County dedicates new DMV office in Olathe
Johnson County Commission Chair Annabeth Surbaugh cut the ribbon
Thursday marking the official opening of the new Division of Motor
Vehicles office in Olathe. Although the office opened in August, the
county wanted to recognize the occasion with an official ceremony and
open house that was attended by county, city and state officials.
Although the county has occupied the Division of Motor Vehicles
office in Olathe for a couple of months, officials christened the new
facility on Thursday.
The DMV had an open house and
ribbon-cutting at the office, 782 N. Ridgeview Road in the Heritage
Crossing Retail Center, to celebrate its move to the new
state-of-the-art building.
“The building will only be as good as the people we put in it,” Johnson County Commission Chair Annabeth Surbaugh said.
And the employees of the DMV are the ones who have made the facility operate efficiently and effectively, she said.
The Olathe site is one of two DMVs to serve walk-in customers in the county. The other office is at 6000 Lamar Ave. in Mission.
Technology,
however, has made service much easier than in the past. The county
launched a new reservation system, QLess, which will send a text
message to users’ mobile phones to let them know when they are close to
being called to the counter for service.
County taxpayers can
make a reservation online, or if they show up without a reservation,
they can check in, leave their cell phone number and then leave the
office if the wait is longer than 40 minutes. It’s one of the only DMVs
in the country using this technology.
The office also provides customers with more space and a cheerier environment with its all-glass front and more modern look.
“Everyone
was very supportive and I appreciate what they’ve during this time of
transition,” County Treasurer Charles “Mick” Letcher said.