**Maintaining a Postal Presence in Rural Areas\--Myths and Facts\
Wednesday, August 28, 2002**

Presenters:\
Jim Lowery, Executive Director, Washington State Rural Development
Council\
Sara Rice, Vermont Customer Relations Coordinator, U.S. Postal Service

*Jim Lowery*:

I.  Background

    -   Growing up in small town, everyone retrieved mail at a central
        post office

    -   Especially as other businesses close down, rural post offices
        become the center of their communities

    -   In early \'90s, the U.S. Postal Service shut down some rural
        post offices as a cost-cutting measure

    -   While the post office was not designed to be a community center,
        it has become that, and we should try to preserve a rural postal
        presence for that reason

*Sara Rice*:

II. USPS Information

    -   Postal Service is not a federal agency---it receives no tax
        revenue

    -   Prior to the 1970s, postal jobs were patronage positions. This
        meant that more P.O.s than necessary were created to provide
        jobs as a reward for political support

    -   Only congressional connection is through the Postal Commission

III. Financial state of USPS

     -   E-mail and concerns about anthrax have halved postal volume

     -   Takes 10 months to raise postal rates (the cost of which has
         not kept up with inflation)

     -   May stop Saturday delivery to save money

     -   Currently no post offices, rural or otherwise, are on a list
         for closure (though this does not guarantee that such a list
         will not exist in the future)

IV. Alternatives to post office closure

    -   In 10 years working for USPS in VT, have only closed 3 post
        offices

    -   Takes 24 months and a series of public hearings to close a post
        office

    -   In Vermont, a state postal coalition with representatives from
        the offices of the Governor and each congressional delegate and
        other concerned partners (i.e. housing agencies) has been
        created to deal with postal issues. Other states may want to
        consider creating a similar body

    -   Can use already existing businesses to house "mini" post
        offices. This saves the expense of renting a building and paying
        a postmaster and helps a rural business by paying the owner for
        postal duties performed. These are known as "community post
        offices"

    -   Have "mobile post offices" that travel to different areas for a
        certain time period several days a week to provide service to
        areas without post offices

    -   Mobile post offices have worked well in some areas, but don\'t
        have mail pick-up

    -   Even if P.O.s close, no zip codes will be lost

    -   Understand how important P.O.s are to rural communities, and
        want to work closely with people in these areas to solve postal
        problems

    -   Whenever a USPS plan is proposed, there is room for discussion,
        and it is *legally required*

    -   To find more information, go to
        [[www.usps.com]{.underline}](../../../../../../../../D:%5CNRDP%20Web%20Site%5Cresources%5Cconferences%5Cnrdp_conferences%5Caug02%5Cwww.usps.com)
        and click on the "transformation plan" link

V.  Other information

    -   Most rural carriers are hired on a contract basis and create
        their own schedules, plan their routes, etc.

    -   While making all postal carriers contract employees has been
        suggested to save money, unlikely that could find a nationwide
        contract carrier

    -   In some areas services may be cut, but everyone in the country
        will get postal service

    -   For those in isolated areas, carriers can provide full range of
        postal services. They will pick up parcels, etc, and bring back
        the bill on following days. However, unreasonable to require
        people to wait each day for the postal carrier.

    -   A low-cost post office option in rural communities used to be
        locating in someone\'s house, but the postal service is now
        reluctant to do that because don\'t want to have to relocate on
        a regular basis

    -   USPS is divided into eight regions nationally. Each region is
        divided into districts

    -   While there is red tape, USPS administrative staff has been cut
        75% in recent years

    -   Some post boxes have been pulled in recent years. This is
        determined by location, mail volume, etc.

    -   A post office cannot be closed for purely economic reasons.
        However, if a post master retires or a building loses its lease,
        P.O.s can be closed

    -   Postal presence is critical for getting information to rural
        areas---must communicate this to postal officials

    -   May be a role for SRDCs in planning community forums as a
        neutral moderator

    -   In states without SRDCs, the county extension agent may be a
        neutral person who can distribute information.