The U.S. Postal Service is proposing to close 11 post offices in Colorado and nine in Wyoming in an effort to reduce the huge deficit the agency is facing.
Al DeSarro, western area USPS spokesman, said the postal service had a deficit of $8.5 billion last year and is doing what it can to reduce the deficit.
“We are in a financial crisis,” said DeSarro. “We are non-tax supported. We are doing everything we can to be lean and efficient.”
DeSarro said not all of the towns have been notified. He released the names of the communities where townspeople have been told of the possible shutdown.
DeSarro said meetings have been held in some and others are scheduled.
The Colorado communities that have been notified are Parlin, Agate, New Raymer, Lewis and Pleasant View.
Parlin is in Gunnison County; Agate is in Elbert County; New Raymer is in Weld County; and Lewis and Pleasant View are both in Montezuma County.
In Wyoming, the proposed closing include post offices in Bairoil, Byron, Freedom, Little America and Meriden.
Bairoil and Little America are in Sweetwater County; Byron is in Big Horn County; Freedom is in Lincoln County; and Meriden is in Laramie County.
DeSarro said that once the closings are announced, there will be time for public comment and additional study based on the comments. The additional study could take another two-to-three months. The final list of closings will then be published.
The key factor being considered is the workload of the post offices including customer transactions, said DeSarro. If the workload amounts to less than two hours a day, the post offices are candidates for closing, he said.
He said that leasing costs (most post offices are in leased buildings), utility costs, the cost of transporting mail to the post office and the cost of a fulltime employee are factors being weighed in the potential closings. Also important is whether there is another post office nearby that can provide service to the affected area.
“It doesn’t make sense (to keep the post office) if the workload isn’t there,” said DeSarro.
Community meetings have been held in Agate and Parlin and a meeting is scheduled for Lewis June 8 and Pleasant View June 9.
Up to 3,000 post offices across the country may be closed in the effort to reduce the agency’s deficit, according to post office officials.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com.
