Clay County residents seeking drivers licenses and vehicle tabs now can wait their turn in comfort. The county’s Department of Motor Vehicles opened its doors in its new location at the Moorhead Center Mall on Monday, where it will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. (Photos/Russ Hanson)
“It was a very exciting day yesterday,” announced Clay County Administrator Stephen Larson. He described the Moorhead Center Mall bustling with new visitors as the Clay County DMV, located at the site of a former furniture business, opened on November 16. Reporting to the November 17th Clay County Commission meeting, Larson happily reported that aside from a few minor start-up glitches, the spacious new facilities were well-received by customers and other businesses within the mall. Larson praised staff members who worked throughout the Veterans Day weekend to tear down the prior location and set up the new office. He said, “People told me that the mall atmosphere changed with the addition of DMV staff and customers. We look forward to continuing that relationship.”
In his Clay County Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Committee report, Larson stressed that because of the December 1 requirement for project completion, the committee is in the process of gathering invoices and paying bills to meeting the spending deadline. Approximately $68,024 of the initial $7.8 million dollar allotment for the county remains to be spent.
Commission Chair Frank Gross asked, “Is there CARES Act funding to take care of refitting the new south campus building?” Larson replied that because of the December 1 deadline, the costs for refitting will be met from reserve funds although the building itself was purchased with CARES Act dollars. Commissioner Jenny Mongeau reminded the group that office furnishings and equipment were covered in the purchase price for the building. The CARES Act Committee received approval to spend $10,375 for custodial equipment for the newly acquired south campus location. Specifics of the equipment order may change if an outside vendor is hired to do cleaning but Mongeau said that much of the equipment to be ordered is required to be in the building anyway.
