By Michael Howell
If you have ever waited your turn in the long, narrow, dark, basement-floor hallway leading to the Treasurer’s Office in the Ravalli County Administration building, you’ll be glad to hear that things are changing…dramatically. Walls are coming out, the floor is being leveled, windows and cabinets are going in, and work stations are being re-configured, among other things. According to County Treasurer Dan Whitesitt, the changes have been in the works for over two years and a lot of thought and consultation has gone into designing the new work space.
An initial design came with an estimated price of about $250,000. The plan that was finally worked out is estimated to cost $63,000. The work is contracted to Missoula-based Sirius Construction but, according to Whitesitt, the majority of the actual work is being done by local sub-contractors.
Some of the savings was achieved by recycling old cabinets and windows. The first window to go in was in the Treasurer’s inner office. It is not a window to the outside. It is a large window that allows the Treasurer to look into the front office and see how things are going. It also allows the people in the outer office to look in and see what the boss is up to.
“We are opening things up in the treasurer’s office,” said Whitesitt.
With walls coming out, things will be opening up for the taxpayers as well. A regular reception desk is being installed as well as a flat screen TV with community information including the traditional Humane Society promotion.
The raised platform on which the current motor vehicle stations are located will be lowered and re-designed to be handicapped accessible and allow the employees to either stand or sit while working at the station.
Another thing that’s changing is the computer hardware. Currently all the computers in the Motor Vehicle division are state owned computers that do not hold other county information such as the property tax information. By placing county computers which can also access the state data base in the Motor Vehicle division, employees can be cross-trained and handle both MV and property tax payments at any station.
“We are also opening at 8:15 in the morning instead of 9:00,” said Whitesitt. He said this will make things a bit easier for people trying to get some county business done on the way to work.
“It’s all about service and keeping things moving,” he said. “We are trying to be fiscally responsible, but the time has come to do this work.”