Windward satellite city hall again issues driver’s licenses

Drivers can once again renew their licenses at the satellite city hall in Windward City Shopping Center as part of Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s pledge to cut down on long lines at offices around the island, the mayor announced Monday.

“We bring the service back to the people here, which in effect eases the lines on the other three (closest) locations,” said Sheri Kaji­wara, director of the city Customer Services Department, pointing out that the city had to take on the additional task of issuing state identification cards in January.

The Windward Satellite City Hall, which moved from the Windward City Mall to the Windward City Shopping Center in 2009 because mall rent increased, stopped offering driver’s license renewal and duplication services in October because of low demand, Kaji­wara said. Since then Windward residents have had to use the Koo­lau, Hawaii Kai or downtown locations.

Caldwell said the Windward Satellite City Hall is now expected to process more than 2,000 license renewals and duplicates per month.

“That means 2,000 people (who) are standing in line somewhere else come back here,” he said. “With the state ID kicking in, and the huge demand it’s placed on all our city facilities, we thought the best thing to do was redistribute the load more evenly around the island.”

The change is effective immediately and won’t require extra staff.

“We already had the employees, (because) those employees were being farmed out to other sites to assist,” Kaji­wara said. “So it’s actually saving me money on salaries because I no longer have to pay them travel miles.”

Customers doing business at the Windward location Monday morning said they wished the Windward City Mall location was still open but that they’re pleased Windward residents will again be able to renew their driver’s licenses nearby.

Norma Jean Shackley said she recently renewed her license at the Koo­lau location and wound up waiting for four hours only to be told to come back the next day.

“I said, ‘Oh, no, first Windward Mall, then come here (and) they shut off the license,’” Shackley said.

“And Valley of the Temples (Koo­lau) was such a humbug.”

Dolly Hoag said the Windward population has grown so much that it would be nice to have both locations open.

“I’ve been here for 20 years, and so I really appreciate being able to have these satellite city halls,” she said. “I think they should keep this one, but I think they should maintain that one in the mall because so many people go there.”