INSIDE

Post office plans improvements

By Meg Olson

“For four years the postal service has denied we had a problem and now at least they aren’t in denial,” said voters’ association member Ruby White.

After four years of hammering at the postal service to make changes that would eliminate lines at the local post office, “she finally got one of her letters to the right person and got results,” said Point Roberts postmaster Mike Lange.

On April 16 Jerry Scott, facility planning manager for the Western Facilities Service Office of the U.S. Postal Service visited Point Roberts and came up with some suggestions for changes that would bring short-term relief for long lines, and long-term plans for an expanded or new post office.

“What we are proposing to do is install parcel lockers in the box lobby,” Scott said. “These lockers would allow post office box customers to retrieve oversized articles not requiring a signature without having to go to the window counter. This will take many customers out of line and allow the sales associates to wait on customers needing assistance.”
The lockers could be put in place as soon as Lange orders them and determines where they can be installed.

Within a six-month timeframe Scott is hoping to expand and enclose the loading dock area at the rear of the existing post office and create an area for large-volume customers to drive up, unload into large containers and have them weighed and rated.

“This will also make the process easier for our staff to dispatch the mail onto the truck that loads in this area as well,” he said.

“I believe by installing the parcel lockers, getting customers in and out quicker, and changing how we handle large volume mailers, the parking issue will also benefit,” Scott said. “These changes will show an immediate relief when implemented and I am sure the customers of the Point Roberts post office will benefit by improved service.”

Scott added legal staff would also review the possibility of expanding window hours.

“Service standards are national,” Lange clarified. “The truck leaves at 3:30 p.m. and we can’t accept mail that can’t go out that day. It will be difficult unless the legal department can find a way around that.”
In the long term Scott said his office would add Point Roberts to the list of facilities they review to see if they are meeting the needs of the community they serve as part of the 2009 prioritization process.

“This is when we review the current building and evaluate how it meets the needs of the community as well as safety and service standards,” he said. “This could lead to a replacement or expanded facility and or a larger site.”

Lange said he is excited to see some infrastructure solutions coming, but they need to be matched with manpower. “The existing staff is not sufficient,” he said. “They can all this they want but if I don’t get at least one more person it does me no good.”

The post office is short one staff member since the March 30 retirement of Pauline DeHaan after 21 years at the post office. She will be replaced May 12 by Robinder Kler, coming from the Everett office, Lange said.
To make a new large-volume facility work, he said he will be asking for an additional staff member. “So far I did not get the favorable response I had hoped for,” he said.

The voters association will continue to gather signatures and suggestions on a petition to improve postal service, approved by the association membership at their March 14 annual general meeting.
White credits the petition with the success of her latest attempt to get the attention of the postal service. “There still wouldn’t be anything done if the voters’ association hadn’t started that petition,” she said.

To get on the association’s petition for improved postal service contact president Campbell McClusky at prvoters@gmail.com, or attend one of the association’s meetings, every other Saturday at 9:30 a.m. at the community center. The next meeting is May 5.