September 27, 2021
By: Dwayne Page
It may take a while yet before a new outdoor self-service kiosk is provided at the county clerk’s office for 24/7 vehicle registration renewals.
During Monday night’s monthly meeting, County Clerk James L. (Jimmy) Poss at first asked the county commission to approve the expenditure of $26,000 from federal American Rescue Plan ACT funds to purchase a kiosk to be placed on the sidewalk outside his office at the county complex where citizens may renew their standard registration anytime. But sensing that members of the commission wanted more time to consider it, Poss withdrew his request from the agenda
“I have asked for your consideration. I think it’s a great thing for the community. If you want more time to look at it I am good with withdrawing it from the agenda. This is for the people. This is for the convenience of the service of what I am trying to give the people,” said Poss.
Unlike the Kiosk inside his office, which was provided by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security and offers a variety of services, the user friendly outdoor kiosk would only provide registration renewals for eligible vehicles. The kiosk would allow individuals to renew by scanning their current vehicle registration or state renewal notice and remitting payment by debit or credit card. A registration card, with the expiration year decal attached would be printed from the kiosk at the end of the transaction.
Poss said the Kiosk could be accessed anytime including after business hours, day or night, weekends, and holidays. It would be centrally located in the county for most residents and sheltered underneath the covered sidewalk outside the county clerk office with electricity, internet, lighting and security already available. Although the purchase of the kiosk qualifies under the ARP Act, Poss said the county would have to pay a $5,000 fee each year for maintenance but that the benefit to the public would outweigh the costs.
“This kiosk is the latest and most updated technology that our software provider can offer. You can walk up to it seven days a week, 24 hours a day, scan your renewal card, put your debit or credit card in and receive your physical paper with your sticker and walk off,” said Poss.
While the Kiosk would be helpful to the public, Poss said it would not affect the workload of his office. “We provide up to 18 different services so it would not take any work load off us by no means”.
“If it’s not going to take any work load off you why then should we shell out $5,000 for a machine,” asked Fifth district commissioner Jerry Adcock.
Seventh district commissioner Bruce Malone moved to table Poss’s request until a workshop is held to determine if it is eligible under the ARP ACT. “ I would like to have our workshop first and see this in writing,” said Malone.
Commissioner Jerry Adcock offered a second to the motion.
Poss said the state comptroller has already approved it (purchase of a kiosk) as acceptable and other counties already have them. County Mayor Tim Stribling said that he too had checked and found that the purchase qualifies under the ARP Act funding guidelines.
Still other commissioners wanted more time to consider it.
“I greatly appreciate Mr. Poss bringing this to us. He is always looking for ways to make things convenient for the people of DeKalb County but because it will add $5,000 to the budget, I would like some time to consider that,” said Seventh district commissioner Beth Pafford.
Although the vote to table Poss’s request had six “yes” and five “no” votes, it failed to receive the eight votes needed to table it. Three members of the commission were absent Monday night.
“I hate we are having to make a decision right now when I feel most of us are in favor of this. We just want to make sure how the American Rescue Plan will work with this. We just need more time to make sure how the $5,000 yearly will play a part of our budget and line items,” said Fifth district commissioner Anita Puckett.
After Fourth district commissioner Janice Fish-Stewart asked if a motion could be made to adopt it pending approval of the American Rescue Plan money, Poss announced that he was withdrawing from the agenda his request for the kiosk.
County Mayor Stribling said Mark Farley, Executive Director of the Upper Cumberland Development District will meet with the county commission in a workshop on Tuesday, October 19 at 6:30 p.m. to discuss in general terms how the ARP ACT funds might be spent. “ We don’t have a final ruling yet from the federal government. Most of it has to do with COVID regarding separation of duties and people. That’s why this kiosk is an approved item but Mr. Farley will be here that night to answer questions and possibly give a slide presentation,” said Stribling.