On Tuesday, NAPUS “intervened” in the deliberations that Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) is undertaking relating to the Postal Service’s “Station and Branch Optimization and Consolidation Initiative,” Docket N2009-1. The PRC involvement in this matter stems from its statutory review authority, which predates the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act.

In May, the Postal Service announced that it will be examining about 3,200 postal stations and branches for possible “closure or curtailment.” Depending on the outcome of the initial review, and the remaining 1,600 stations and branches may be evaluated for closure or curtailment. The USPS goal is to “identify and take advantage of opportunities for increased efficiency.” The USPS goes on to state in its PRC filing that it also seeks to maintain postal accessibility. While the Initiative does not affect small and rural post offices, it will impact the operations of urban and suburban post offices, where multiple branches and stations are subordinate to the post office. For this reason, NAPUS President Goff elected to intervene with the PRC.

The USPS Optimization Initiative resulted from the current economic conditions and the persistent decline in mail volume. On July 2, the USPS requested that the PRC determine whether the nationwide reorganization of postal branches and stations, as described in the initiative, represents “a nationwide change in the nature of postal services.” If the PRC decides affirmatively on this point, the Postal Service is seeking an “advisory opinion” as to whether the change is consistent with existing postal law (i.e., Title 39 of the United States Code).

source: National Association of Postmasters of The US http://www.napus.org/govrelations/E6-11.pdf