Colorado members of Congress want to work alongside the U.S. Postal Service and redevelop rural, mountain post offices to address facilities and staffing constraints.
U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper, as well as Reps. Joe Neguse and Jeff Hurd, outlined proposals for Postal Service facilities in Vail, Frisco, Dillon, Keystone, Crested Butte and Gypsum in a letter on Thursday, May 7.
Addressed to Postmaster General David Steiner and Postal Service Board of Governors Chair Amber McReynolds, the letter states that "the localities of Colorado's Western Slope have experienced many difficulties, from unexpected facility closures and long wait times to substandard service and unreliable mail access."
The letter follows what the lawmakers described as a "productive" meeting in January where Steiner, McReynolds and officials from Colorado mountain towns discussed potential partnerships to create workforce housing and collaborate on other goals.
The Postal Service does not offer home delivery in most Colorado mountain communities, so residents have mail delivered to P.O. boxes and have to pick up packages at post office facilities, many of which are decades old.
For years, mountain town residents have struggled with consistent mail delivery. About three years ago, the issues grew so acute that officials from Steamboat Springs and Summit County publicly considered taking legal action against the Postal Service. At the time, some residents reported problems accessing medications and important bills through the mail since packages and letters would show up weeks or months later than expected.
In 2023, an audit of the Postal Service's delivery and customer service found residents of Colorado mountain towns experienced significantly lower on-time performance, especially for package deliveries, than the rest of the state and nation. The audit identified hiring and retention as the biggest challenge for Postal Service facilities due to wages not keeping up with the high cost of living on the Western Slope.
"Colorado's mountain communities have shared their solutions to improve service, reduce USPS costs and address critical community needs," the lawmakers wrote. "They are ready to help identify suitable parcels and buildings for USPS facilities, provide accurate timelines and cost estimates for facility improvements and collaborate on resolving the staffing shortages common in these areas."
In Vail, the letter states the Postal Service facility was built as a regional distribution center, but now serves only as a retail and local postal pickup site, making the existing "building and the lot it sits on are oversized for current services." The lawmakers noted that the town is interested in partnering to redevelop the site to include workforce housing, including for Postal Service employees.
In Frisco, the lawmakers said the town is interested in replacing the existing one-story building with a multi-story structure that could include a mix of commercial retail shops, office spaces and housing, including for Postal Service employees. Dillon officials are also interested in a similar redevelopment of the one-story Post Office building to include housing and "help with recruitment and retention," according to the letter.
Colorado's newest town, Keystone, does not have a post office, so residents have to travel out of town to pick up mail, usually at the Dillon Post Office, the letter states. But the Dillon Post Office is out of P.O. boxes, so residents are "forced to wait in long lines for general delivery mail, which is often challenging or impossible for the local workforce," according to the lawmakers. Keystone officials have reportedly offered to provide space in its municipal buildings for a post office and contribute to the cost of cluster boxes to facilitate home delivery for residents.
Though the Postal Service has worked with the town of Gypsum for years to relocate its existing post office facility, which is "in a state of disrepair," the letter states that the Postal Service "inexplicably paused the project" late last year as it headed toward construction. Despite the January meeting, the lawmakers wrote that the Postal Service has "declined to engage with (Gypsum town officials) in any meaningful way."
In Crested Butte, the town has offered land to the Postal Service for a proposed development that would include housing and a larger post office.
"Colorado's mountain communities were glad to hear you request their help in identifying collaborative solutions," the lawmakers wrote. "We are grateful for your willingness to partner on many existing local opportunities and hope this list is a useful starting point."
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