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USPS delivers news: No new post office
By Francesca Olsen
After years of lobbying, Claverack residents have been told again that the United States Postal Service cannot provide them with funding for a new post office building.
U.S. Rep. Scott Murphy, D-20th, recently wrote a letter to Henry Burmeister, facilities manager at the USPS, describing the cramped conditions of the current Claverack post office and its parking lot, which has visibility issues.
Tom Gaynor, corporate communications representative for the USPS, sent the Register-Star a response to Murphy’s letter explaining the financial trouble the USPS is already in due to the economic recession.
“The Postal Service is experiencing significant financial challenges related to declining mail volumes, the lackluster economy, and fluctuating fuel costs. Weakness in the financial, credit and housing sectors ... resulted in a mail volume decline of more than 9.5 billion pieces and a $2.8 billion net loss in fiscal year 2008,” the letter reads.
Post offices in the Capital Region are already closing, including four post offices in Albany. The Postal Service is looking at a possible loss of $7 billion this fiscal year, the Associated Press reported, even with a two-cent increase in the price of stamps, staff cutbacks and the removal of thousands of mail collection boxes nationwide.
Gaynor’s letter reported that mail volume for fiscal year 2009 is projected to decline by 25 to 30 billion pieces.
“The Post Office is shifting our emphasis to ensure that our capital resources are focused on maintenance of our existing infrastructure. No new post office projects have been approved, and approvals for certain projects from prior years have been rescinded,” the letter said.
“Considering the financial challenges we currently face, it is not feasible for the Postal Service to build a new post office in Claverack at this time.”
Town Supervisor James Keegan wasn’t surprised by the letter. “It’s the same thing that I’ve been getting since 1997,” he said.
“They (the USPS) agreed it’s a serious problem up there. They agreed that traffic congestion was bad,” said Keegan. “The employees are still working under these conditions of packages, stacked on packages atop of each other.”
Keegan said that in July 2005, Claverack had a public hearing on the post office matter, and introduced a real estate specialist for the USPS who presented an overview on a proposed new building. After the SEQRA process was completed on a proposed site, the town went so far as to go out to bid on the project.
“That’s the same thing they said in 2005,” he said. “They’re using the same rhetoric they did then. They told us that twice. We had two sites. Then they stopped building post offices.”
The USPS also suggested alternate areas where residents could purchase stamps when the Claverack post office was not open; of the five locations listed, all were in the city of Hudson.
“Why should we have to go to Hudson to do it?” Keegan asked. “Maybe if they updated their services back in 1997 more people would be using it.”
Richard Koskey, who has been actively campaigning for a new post office in Claverack for years, said the letter didn’t truly address Claverack’s — or the postal service’s — real problem.
“They’re losing business. They ought to address that problem,” he said. “This is a superficial answer and it seems many times our government is reluctant to drill down to the real problem.”
“It’s very frustrating,” said Keegan. “It’s almost like the guy that wrote this letter is copying the letter that was done in 2005. Only it sounds like it’s getting worse.”
To reach reporter Francesca Olsen call 518-828-1616, ext. 2272, or e-mail folsen@registerstar.com.
U.S. Rep. Scott Murphy, D-20th, recently wrote a letter to Henry Burmeister, facilities manager at the USPS, describing the cramped conditions of the current Claverack post office and its parking lot, which has visibility issues.
Tom Gaynor, corporate communications representative for the USPS, sent the Register-Star a response to Murphy’s letter explaining the financial trouble the USPS is already in due to the economic recession.
“The Postal Service is experiencing significant financial challenges related to declining mail volumes, the lackluster economy, and fluctuating fuel costs. Weakness in the financial, credit and housing sectors ... resulted in a mail volume decline of more than 9.5 billion pieces and a $2.8 billion net loss in fiscal year 2008,” the letter reads.
Post offices in the Capital Region are already closing, including four post offices in Albany. The Postal Service is looking at a possible loss of $7 billion this fiscal year, the Associated Press reported, even with a two-cent increase in the price of stamps, staff cutbacks and the removal of thousands of mail collection boxes nationwide.
Gaynor’s letter reported that mail volume for fiscal year 2009 is projected to decline by 25 to 30 billion pieces.
“The Post Office is shifting our emphasis to ensure that our capital resources are focused on maintenance of our existing infrastructure. No new post office projects have been approved, and approvals for certain projects from prior years have been rescinded,” the letter said.
“Considering the financial challenges we currently face, it is not feasible for the Postal Service to build a new post office in Claverack at this time.”
Town Supervisor James Keegan wasn’t surprised by the letter. “It’s the same thing that I’ve been getting since 1997,” he said.
“They (the USPS) agreed it’s a serious problem up there. They agreed that traffic congestion was bad,” said Keegan. “The employees are still working under these conditions of packages, stacked on packages atop of each other.”
Keegan said that in July 2005, Claverack had a public hearing on the post office matter, and introduced a real estate specialist for the USPS who presented an overview on a proposed new building. After the SEQRA process was completed on a proposed site, the town went so far as to go out to bid on the project.
“That’s the same thing they said in 2005,” he said. “They’re using the same rhetoric they did then. They told us that twice. We had two sites. Then they stopped building post offices.”
The USPS also suggested alternate areas where residents could purchase stamps when the Claverack post office was not open; of the five locations listed, all were in the city of Hudson.
“Why should we have to go to Hudson to do it?” Keegan asked. “Maybe if they updated their services back in 1997 more people would be using it.”
Richard Koskey, who has been actively campaigning for a new post office in Claverack for years, said the letter didn’t truly address Claverack’s — or the postal service’s — real problem.
“They’re losing business. They ought to address that problem,” he said. “This is a superficial answer and it seems many times our government is reluctant to drill down to the real problem.”
“It’s very frustrating,” said Keegan. “It’s almost like the guy that wrote this letter is copying the letter that was done in 2005. Only it sounds like it’s getting worse.”
To reach reporter Francesca Olsen call 518-828-1616, ext. 2272, or e-mail folsen@registerstar.com.
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