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mower county
Unregistered
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Posted on: Dec. 11 2003,6:47 pm |
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i went up to the courthouse today to try and get tabs for my car. waited for about 20 minutes in line outside the door. the lady in front of me said she had been waiting there in line for about 45 minutes. i finally left because i didn't want to use my whole lunch hour waiting in line. it wouldn't be bad if they were actually so busy that i had to wait, but they were not that busy. instead of working on things like getting people their tabs, the ladies behind the counter were talking to people about their families and what their christmas plans were.
is this how that place always works?
i will never make the mistake of going to the albert lea courthouse to get anything done EVER again. austin's tabs office is about 500% more efficient. it is amazing that anyone can get their tabs from that place.
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| Post Number: 2
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Disgruntled.
Unregistered
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Posted on: Dec. 11 2003,7:05 pm |
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I AGREE!!! I have done business at Owatonna after the above frustrations that you mentioned. It took me maybe 5 minutes to get a drivers license renewal and that included the eye exam; and to top it off this was done on a Saturday morning. This license bureau is not at the courthouse but in a little building across from the Steele County Fairgrounds and next to Wings. They have privatized their license bureau and guess what, the people that worked there were friendly to boot. My husband, daughter and I will only go to Owatonna and if we are by Waseca we have used their service as well. I cannot believe that the County Commissioners have not been inundated with complaints from John Q Public about the long, long lines at the Freeborn County Courthouse. It is an unprofessional atmosphere and certainly not people friendly. I want to exclaim that a vast majority of citizens work Mon thru Fri and are unable to do license business at these times. The Courthouse license bureau at least needs to be open during Sat. am like Owatonna. If, not jump in the car and head to Owatonna for your needs. Plus you can do some shopping at Cabelas and the Medford Outlet Center.
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| Post Number: 3
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GEOKARJO 
Google This!!!
Group: Members
Posts: 7799
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Dec. 11 2003,7:29 pm |
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Didn't you get it when you saw the bench outside the entrance 
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| Post Number: 4
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LisaMarie
Group: Members
Posts: 367
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Dec. 11 2003,8:10 pm |
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I avoid the courthouse whenever possible. I renewed my tabs online this year and avoided the lines.
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Bush & Son - Sending America to war since 1990
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| Post Number: 5
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danbelshan
Group: Members
Posts: 263
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Dec. 11 2003,8:44 pm |
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Center copes with criticism
By Randy Petersen
Sharon Cunicelli said the criticism is hard to take.
Saturday, September 11, 1999
Sharon Cunicelli said the criticism is hard to take. As supervisor of Freeborn County's license center, she said she's heard her fair share. In the past months, county commissioners and area residents have questioned whether the county office is needed. Some opponents have said the the public would be better served by a a private office.
But, Cunicelli said it would be a different kind of service.
"We are like a full service," she noted. "A lot of your private offices do motor vehicles only."
While motor vehicle licenses, titles and tabs are a majority of the services provided by the courthouse staff, Cunicelli said many residents have come to expect more services from their license center.
Driver's licenses, game and fish licenses and other services might not be available through a private office.
Cunicelli said many private offices opt not to provide driver's licenses because of the expensive equipment required. As a result, the state would take over the driver's license aspect of the county operation, if it privatized.
With the state in charge, she said local residents would only have about two days a week to get new licenses or renew old ones.
Other services Cunicelli said she's seen private offices avoid are anything that is especially time consuming.
Since a private office is geared toward making money and only gets $3.50 per transaction, she said operators often want to do as many quick transactions as possible. Anything taking too long cuts into the profit, she said.
The Freeborn County supervisor said she's seen many people bring in documents after visiting a private office first. They were told the private business didn't know how to complete the needed tasks.
Cunicelli said she finds that hard to believe since everyone - private or public - undergoes the same training.
She said refusal to do a task likely means it's too time consuming to generate a profit on a $3.50 transaction fee.
"I don't know, but that's how I read it," she said.
That's the big difference between private and public offices, Cunicelli added.
"No matter what you've got, we try to help you," she said. "To me, that's service."
But, service has been an issue used to target the county-run center.
