Wilsonville post office recommended for closing

WILSONVILLE, Nebraska -- Kathy Hand's recommendation isn't the final word in post office closings, but she writes in a report to Wilsonville, Nebraska, postal customers that the U.S. Postal Services' proposal to close their post office "is warranted."

Hand, who is manager of post office operations in Grand Island, concluded after attending a public meeting in Wilsonville July 7 that the closing of the Wilsonville post office will create financial savings to the U.S. Postal Services that outweigh disadvantages to Wilsonville postal customers.

Hand wrote in an Aug. 5 summary of her study of the closure of the Wilsonville post office, "Taking all available information into consideration, the Postal Service has determined that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages and this proposal is warranted." She also wrote that replacement services by rural mail carrier(s) and in the Cambridge post office will provide "a maximum degree of effective and regular postal services to the (Wilsonville) community."

Hand's report to postal patrons continues, "This is a proposal. It is not a final determine to close this post office."

Between now and Oct. 6, 2011, postal patrons can mail written comments about the proposed closing to: LeAnn Tvrdy, 6005 Lockheed Court, Omaha, NE 68119-9500; or call (402) 930-4431.

While Hand made the recommendation regarding the Wilsonville post office, the final decision is not hers. She said at the July 7 meeting in Wilsonville, "If the office is vacant (without a career post master) and has less than two hours (of workload per day), it (the decision) goes past me and up the chain, to Washington, D.C.," Hand said.

The process is now in it 60-day public posting period of the proposal, with the invitation for customer comments.

There will be a 30-day public posting of the final determination from Washington. At that time, customers have another 30 days to appeal the decision to the Postal Regulatory Commission.

Hand said in July it would be December or January before customers would actually see a change if the closing is approved.

The Wilsonville post office has been staffed by an officer in charge since the retirement of the postmaster in October 2009. It serves 55 box customers and, with one rural carrier, 57 delivery customers. It provides services Monday through Friday from 8:45 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. until 4:15 p.m.; and Saturday, from 8:45 a.m. until 9:15 a.m. The retail window averages 11 transactions each day accounting for 10 minutes of retail workload.

On July 25, the Postal Service sent surveys to 112 customers. A total of 56 questionnaires were returned; 1 response was favorable, 21 unfavorable and 26 expressed no opinion.

If the proposal is implemented, Wilsonville customers would be served with cluster box units and/or by rural carrier or contract delivery carrier to roadside mailboxes near customers' homes. The carrier will be able to provide all services that are available at the post office except post office box service and bulk mail acceptance. Delivery and retail services would be provided by the post office in Cambridge, 12 miles away. It provides services Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m until 4:15 p.m., and Saturday, from 8:30 a.m. until 10:30 a.m.

The Wilsonville post office has generated these revenue amounts for the past three years: in FY 2010, $13,564; in FY 2009, $15,845; and in FY 2008, $15,747.

By closing the Wilsonville post office, the Postal Service will save:

Postmaster (OIC) salary, $33,168

Fringe benefits (at 33.5 percent), $11,111

Annual lease costs, $4,485

Total annual costs, $48,764

Less annual cost of replacement service -$16,728

Total annual savings, $32,036

A one-time expense of $1,000 would be incurred for the movement of the facility contents and operations to Cambridge.