Temporary issue with Cuyahoga County

[djthomas]

Just a note in case you're considering heading to Cuyahoga County in the next few days to get your CHL, or if you've tried calling the CHL number and it just rings continually. Apparently, the person who handles permits full time has been out this week for a family emergency. Due to the way the phone system works in the Justice Center, there's not a way for them to forward her desk phone to another number or put a machine on it. For those that have applied there, you probably recall that the CHL office is a separately enclosed office off the main lobby - it's not shared with any of the other offices. Consequently, it's currently unstaffed except when they're actually meeting with an applicant. The person filling in has regular duties and can't always be in the CHL office to answer the phone.

However, if you call the Sheriff's Administration line at 216-443-6066, sombody will answer and they can set up an appointment and make sure that someone's down in the office when you're due to arrive.

I just learned this today from a buddy of mine who was trying to call and set up his appointment but got no answer. Hopefully the lady's emergency will wrap up and she'll be back in the office soon enough - I remember that she was very pleasant and clear to deal with. Knowing the lack of a budget for the Sheriff's office, I'm not too surprised they've got someone else playing double duty and an old phone system that can't do anything useful.

[dan_sayers]

Isn't that illegal?

[adversary13]

What part would be illegal? If I'm understanding correctly you can still call the regular Sheriffs office phone and set up an appointment. It's only the 'special' CHL scheduling number that won't have an answer. I'd be willing to bet most offices don't even have a special phone number for CHL applicants. As long as they are still actively taking applications are they breaking any current laws?

-Brock

[dan_sayers]

Didn't realize that only the special ones would be affected.

When I thought you meant all applicants, it reminded me of the early days when offices simply refused, drug their feet, etc.

[jgarvas]

Didn't realize that only the special ones would be affected.

When I thought you meant all applicants, it reminded me of the early days when offices simply refused, drug their feet, etc.

I don't believe he meant TELs. He meant the inconvienence will be temporary. Its nice to see that the SO is on top of things and not putting the brakes on preventing applicants (which, until HB347 passes, they are not required to be open for any amount of time).

Its hard to believe someone within the SO can't change her voicemail to say call the main line, I'm out of the office.

-Jeff Garvas

[djthomas]

I don't believe he meant TELs. He meant the inconvienence will be temporary. Its nice to see that the SO is on top of things and not putting the brakes on preventing applicants (which, until HB347 passes, they are not required to be open for any amount of time).

Its hard to believe someone within the SO can't change her voicemail to say call the main line, I'm out of the office.
-Jeff Garvas

You are correct - the inconvienence will be temporary, but they're still accepting and processing applications, nobody's being turned away. Bottom line, call the general information line and they'll take care of you.

My buddy asked the same exact question [about her voicemail], and the answer is that her line doesn't have voicemail - she had it early on, but since she essentially has a "public" facing number, her mailbox would fill up within four hours of her leaving for the day. Unlike a typical office worker there, her direct number is published all over the place. The county's so efficient that it would take their telecomm people three weeks to process the request to put voicemail back on a line, and then they'd need to find a place to bill it, blah blah blah. True reason or not, I'm not surprised, the whole county's hurting for money that they have phones from 1972 or whenever, and there's probably only one part time guy who maintains them.

[Moose02]

They don't have to have an answering machine or line that takes messages - but to have a recorded message - even now, saying... "the hours are abc, and the process is xyz, etc." They could change the recording to say, call this number through April xx to set up an appointment. It wouldn't be hard and the SO is full of it if they can't provide some simple public information. If they truly can't do it - that's a sad state of affairs and speaks very poorly for the use of our tax dollars.

[jayman867]

I am not trying to berate or belittle here but the fact that you had to find out from someone else instead of the department itself is unexcusable. If you didn't have this friend you never would have known going throught the channels you were taking. I have had encounters with Cleveland already and these are not what I see as inconveniences but as them making as many obstacles as possible to registration and licensure. I can bet that if it were any other department they would foward calls etc. Also one lady to process licenses one lady for registration, how many people live in Cleveland?? And they have no backup. Thats like taking a day off work and having the BMV say sorry our license lady is out come again some other time. I'm sorry I have seen Downtown in action and their actions are quite deliberate.

[LeGiOn]

It was an emergency leave. The lady that normally runs that area father died on the operating table that week.

And the phone system at the justice center is run by a sup-par contracter so getting a number re-directed is a week long process in itself.

[jayman867]

It was an emergency leave. The lady that normally runs that area father died on the operating table that week.

And the phone system at the justice center is run by a sup-par contracter so getting a number re-directed is a week long process in itself.

Understood, and my apologies to anyone whom I offended. It just seems very counter intuitive that this city has so few trying to help those who are only trying to go by the rules. My other posts hopefully reflect that I am only trying to do things the right way and have been treated quite subpar and with no dignity for it.

[Harlie]

Why do you suppose they don't want ordinary citizens carrying into their inefficient, beaucratic, impolite spaces. Shame there isn't some way to reflect your displeasure in a meaningful way, such as their pocket books?