are continuing with the Yampa Valley Electric Association about removal of the light pole.

County officials and Steamboat Fire Marshall Jay Muhme are in agreement that while the Justice Center operated without occupancy permits for a month and a half, there were no safety concerns within the building.

- To reach Brandon Gee, call 871-4210

or e-mail bgee@steamboatpilot.com