It’s unclear if Mendota’s post office has gained a reprieve or just a stay of sentence, but either way the historical and beloved institution will be spared from closure for at least a few more months thanks to — of all things — a letter.
That letter, dated Dec. 9 and signed by 20 U.S. Senators, including Minnesota’s Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken, called for a six-month moratorium on the cost-cutting measures the United States Postal Service is considering, most notably the closing and consolidation of 3,700 post office locations nationwide.
“While some of these changes may be needed, we believe that it is very important to give Congress the opportunity to reform the postal service in a way that protects universal service while ensuring its financial viability for decades to come,” the letter reads.
Congress has until May 15 to make the most of its opportunity, and according to USPS spokesman Peter Nowacki it’s still too early to guess the outcome of the “big picture” postal reform he says the senators want. Nowacki said at the moment the USPS isn’t aware of any agenda or list of strategies that will be brought forward. He said while he understands many Mendota residents are anxious about the fate of their post office, they’ll have to keep waiting for the time being.
“There’s no timeline that’s set for when we would announce when a specific post office may or not be closed,” Nowacki said.
Cautiously optimistic
Even so, the moratorium is welcome news for Mendota Mayor Brian Mielke. Mielke said he’s eager to see what congress will come up with in the process. If nothing else, Mielke said the delay gives Mendota post office advocates at all levels more time to fight for protection.
“I’m cautiously optimistic,” Mielke said. “We’re not establishing the parade route just yet.”
Mielke said he’s working to set up a meeting with Klobuchar in the near future to emphasize the importance of the post office to the community, and he encouraged residents to voice their support by calling or writing to their local representatives.
The Mendota post office was named a candidate for closure in 2009 because it generates less than $600,000 per year in revenue and is within two miles of at least five other postal service locations. It’s one of seven post offices in the metro area that have been targeted as part of the postmaster general’s effort to cut operating costs by $200 million per year to combat budget deficits.
Mendota’s first post office was established in 1854 and remained independent until 1972, when it became a branch of the St. Paul post office. It has been housed in several buildings through the years and moved in to its current location in 2000.
Besides its history, Mendota’s post office is unique in its lack of home mail delivery. Instead, residents come to the post office to pick up their mail.
