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Keokuk Driver's License Bureau Delayed

Residents of south Lee County will have to wait a little longer to get their driver's licenses in Keokuk.

Chris Spann, Lee County Treasurer, told the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday that she now hopes to re-open the bureau in the south Lee County Courthouse in mid-to-late May, which is about a month behind schedule.

Spann said the process of re-connecting the bureau to the Iowa Department of Transportation has been slower than anticipated. She said, at this point, some fiber-optic lines must be added and her new equipment must be installed before she can move ahead.

“We just have to set up a schedule of who is going to work down there on Wednesdays and who will be there on Fridays," said Spann. "Then we just have to test it out and make sure it works and we are good to go.”

Spann said she plans to have one employee working primarily in Keokuk. She said the rest of her department will rotate as needed to provide the service in Keokuk.

The bureau was closed nearly four years ago as part of a reorganization of county government that saw the Treasurer's office relocated to Fort Madison. That move led to the Keokuk driver's license bureau being disconnected from the Department of Transportation.

Vice Chairman Matt Pflug said he continues to hear from people who are excited to have the service in Keokuk again.  pann told the board that as long as she is Treasurer, driver's licenses will be offered in Keokuk.

Jason Parrott is a former reporter at Tri States Public Radio.