Cunicelli acknowledges that her office has a reputation for being unpleasant.
"We've tried to change that image," she said. "We try to greet people with a smile.
"One of the girls that works for me said, 'If we were anymore friendly, we'd have to serve lemonade.'"
Still, she said she knows why the office and its employees get the reputation for being difficult - they have to say "no."
If a person comes in without proper identification or a ruined title, there isn't much the office can do, whether it's public or private. State law is specific on needs for licenses and other paperwork.
"I can't change the law," she said.
She said her staff does what they can. They try to provide prompt and courteous service. If someone comes in with a need, they do their best to fill it, she said.
How long that will take depends on the task.
"I have no control of the people that come through those doors," she points out.
Ideally, customers would have all needed documents and forms filled out. But, she said, it doesn't always happen.
Likewise, she said the ideal would be a steady supply of customers through the month, but that's not the case.
Between the 25th of one month and the 10th of the next, people in need of license plate tabs - due on the first - flood the counter.
"Human nature is that you're going to want to wait until the last minute," she said.
And, that's what happens, putting it out of anyone's control.
"That's their choice," she said of customers who wait until the month's busiest period.
County Commissioner Dan Belshan said a recent visit to the license center demonstrated a need for change. He said while watching the staff work, he saw a need for greater efficiency.
"They were very helpful, but a couple things could be improved," he said.
One change he said he wants to see is the adoption of a special "tabs only" line.
"It would probably get rid of 80 percent of the line," he estimated.
But, Cunicelli said she's already considered that option and is uncertain how to arrange such a line with the center's current layout. There is only one door, for one line.
Belshan agreed remodeling might be needed to make the change.
"I'd like to see the counter moved out," he said, noting such a change would make staff more visible to those waiting in line, possibly making the wait seem shorter.
"The wait seems longer when you don't see what's going on," he said.
Other changes Belshan suggested included putting the telephones closer to the counter and rescheduling coffee breaks so only one person is gone at a time.
He said all options need to be discussed before a final choice is made on whether to keep the operation.
"If we still have lines like that, maybe we need to look at privatization," he said.
Another commissioner who has visited the license center recently said he saw more paperwork than he expected being done in a 24-hour period.
"It was very helpful for me to understand," Bob Berthelsen said of his visit behind the center's counter.
In addition to seeing a vast amount of reports and other paperwork, he said he also saw staff members who were willing to help people and customers who didn't seem too upset with their wait in line.
"It was helpful for me from one standpoint to see 90 percent of the clients are in a good mood and the employees return that," he said.
Berthelsen noted a "artificial situation" could have been created by his presence, with staff putting their best foot forward, but he also noted the staff had no control of the amount of paperwork and types of people coming through the door during his visit.
He also said he took part of a second day to watch the line outside the license center. During his random observation, he said the longest line contained 10 people and took 30 minutes to clear.
Compared to some other lines, he said that's not bad. As an example he mentioned one license center in the state is reportedly receiving state aid to lower waits to 30 minutes.
Still, proponents of a privatized office say flexible hours would likely help eliminate lines and allow more availability for customer service.
Cunicelli said longer hours would likely limit service, if anything.
State offices close at 4:30 p.m. and aren't open on Saturday. Longer hours and weekend openings would mean the office would lack access to state resources often needed.
Commissioners are currently gathering information from other counties and plan a future workshop discussion on the possible privatization of the center.
In addition to Belshan and Berthelsen, Commissioner Dave Mullenbach has visited to Freeborn County center to observe staff at work recently.
Published: Sep 11, 1999 - 12:00:00 am CDT
Copyright © 2003 Albert Lea Tribune
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| Post Number: 6
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Minnow
Unregistered
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Posted on: Dec. 11 2003,10:02 pm |
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It's like she's a used car salesmen giving us reason after logical reason why we need...why we're better off with a 1953 Buick that gets 8 miles to the gallon with a top speed od 50 mph. 
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| Post Number: 7
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danbelshan
Group: Members
Posts: 263
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Dec. 11 2003,10:40 pm |
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Candidates touch on new county issues
By Jennifer Hemmingsen
In addition to the big three issues - courthouse renovation, cooperation between city and county governments, and environmental concerns - county board candidates tackled some less-discussed issues Thursday.
