Deputy registrar seeking new digs

By Dean Shipley

Staff Writer

The deputy registrar is looking for a new home.

Bart Reinier met with county commissioners to open discussion on the possibility of moving the deputy registrar’s office to the Jones building, 13 N. Oak St. Everyone agreed having the deputy registrar located next to the title office would be very convenient for customers and offer them “one-stop shopping.”

However, the space adjacent to the title office at 13 N. Oak St. would have to be “built out” to place offices therein. Currently the “raw” space is used for records storage for the clerk of courts.

Reinier said the lease on the current space on Lafayette Street, which was a co-lease agreement with the state, will expire June 30. The state will not participate in the new lease agreement regardless of where the office is located. The state paid 32 percent of the lease amount, he paid 68 percent.

Also the current agreement with driver’s license examiners will expire on the same date. He said the office, based in Hilliard, currently sends examiners to Madison County on Thursdays and Fridays. He could not comment on whether that department of the BMV will continue to do the same after the June 30 agreement expires.

Reinier said some of his income has been eroded by mail-in vehicle registrations, but he intends to keep the same number of staff people in the office to provide good service to Madison County.

“You have been a great tenant,” Commissioner Paul Gross said.

Reinier said he’d like to pay $15 per square foot or less for 1,200 to 1,500 square feet.

With the approval of hiring Amber Conley as caseworker for Children’s Services, director Lori Dodge-Dorsey said the department of job and family services is operating at full strength. Conley has been teaching at St. Patrick School.