[Vision2020] Strong opinions over UI post office

[Tom Hansen]

Courtesy of today's (October 7, 2011) Moscow-Pullman Daily News.

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Strong opinions over UI post office
By Holly Bowen Daily News staff writer
The U.S. Postal Service is seeking input from Moscow residents regarding the potential closure of the University Station post office.
Representatives from the USPS and a handful of members of the public met Thursday afternoon at the Moscow Federal Building to discuss the future of the post office branch located on Deakin Avenue on the University of Idaho campus.
The branch is one of thousands across the nation the USPS is considering closing to streamline operations and save money.
According to a USPS letter sent to Moscow residents, the University Station branch "is being studied due to declining office workload" and the proximity of the main Moscow post office, which is less than a mile away on Fifth Street and is not on the closure study list.
"At this time, the post office is really examining our business model," said Liz Jenkins, manager of post office operations for the USPS' Seattle district, which includes northern Idaho and eastern Washington. "... Our task is to provide reasonable and effective service to the public."
She said the study is a way to determine what the public needs from the Postal Service.
Concerns expressed by residents at Thursday's meeting primarily focused on perceived long wait times at the main Moscow post office and how a University Station closure might affect that.
Sandy Hathaway said she has a post office box at the main station and sees long lines there every day. She said it would be "terrible" if the University Station were to close.
"Are you aware of how overcrowded this Moscow post office already is?" she asked. "People stand in line for a very long time, at times."
She also described the main station's small parking lot as "an accident waiting to happen" if customers who typically use the University Station were to drive over to Fifth Street.
Jenkins, who worked at the Moscow post office several years ago and said she recently observed conditions at the station, said Postal Service data indicates the main station could actually use more business. She said the Postal Service would add staffing to the main office if the University Station were to be closed.
"At this point in time, for the last year, it has been evident that customers have not been waiting longer than five minutes," she said.
"Something's wrong with your (data) gathering, then," Hathaway replied.
Daniel Bosse, who served as Moscow Postmaster from 1981-1998, concurred with Hathaway and said community members frequently ask him about long waits at the main city post office.
"I walk down the street, and businesspeople come out and tell me to talk to the postmaster about wait times," he said, adding that he doesn't want to tell the current postmaster "how to run his business."
Paula Frazier, who works at the University Station post office, echoed Hathaway and Bosse. She said she hears every day from people who use the University Station because the wait at the main post office is too long.
In addition to wait times, residents were concerned about UI student access to the main post office. Jenkins said the main office currently has enough vacant post office boxes to accommodate the boxes from the University Station, however, it's still unclear what options would be available for students who didn't want to move their boxes downtown.
"If you take the University Station out, (fraternity and sorority students) will want delivery," Bosse said.
Jenkins said the Postal Service will be contacting the UI to learn about other on-campus options, but she said one potential solution is installing a centralized series of locked mailboxes, one box for each fraternity or sorority house.
She said the official Postal Service record would include all the comments from Thursday's meeting.
"I can assure you that no decision has been made," she said.
The Postal Service will take written comments about the University Station for the next 60 days. At that time, officials from USPS headquarters will make a final decision about the station's closure. Residents will then have an additional 30 days to appeal the decision to the Postal Regulatory Commission, which will render its decision within 120 days.
Even without an appeal, the Postal Service cannot close an office until at least 60 days after it issues its final decision.
Postal Service representatives encouraged Moscow residents who weren't present at Thursday's meeting to submit written comments about how the closure of the University Station branch might affect them.
Comments may be hand-delivered to the University Station or mailed to District Discontinuance Coordinator, Seattle PFC, 415 First Ave. N, Seattle, WA 98109-9998.

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Moscow resident Daniel J. Bosse, right, asks a question during a meeting Thursday about the proposed closure of the post office at the University of Idaho. Bosse was Moscow’s postmaster from 1981 to 1998.


Photo courtesy of Geoff Crimmins, Daily News.
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Seeya round town, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho



 
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