As more customers choose to conduct their postal business online, on their smart phones and at their favorite shopping destinations, the need for the U.S. Postal Service to maintain its nearly 32,000 retail offices – the largest retail network in the country --- diminishes. To that end, the U.S. Postal Service announced today (July 26) that it will be taking the next step in right-sizing its expansive retail network by conducting studies of approximately 3,700 retail offices to determine customer needs. As part of this effort the Postal Service also introduced a retail-replacement option for affected communities around the nations. Please see attached news release. There’s a link to the national list, but below are SOUTH FLORIDA POST OFFICES being studied for possible closure. There are no imminent closures from this list. No Post Offices on this list will close before December 2011. If all Post Offices on the national list were to close, that would save the Postal Service approximately $200 million annually.
FORT LAUDERDALE
Colee Finance Unit, 1404 E Las Olas Blvd, Fort Lauderdale FL 33303
Everglades Branch, 6759 SW 196 Ave, Fort Lauderdale 33332
MIAMI
Goulds Finance Unit, 22350 Old Dixie Highway, Goulds FL 33170
WEST PALM BEACH
Northwood Finance Unit, 516 Northwood Road, West Palm Beach FL 33407
Palm Beach Gardens Mall Finance Unit, 3101 PGA Blvd Suite E160, Riviera Beach FL 33410
Singer Island Finance Unit, 1217 E Blue Heron Blvd, Riviera Beach FL 33404
Study to include:
* The effect closing a Post Office would have on the community serviced.
* The effect closing a Post Office would have on the employees of the facility.
* Compliance with government policy established by law that the Postal Service must provide maximum degree of effective and regular postal services to rural areas, communities and small towns where Post Offices are not self-sustaining.
* Economic savings to the Postal Service.
* Other factors the Postal Service deems necessary.
It is important to note that as part of the study, there will be a community meeting. The public’s comments will become part of the official record for the study and will be reviewed in the decision-making process as to whether or not to close the Post Office.
FEDERAL REGISTER
The Postal Service has published a final rule in the Federal Register that revises the procedures for discontinuance of Postal Service-operated retail outlets. These revised procedures enhance the transparency and public participation, increase efficiency of the discontinuance process and ensure sound business judgment in decisions affecting Postal Service retail operations.
The final rule has four key elements:
* To assure consistency of approach across the retail network, the final rule calls for a top-down process whereby decisions to identify retail outlets for initial feasibility studies can be made by Postal Service Headquarters management
* The final rule clarifies the factors that could be used to identify a retail unit for an initial feasibility study to include workload, customer demand and access to products and service through other channels.
* The final rule provides for efficiencies in the discontinuance process.
* The final rule also contains provisions to enhance public input and transparency in reviews of Postal Service-operated stations and branches, through use of public posting requirements and public input procedures.
The Postal Service undertook a process review to streamline the discontinuance process and make improvements, including improved opportunities for public input in decision making, particularly with respect to stations and branches.
Cost saving is only one of many factors that must be considered at the local level in the Post Office discontinuance process. Federal law directs the Postal Service to consider a multitude of criteria before closing Post Offices, including the effect on communities, postal services and employees, along with economic savings.
Currently, the Postal Regulatory Commission is reviewing the USPS’s request and documentation and will be issuing an advisory opinion. This is required when the Postal Service makes a decision that has national implication. Additional info may be found at www.prc.gov. The commission is asking for public input at that time. (But this is not part of the official postal study.)
USPS KEY FACTS
* In the past five years, mail volume declines by 43.1 billion pieces.
* Customer Post Office visits has declined by 200 million, and retail transactions have declined by $2 billion.
* Reduced revenue, coupled with the unique burden of pre-funding retiree health benefits, is creating enormous financial pressure on the Postal Service
* The national retail network consists of 31,871 facilities: 27,077 Post Offices, 3,313 stations, and 1,481 branches.
* Customers are encouraged to go to uspseverywhere.com to identify alternate access locations to conduct postal business. Type your ZIP Code and an interactive map will show you where to purchase stamps and other postal products in your own neighborhood.
VILLAGE POST OFFICE CONCEPT
* As the Postal Service continues to evolve to better meet customers’ needs, it is rethinking how to provide more convenient access to postal products and services. One new concept developed is the Village Post Offices.
* Village Post Offices are part of the Postal Service’s Approved Postal Provider” network – retail outlets for postal products and service that also include Contract Postal Units, Approved Shippers, Stamps on Consignment locations and Community Post Offices. Approved Postal Providers are operated by third parties and complement the Postal Service’s own network by offering customers expanded retail access to postal products and services at convenient hours and locations.
* Village Post Offices will be located within existing communities in a variety of locations, such as businesses, town halls or government centers, and will be run by those entities.
* Village Post Offices will offer a range of popular products and services – the ones most used by customers --- that would involve collection boxes, PO Boxes, Forever stamps, and Prepaid Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes and envelopes.
* By being located at business and other places that consumers already frequent, Village Post Offices will offer Postal Service customers time-saving convenience, and in many cases, longer hours than regular Post Offices. Businesses interested in becoming a VPO can find information at www.usps.com. Please see attached VPO Fact Sheet.
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