Huffman reintroduces bill to halt postal facility closures.

July 09, 2018

For the second time since 2016, North Coast Congressman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) has introduced a bill to address the closure of United States Postal Service facilities along the North Coast and the consolidation of mail service in the region.

The Stop Postal Closures Act, a bipartisan bill coauthored by two Republican representatives from West Virginia, would require robust public notification and comment period so stakeholder’s can review any decisions made by the Postal Regulatory Commission; reinstate delivery standards to 2012 levels and empower the PRC to set annual performance benchmarks.

“On the North Coast, our communities have felt the negative effects of recent closures of postal facilities, including reduced service standards, delayed mail delivery and less frequent deliveries,” Huffman said in a news release. “We must ensure the USPS is delivering for the American people, especially our seniors, veterans and rural communities who rely heavily upon dependable deliveries from the postal service.”

Many of the same issues that were present in 2016 remain issues today and for Rep. Evan Jenkins (R-West Virginia), immediate action is needed.

“This bill builds on our previous work to restore service standards, protect six-day delivery and prevent closures of rural post offices and processing facilities,” Jenkins said in the press release.

The USPS did not provide any answers to questions about impacts to Humboldt County mail service and Augustine Ruiz Jr. from corporate communications at USPS wrote in an email that, “we continue to work with Congress to enact needed postal reforms and have no comment on this particular legislative proposal.”

The USPS closed down the Kneeland post office in 2012 and Korbel in 2014 but the Eureka processing facility did remain open while in Petaluma, also represented by Huffman, the mail processing facility was closed.

Currently there are 36 post offices scattered across Humboldt County and in very rural areas, they are only open for four hours per day. Five locations, Arcata, Eureka, Fortuna, Redway and Rio Dell offer passport services.


Source: by Dan Squier