Jackson County Gears Up for Soft Opening Amidst Continuing Public Frustration
Historic Truman Courthouse Begins Slow Reopening
After a forced closure of two weeks due to a crippling ransomware attack on county computer systems, the Historic Truman Courthouse in Jackson County has commenced its soft reopening, a move that has been met with frustration among many of its citizens. Essential services, previously unattainable due to the closure, are now just within reach, but not without some digging-in of the heels by an irked population.
Residents Share Their Woes
“It’s a little crazy, a little frustrating getting up early to get here early and then to have it closed. Now I have to reschedule and do it probably next week,” said Deborah Corbett, a resident from Blue Springs. The soft reopening of the courthouse includes the Assessment, Collection and Recorder of Deeds offices.
For many like Corbett, it’s about losing the irreplaceable, time and money. “I took today off. You know, it’s hard for me to take off work, and I do not have anyone to come and stand in line four and five hours to wait,” added Stacy Atkinson, another local resident from Raytown.
Language Barrier Adds to the Frustration
Alongside other issues, there have also been complaints about a lack of effective communication with non-English speakers. Espinosa, a Spanish-speaking resident emphasized, “Yes, all of this is frustrating, they need to do something to communicate better to the Hispanic community more than anything because, well, sometimes you don’t speak English and then you come here, and you lose the day,”.
New Procedures and Extended Hours
With Monday’s announcement, the county has highlighted new procedures to somewhat mitigate the situation. The Assessment office will be functioning purely on appointments, with walk-in services resuming from Monday, April 22. It further suggested residents make online payments through the myJacksonCounty portal or access property records and marriage license applications.
To handle the backlog, the Collection and Assessment departments will offer new weekend hours from 8:00 am until noon on Saturday, April 20, and every Saturday in May. Despite these efforts, citizens like Tyler Franklin, a resident of Grandview demand for better preparedness, “They’ve got a lot of improvement and a lot of work to do,” he commented.
Residents Advised to Avoid In-Person Visits When Possible
The county, while trying its best to normalize operations, suggests residents utilize digital means to complete their tasks and avoid visiting the office in person.
This news comes as a reminder of the vulnerability of computer systems and the need for better cybersecurity measures. As digitalization continues, so do the threats and challenges associated with it. An area as critical as public services should expect nothing less than high-quality cybersecurity protocols.
