DMV to continue operating out of Clinton Street facility

While the Holmes County Department of Motor Vehicles helps keep the public moving all over the county and well beyond, it won’t be moving any time soon.

Holmes County clerk of courts Ronda Steimel met with the Holmes County commissioners at the Old Jail meeting room in Millersburg on Monday, April 8 to discuss continuing the DMV’s lease in its current location in the government’s Clinton Street building in Millersburg.

As the government employee assigned to oversee the DMV operations, Steimel went into the meeting seeking a new five-year lease in the Clinton Street building, which is the same as the current lease.

She said one of the responsibilities in doing so was to provide proper proof the DMV does have an agreement in place to signify it has an official base of operations.

The commissioners quickly agreed to the lease proposal, noting the DMV has found a good home in the Clinton Street facility.

The new lease proposal will run from May 31, 2024, through June 30, 2029.

“It’s exactly the same form that we signed five years ago,” Steimel said. “It’s a very basic form, and I know Susan (Schie, commissioner clerk), did a resolution on it then.”

The commissioners provided her with a verbal agreement with the official resolution set to be put in place Monday, April 15.

“I think five years is a great opportunity, especially with how the DMV serves the public,” commissioner Dave Hall said. “I see a lot of people coming in there.”

Steimel said not only does the high traffic into the DMV come from Holmes County residents, but also there is a lot of traffic that comes from outside the county to take care of vehicle needs.

The DMV moved into its current location in 1999, moving its operation from the Hotel Millersburg building located near the main square in Millersburg to the Clinton Street facility.

Steimel also discussed the liability insurance for the DMV with Misty Burns, Holmes County director of human resources, and Burns said she expects the new documentation for the liability insurance to come in soon. Burns said the current insurance plan will expire April 30.

With those issues taken care of, Steimel said she will now turn her attention to the possibility of returning a driver’s examination to the county so drivers don’t have to go out of county to take their driver’s license tests.

“That’s something I’d like to see happen as a matter of convenience,” Steimel said. “It’s on the horizon. We just need to find a place to have one. I know sometimes it takes people a little bit of time to schedule an exam, and it would be great to have the capability to have one within the county.”

Hall said the commissioners are appreciative of Steimel taking on the additional DMV operations under her additional clerk of court duties.

“We hear a lot of good, positive things with what’s going on there,” commissioner Joe Miller said.