GIRARDVILLE - The U.S. Postal Service held a meeting Tuesday to answer questions and get input on proposed changes to the borough post office.
The changes, which would go into effect within the first four months of next year, would include reduced window hours each day but the post office would remain open and home delivery would not be affected.
The meeting was held at Rangers Hose Company and conducted by Carrie Frankenfield, the acting postmaster in Allentown, who explained the recent survey conducted by the Postal Service on options available to customers about keeping the post office open. Fewer than 20 people attended the meeting.
James Briel II, the service captain of the 179 ZIP code area, also attended to answer questions. Briel is also the postmaster of record at the Ringtown post office and the officer in charge at the Orwigsburg post office.
"The post office will still be open six days a week, with Monday to Friday window hours reduced to four hours and Saturday hours will not change," said Frankenfield before the meeting began.
The proposed hours, which will be officially announced next week, will be Monday to Friday from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Saturday from 9 to 11 a.m. Whatever the determination, the realignment will not go into effect any earlier than Jan. 12 and could be later to best coordinate services around the country.
Girardville was the first meeting held in Schuylkill County since the POST Plan meetings began in early October. According to the USPS website at www.usps.gov, the POST Plan is designed to make sure America's communities have access to postal products and services as the agency shifts its post office network to reflect the nation's current use of services.
A survey was mailed to Girardville postal customers in October asking for input on four options:
- Keep the post office open but with realigned weekday window service hours based on actual office workload. This option changed window service to four hours per weekday, down from eight hours, with Saturday window hours remaining the same.
- Conduct a discontinuance study for the post office and provide roadside mailbox delivery, with retail and delivery service provided through a rural carrier.
- Conduct a discontinuance study for the post office and find a suitable alternative location operated by a contractor, usually a local business. This is called a "village post office."
- Conduct a discontinuance study for the post office and provide P.O. box service through a nearby post office.
The customer survey results were presented, showing 245 responses out of the 854 surveys mailed. About 98 percent overwhelming chose the first option, with only three people voting for the second delivery option and three who made no selection.
The hours to access the post office boxes in the lobby will also remain the same, with Frankenfield and Briel explaining that the hours the lobby is open could increase, although nothing has been determined.
In her opening remarks to the public, Frankenfield said, "The letter you received explained that we are in the process called POST Plan, which is designed to give communities the opportunity to preserve the post office with realigned hours. It is a change from the past where we had begun to close post offices, but now we began to realign hours so communities could keep their identity."
Frankenfield said the Postal Service is facing financial challenges due to decreases in mail volume.
"The post office needs to balance both customer and operational needs. Instead of closing certain offices, our new strategy is to stagger window service. Your office is designated as a four-hour office. The reduction in hours is due to the decline of mail volume and workload for the existing staff."
Frankenfield said the plan includes keeping home delivery by current carriers, but they would be working out of the Ashland post office and deliver from there. She said Ashland is not affected in the POST Plan and will be the administrative office for the area.
While there were questions about the changes from the public, a frequent complaint was about when Tuesday's meeting was held, since it did not allow residents who work to attend.
When asked if the current changes will stay in place, Briel said that changes are always possible in the future, but he advised that the best way of keeping a post office in Girardville is to use it.
"Utilize your resources here," said Briel, stating that the Girardville post office gets credit for sales of postage stamps, purchase of packaging and mailing packages. He said that purchasing stamps and postage from USPS on the Internet also are credited to Girardville if the 17935 ZIP code is included in the order.
Borough council President Charles Marquardt and councilmen Joseph Chiaretti and Joseph Quinn attended the meeting, and Quinn was pleased the plan preserves the local post office.
"It's a lot better than shutting it down," Quinn said. "I can understand the loss to the post office just because of email."
After leaving Girardville, Frankenfield and Briel went to the Lost Creek post office for a similar public meeting, and then to a meeting at 4 p.m. at Mount Zion Lutheran Church for the Zion Grove post office.
On Thursday, two public meetings will be held at the Sacramento Fire Company, 2206 E. Main St., Sacramento - the first at 4 p.m. for the Spring Glen post office, and at 5 p.m. for the Sacramento post office.