(1/23/07) New passport regulations take effect today, and that could be good news for Town coffers.
People traveling by air between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, Bermuda and the Caribbean must now show valid passports for identification, where previously drivers' licenses would suffice. Passports will be required for travel by land and sea to and from those same locations starting next January, all resulting from border security measures passed by Congress in 2004.
The Town Clerk's office at Town Hall has been processing passport applications since 1999, resulting in $41,730 in extra revenue at its peak in FY04, according to Town Clerk Sandra Burgess. That is thanks to the $30 execution fee that is paid to the processing facility, whether that's a U.S. passport agency, the post office, or Town Hall.
“It's a terrific service, and it was a great source of revenue,” said Burgess.
But those totals dropped in FY05 to $23,000, and dropped further in FY06 to $13,860. Burgess thinks that decline is attributable to the post office on University Drive gaining the ability to take passport photos on-site. Like Town Hall, the post office originally just processed the applications, and people needed to have the passport photos taken elsewhere beforehand. Once the post office could also do the photos, that made it easier for passport applicants, and tougher for Town Hall.
“People said they were going to the post office instead of here because there they could do it all in one stop,” said Burgess.
Wanting to win back its share of that business, the Clerk's office decided to provide one-stop service as well, and bought a passport camera at the beginning of January. As of Tuesday afternoon, 24 people had availed themselves of the new service.
Burgess said the camera cost just under $300, so with the $10 fee charged for photos, it has nearly paid for itself already.
“With the post office doing (photos), we'll never get back to the FY04 figures,” Burgess said. “But it would be nice if we could get back to the '05 level.”
As of this writing, the post office's camera is broken, and they are sending passport applicants elsewhere for photos.
The Clerk's office opted for a Polaroid camera instead of a digital camera, because it was the most time-efficient model. Burgess explained that when they were doing so many passports a couple of years ago, the office was fully staffed with four employees. She said that now there are only three, so any time savings is helpful.
Passport applications are handled daily from 8:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. Full details on fees, proof of citizenship and identification requirements are available on the Town Clerk's section of the web site, as well as at the Clerk's office in Town Hall. Applications typically takes five to six weeks to process, but can be expedited for an additional fee. The Clerk's office can be reached by e-mail, or by phone at 259-3035.
-- Stephanie O'Keeffe
