WILLMAR - Starting September 29, the Kandiyohi County License Bureau in Willmar will be open until 6 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Extending the hours into the early evening is designed to improve customer service, said Deb Mickle, Kandiyohi County license registrar.
Mickle told the Kandiyohi County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday that a survey in July of clients and staff showed that keeping the office open later than the usual 4:30 p.m. closing time would help meet people’s needs and could reduce the “noon-hour rush” when people try to squeeze in errands during their lunch break, which can result in a line-up at the Driver and Vehicle Services window.
Another option of being open on Saturdays was a distant second in the preference grade, said Mickle. There was little interest by customers or employees to have the office open at 7 a.m., she said.
The commissioners approved the extended hours on a one-year trial basis.
The change is not expected to increase county costs.
Two existing employees will have split shifts to cover the new time slots.
If the late afternoon demand is greater than expected, Mickle said there may be requests in the future to add staff.
“That’s why we’re asking for a one-year trial,” she said.
The later hours are specifically geared for the “quick in and out” service of renewing a driver’s license or getting motor vehicle license tabs.
Work for car dealers will not be completed during that 4:30 to 6 p.m. time frame, Mickle said, adding that her department is “excited” about the change.
County Administrator Larry Kleindl said the recent remodeling of the county’s Downtown Office Building, which included moving the License Bureau to the other side of the building and installing gates to secure the rest of the building, makes the evening hours possible.
“We planned for this,” he said. “This is about customer service.”
Every time someone renews a license or gets a tab, a portion of that fee stays in the county.
If a Kandiyohi County resident obtains those services online directly through the state, the county does not receive any of that revenue.
“We want their business,” Kleindl said.
Starting the week of September 29, the office will be open from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
