Blame it on Kootenai County
BILL BULEY | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 5 years, 1 month AGO
People wait at the windows of the Kootenai County motor vehicles department on Friday.
BILL BULEY/Press
Bill Buley covers the city of Coeur d'Alene for the Coeur d’Alene Press. He has worked here since January 2020, after spending seven years on Kauai as editor-in-chief of The Garden Island newspaper. He enjoys running. | November 14, 2020 1:00 AM
The Bonner County Department of Motor Vehicles, as of Monday, will provide services to Bonner County residents only.
And Kootenai County residents are said to be the reason the action was necessary.
"Bonner County DMV has always provided services regardless of residency, but complications from the new State ITD program, COVID-19 and protectionist restrictions enacted by neighboring counties have resulted in a flood of customers seeking to avoid long lines in Kootenai County and elsewhere," according to a letter from Dina Brown, Bonner County manager/assessor DMV. "This has overwhelmed local resources, created untenable wait times, and forced customers to stand outdoors in cold temperatures to adhere to social distancing guidelines."
"Bonner County DMV's first obligation is to the taxpayers of Bonner County and it will take all reasonable steps to ensure they receive the highest level of customer service possible," the release said.
Prior to service, customers shall be required to provide an Idaho issued driver's license or other state issued identification which demonstrates residency in Bonner County.
The restriction will remain in effect until further notice.
Benewah County's DMV took the same action earlier this month, serving only its residents, and those who reside in the border communities of Worley, Harrison, Medimont, Calder, Avery, and Clarkia
It, too, said it was seeing too many residents of neighboring counties coming there to avoid lines in their own counties.
"The customer count from neighboring counties is growing instead of shrinking, putting a burden on the already limited county resources,"a release said.
“These positions are paid by Benewah County tax dollars and they need to be able to do the jobs they are hired to do," said Assessor Donna Spier.
Kootenai County's DMV is conducting most business by appointment, which are at least a month out. It does allow walk-ins, but those who do so may have to wait up to an hour or longer, as it depends on people missing appointments or vehicle registrations moving quickly and DMV employees having time to squeeze in walk-ins.
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