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LISBON -- Ten years ago, the judges of the Columbiana County Municipal Court held the very first "License Restoration Workshop" at the Court Building on Saltwell Road.
On Oct. 25, 2017, from 1-3:30 p.m., the court will be hosting what may be the final workshop in this well-attended series.
Through the years, countless local residents under operator license suspensions have used these semi-annual opportunities to sit down one-to-one with representatives from the Youngstown District BMV office to learn the exact steps necessary to get their licenses restored, or at least to get limited privileges to drive to-and-from work or other necessary destinations.
The court recently learned the Bureau of Motor Vehicles has decided to close its regional offices in the near future, which likely will result in the termination of the workshops.
Judge Mark Frost noted this session marks 10 years since the court first offered this service to the public.
"I remember when Judge Carol Robb, along with local BMV Supervisor Darlene Jones, first came up with this idea to help get drivers legal," he said. "It didn't take long for them to convince me, since the steps necessary to help these folks involved making sure they were insured and responsible, while allowing them to keep employment and to provide for their families."
Judge Charles C. Amato also has been an enthusiastic supporter of the workshops, noting "This program is not designed to put dangerous drivers back on the road. Instead, we want to help those folks who have become ensnared by the complicated requirements of the licensing and insurance laws to get back to being responsible."
The workshop has been unique in the state of Ohio, according to the judges, who explained that many courts use staff members to assist drivers in dealing with the sometimes confusing steps needed to get legal. But this program, they noted, has been the only one in Ohio where the BMV actually comes to meet with drivers, to take payments, to set up payment plans, and to give a roadmap to license restoration.
Both judges expressed regret the BMV is apparently closing its regional offices, noting the helpful BMV staff in Youngstown has worked "very hard to dispel the inaccurate perception that the Bureau is too bureaucratic." In many cases, attendees leave with their license restored or at least with limited driving privileges. In all cases, they leave with knowledge of what they must do to get and stay legal.
Interested drivers can call the court at 330-424-5326 during normal court hours to schedule an appointment for the Oct. 25 workshop.