Holland Reporter

On July 26, 2023, Congressman Bill Huizenga (R-MI) sent a letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy questioning the United States Postal Service’s plans for consolidating Southwest Michigan postal operations to single a “Sort and Delivery Center”.

In the letter, Huizenga details how more transparency is needed as the proposal, which would force mail carriers to pick up mail at one specific center instead of at the local post office, threatens to cause mail delivery delays for local residents and longer routes for postal workers. Congressman Huizenga’s letter is available here as well as copied below.

Dear Postmaster General DeJoy:

I write with concerns regarding the United States Postal Service’s (USPS) “Sort and Delivery Center” consolidation and realignment initiative intended for post offices in the Kalamazoo area. This one-size-fits-all proposal originating from your “Delivering for America” plan is likely to negatively impact the constituents I represent with a decline in the quality of service.

Consolidating our area’s postal operations to a Sort and Delivery Center threatens to disrupt the current standard of delivery experienced by Southwest Michigan residents. Mail carriers would be required to divert to this single Center to pick up the mail before proceeding on their route. As a result, the workforce would be stretched thin, having to travel much farther to reach the communities they serve. Residents in these areas, including the many older households, rely on prompt mail delivery for time-sensitive materials like medical bills and financial documents.  Furthermore, as I understand the Center would be located on 9th street in Oshtemo Township, the influx of delivery vehicles would cause daily traffic and related issues for the local citizens.

With these concerns in mind, I request your response to each of the following sets of questions:

1. Does USPS have any data or studies specific to consolidation plans in the Kalamazoo area that show a positive or negative impact on mail delivery or the workforce?   If studies or data exists, I request you openly share this information with my office and the impacted communities as appropriate.

2. What is USPS’s timeline for implementing its consolidation plan in the Kalamazoo area? If it is not currently available, when and how will it be shared?

3. Has USPS met with or requested input from potentially impacted community members? If so, how many comments has USPS received? And is USPS in compliance with P.L. 109-435, which outlines steps the agency must take prior to making a decision on facility consolidation or realignment, including ensuring notice to and input from the public?

4. Has USPS responded to correspondence from local units of government impacted by the planned consolidation?

In addition to a written response, I request your agency reach out to my office to arrange a meeting to discuss these matters. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

Original source can be found here.