State and Cowley County officials are close to entering a 10-year agreement to put a driver’s license examination station in Winfield.
County commissioners have the lease agreement on their agenda for a regularly-scheduled meeting-Tuesday. They discussed the possibility of such a deal at a meeting last week but had few specifics at the time.
Under terms of the arrangement between the county and the Kansas Dept. of Revenue, the state would pay about $6,000 per quarter for 2,310 square feet of space at the Cowley County Courthouse North Annex, at 321 E. Ninth Suite A. The lease, if approved by the commission, would begin this year on Oct. 1 and run through Sept. 2028.
The driver’s license examination station would be operated by the Dept. of Revenue’s Division of Vehicles.
As part of the agreement, the state has asked the county to provide a 25 feet by 100 feet section of the parking lot for use as a motorcycle testing area. That area must be away from general traffic flow areas.
The county is also responsible for installation of some additional electrical and communication outlets and “Kansas Driver Licensing” signage on the building. ADA compatibility and signage is also the responsibility of the county.
The state currently operates a driver license’s exam station at Strother Field. A Dept. of Revenue spokesperson said more details about the state’s long-term plans will be released when those plans are finalized.
The county commission meeting is set for 6 p.m. in the first-floor assembly room of the Cowley County Courthouse in Winfield.
