New strategy may preserve smallest post offices
May 23, 2012 | Headline News |
Facing strong public opposition, the nearly bankrupt U.S. Postal Service recently backed off a plan to close thousands of rural post offices after May 15. Instead, the Postal Service announced a new strategy that could keep the nation’s 3,700 smallest post offices open for business, while providing a framework to achieve significant cost savings as part of the plan to return the organization to financial stability.
The plan would keep the existing post office in place, but with modified retail window hours to match customer use. Access to the retail lobby and to post office boxes would remain unchanged, and the town’s ZIP Code and community identity would be retained.
The agency has identified 13,000 post offices where it could reduce hours, including several from Daviess County. The list is preliminary and subject to change. Current hours and proposed hours for local post offices are as follows: Altamont 8 to 4; Coffey 4 to 2; Jameson 8 to 4; Jamesport 8 to 6; Kidder 8 to 4; McFall 4 to 2; Pattonsburg 8 to 6; and Winston 8 to 4.
The new strategy would be implemented over a two-year, multi-phased approach and would not be completed until September 2014. Once implementation is completed, the Postal Service estimates savings of a half billion dollars annually.
The strategy requires additional review. Community meetings would then be conducted to review options in greater detail.
This new option complements existing alternatives, which include:
1. Providing mail delivery service to residents and businesses in the affected community by either rural carrier or highway contract route;
2. Contracting with a local business to create a village post office; and
3. Offering service from a nearby post office.
A voluntary early retirement incentive for the nation’s more than 21,000 non-executive postmasters was also announced.
Survey research conducted by the respected Opinion Research Corporation (ORC) in February, showed 54% of rural customers would prefer the new solution to maintain a local post office. Forty-six percent prefer one of the previously announced solutions (20% prefer village post office, 15% prefer providing services at a nearby post office, 11% prefer expanded rural delivery). This strategy would enable a town to possibly have a post office with modified hours, as well as a village post office.
