The Secretary of State office on Main Street will close next year, but it shouldn’t move far.
According to the state Department of Management and Budget, the new office will remain in Independence Township.
The new, approximately 4,000-square-foot center, to be located within five miles of I-75 and Dixie Hwy., will mean more and better services for Clarkston area residents, said Kelly Chesney, spokesperson for Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land.
“Residents of Oakland County will be happy with the change,” Chesney said.
The center will consolidate services and personnel from offices in Clarkston and Fenton, in Genesee County. Called the North Oakland County PLUS Office, it will offer expanded hours, ATM-style self-service stations for tab renewals, acceptance of Discover credit cards for payment, availability of driving record, and specialized services such as instant titles.
Driving record and specialized services are currently available only in Lansing ? the new center brings these services closer to local residents, Chesney said.
Losing the Main Street office so close to downtown Clarkston will be an inconvenience to some, said Penny Shanks, executive director for Clarkston Area Chamber of Commerce.
“It’s disappointing. It was very convenient to have it in town,” Shanks said. “(But) the state is trimming its budget and changing a lot of things.”
The 5807 S. Main St. office will not close until the new office is built and ready to open, sometime in 2008.
The project is part of the second phase of the state’s consolidation program. Phase one include 23 PLUS offices and 5 SUPER!Centers.
Land based the project on customer input gathered at branch offices during her first eight months in office.
“Updating the branch office network lets the Department of State better target its resources through a regional approach that recognizes changing population patterns and other variables,” Chesney said. “It also is complemented by Land’s emphasis on technology and the growth of online services.”