Volusia County has reversed its decision to shut down its county administration office because of homeless people camping outside the Daytona Beach building.
County Manager Jim Dinneen announced the reversal to Volusia council members Tuesday afternoon, according to a news release.
Dinneen put the plans on hold after receiving a letter from Daytona Beach Mayor Derek Henry.
"The mayor sent us a letter late Monday in which he expressed the city's desire for the city and county to continue to seek a joint solution to the problem," Dinneen said in the release. "In response I am putting on hold our decision to move out of the building."
The building, at 250 N. Beach St., provides offices for the tag and title agency, property appraiser, veterans services, human services and the court system and state attorney.
The county said this past weekend that it would close the building until further notice after dozens of homeless people set up camp outside. Last week, an employee of the property appraiser filed a police report after a physical encounter with a homeless person. The incident prompted Property Appraiser Morgan Gilreath to pull his employees out of the building, the news release said.
"Once Mr. Gilreath represented to the news media the conditions at our building were unsafe for the public and our employees, he created a liability for us that put the county in a difficult position legally," Dinneen said.
Dinneen said Tuesday that instead of closing the building, the county has beefed up security using Volusia County Sheriff's Office deputies and private security.