Friday, October 27, 2000
In addition to the big three issues - courthouse renovation, cooperation between city and county governments, and environmental concerns - county board candidates tackled some less-discussed issues Thursday. County board of commissioner candidates fielded audience questions in front of a full house at Riverland Community College in a debate sponsored by the Freeborn County League of Women Voters.
Candidates were asked if they thought privatization of the license bureau would help eliminate long lines for services. All candidates except Third District Incumbent Keith Porter and his challenger Dan Springborg said they thought privatization would be a good thing to consider.
The license bureau has moments of congestion, but they are thorough and he likes to see the job done right, said District Three Candidate Dan Springborg.
Moving the bureau away from the courthouse might help, but he couldn't think of any reason to privatize the services, Springborg said.
"I can see that more as losing our county jobs and giving it to someone else. I haven't heard any advantages to privatizing it," he said.
"I will definitely say I think we should leave it the way it is," Porter said.
The county makes money on the license center, he said. Porter said he has gotten a hundred calls on this issue. He asks callers if they wait in line at the grocery store.
"I don't think it's any different than going to McDonalds," agreed Mark Behrends. Sometimes you go in and get served right away, and sometimes you have to wait.
District One Candidate Frank Gjersvik said he would be in favor of examining the issue, and thought visiting private license facilities in Owatonna, Rochester and Austin would be a good step in determining the efficiency of a privatized system.
"I would definitely be open to privatizing it," said First District Candidate Glen Mathiason.
Mathiason said a satellite clinic in the county may be another option to relieve congestion in the license bureau.
"It's something I'd certainly like to investigate," Mathiason said. "If not privatizing, then possibly opening a satellite."
Candidates were also asked how they would meet the needs of seniors through their work on the Department of Human Services board.
"We spend more money in that area in Freeborn County than we do in education," said Fifth District Candidate Ron Kraus. "It's the number-one budget item, and it's the biggest responsibility that state and federal government puts on the county,"
"When it comes to Human Services, about 90 percent is state and federal mandated, and we control very little of it," said Porter.
But Freeborn County is able to offer some services that aren't mandated, like the mental health center, which provides services for a sliding fee.
Out-of-home placements for juveniles cost the county a lot of money, Porter said. To detain a juvenile costs more than $100 a day, he said.
A lot of services to seniors, like ride and chore services as well as other programs, are provided through Senior Resources, said Behrends, who serves on the Senior Resources board.
Freeborn County is getting older, and is going to need to address the issue before it becomes a burden to the county, Gjersvik said.
The key may be in enabling people to live at home longer, he said. "A lot of people, when they go to a nursing home, they can't afford that and the county has to pick up the tab," he said.
Increasing business and developing a stronger tax base with younger workers would be the best way to ensure the financial viability of the county, Springborg said.
"The only way we can swing that away in the other direction is for the county and cities to work together and do what they can," he said.
Published: Oct 27, 2000
Copyright © 2003 Albert Lea Tribune Inc. All rights reserved.
A Boone Newspapers Inc. publication.
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| Post Number: 8
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kid dyn-o-mite
Unregistered
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Posted on: Dec. 11 2003,11:02 pm |
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Now I'm convinced, Dan Springborg is retarded.
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| Post Number: 9
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Ole1kanobe
Group: Members
Posts: 1360
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Dec. 11 2003,11:14 pm |
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I have to admit, going to get tabs or transfer a title in AL can suck; but I have had other times that I got lucky and no one was there.
There is a problem when they schedule breaks though, I was there one morning and all but one of the ladies left for break. I wasn't even in the door yet, next up in line.
Austin does seem to have a more efficient system of how they do it, I've done business there off and on for years and I think I only spent more than 20 minutes there once or twice.
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The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it.
-Albert Einstein-
Some of what is said here (myself included) is about as tolerable as listening to someone vacuum a cat.
-nphilbro-
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| Post Number: 10
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injungeorge
Unregistered
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Posted on: Dec. 11 2003,11:20 pm |
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What are "tabs"?
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