The Cordova Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has been closed for weeks now, and it’s not looking like it will re-open any time soon.
The DMV closed its doors about two months ago, Cordova City Manager Samantha Greenwood said in an interview, when the DMV was having issues with its tech and web systems — and has remained closed after the lone DMV employee vacated the post. The Cordova DMV is usually staffed by one person on a part-time basis.
“It just took a long time to get through those technical issues that happened with the new computer, and then when we did get those fixed we lost our employee,” Greenwood said. “So right now we just don’t have a DMV employee.”
The staffing issue stretches far beyond just the local DMV, however. Last winter the city welcomed a new librarian after it announced it would be scaling back hours due to staffing shortages, and the Cordova Volunteer Fire Department asked the City Council for increased funding for more emergency medical technicians (EMTs).
Greenwood said the state Department of Transportation (DOT) is another important agency that struggles with worker retention.
“We’ve only had a few (DOT) employees,” she said. “They keep the runway open, let alone the roads.”
Cordova still lacks a city planner, streets superintendent, and a local state magistrate, among other positions.
Regions across the state are feeling the pinch as well. The federal government aimed to address employee shortages in the education sector last year by rolling out millions of dollars in grant funding across the country — including more than $2.5 million for the Alaska Council of School Administrators.
But, Greenwood said, “It’s kind of just across the board right now.”
Retention can also be tougher for a remote place like Alaska, let alone Cordova — which is off the road system.
“The idea of coming to Alaska is always a fun thing for a lot of people … but when they really understand what living in places like Cordova, Valdez, Glennallen, is — that reality might be a little more than they anticipated,” Greenwood said.
While in-person DMV services in Cordova are still suspended, residents can go to dmv.alaska.gov/online-services/ to get most of the help they need online. Super specialized services might require out-of-town travel, however.
For a full list of city job vacancies and the application process for them, visit https://www.cityofcordova.net/careers/.
