Max Post Office Closure Meeting

The meeting with the U.S. Postal Service representatives is tomorrow, November 2nd, from 6:00pm until 8:00 pm. It is important for all Max residents to be at this meeting as this will be our only opportunity to meet face to face with the Postal Service to express our concerns about the closing of our post office, and to ask some pointed questions as to why our post office is scheduled for closure. Even if you do not wish to speak out in defense of our post office, your presence at this meeting will show the postal representatives that the residents of Max care about our post office. If you would like to be there, but are not sure what kind of questions to ask, here are some sample questions and statements that you may like to bring up.

The questions are not listed in any particular order and may be revised as deemed necessary.  Select the questions applicable to your situation:

1. I rely on the postmaster to help me pay my bills using money orders because I do not have a checking account.  Will the rural carrier or highway contract carrier have time to help me?  I’m concerned because the carrier doesn’t come at the same time every day, so how can I receive money order service?  If I have to leave cash in the mailbox to buy stamps, someone might steal it.  I am also fearful about the possibility of becoming a victim of identity theft.

2. Our post office is a meeting place for our community and also provides bulletin board space for us to post notices of community activities, provides a safe school bus stop, and serves many other functions. When the post office closes, the town dies.  Clearly, the post office is a vital communication center and can provide guidance and information for America’s rural population during a national emergency.

3. The federal government is spending an enormous amount of taxpayer money trying to create jobs. Why is the Postal Service trying to cut back and/or eliminate such an important business/service?

4. I understand that facility specifications for a contract post office are not as stringent as a real post office building operated by real postal employees. The security of the mail, safety, and health issues should be the same, whether postal services are provide at a real post office or a contract facility. Why are there separate facility specifications for a post office operated by postal employees and a contract post office operated by private contractors?

5. We are concerned about losing our community identity if our post office is closed.

6. Our carrier has been relocated to another post office, meaning I have to travel some distance to pick up my mail when I receive a notification from the Postal Service. I no longer drive nor do I have anyone to drive me. Further, I will not receive important mail if I have to wait until the next delivery day for redelivery. Further, the carrier does not arrive at about the same time each and I may be subject to inclement weather while I wait by my mailbox for service provided at our post office.

7. Why are you proposing to move (or have moved) our post office boxes to a private business?  Are you going to close our post office?  Will the contract workers handling our mail be trained adequately? Will he or she give the mail the same urgency and security as in a real post office?  Will the contract person provide the same urgency in sorting the mail to my post office box? [Note: It is my understanding that the postal service is considering either installing locked cluster PO boxes, or, having the residents purchase their own mail boxes and having them installed in a centralized location]

8. Will the training given to the contract person be the same training a real postal                            employee receives for doing the same job?  What controls will you put in place to ensure compliance with postal rules and regulations?  How will you know if an adequately trained person will be providing service at the contract unit?  Additionally, how can I be certain I am being charged the right fees for packages and other type mail? I never have such concerns or doubts when I go to a real post office.[Note: see the notation with question #7]

9. Why will this Village Post Office not be able to sell me a money order or allow me to mail a package to my son overseas in the military unless it happens to fit into a certain size box?  [Note: see the notation with question #7]