BADGER The community of Badger doesn't want to see its post office go.
The sentiment was clear Wednesday night as approximately 80 community members packed the Badger Fire Station to speak with representatives of the U.S. Postal Service about the possibility of the town's post office closing.
"We want to thank you for coming tonight because it shows you care and want us in your community," said Sara Lindauer, a post office review investigator, who fielded questions from community members.
If the post office closes in Badger - which is highly likely, Lindauer said, community members could rent post office boxes in Clare or Vincent.
The community will also have the option of either having cluster boxes or curbside mail delivery.
The meeting was one of many taking place across the state as the Postal Service tries to cut costs while maintaining service.
One of the options to save money is to close the post offices in communities without postmasters.
Badger hasn't had a postmaster since 2009, and the Postal Service isn't allowing reassignments to replace postmasters, according to Janan O'Brien, who is the acting manager of post office operations and spoke with the community.
Lindauer noted that the Postal Service has asked Congress to allow the Postal Service to only deliver five days a week as a way to save money, but she said they're not acting fast enough.
"We're losing $23 million a day," Lindauer said.
O'Brien noted the Postal Service has eliminated high level positions and salaries as well, but more must be done.
Among the questions asked during the meeting were:
How can we appeal if the decision is made to close the post office?
The decision will be posted 30 days before closure of the post office. Residents may appeal in that time, and directions to do so will be available on the bottom of the notice.
What if the medication delivered to me through the mail is temperature sensitive?
The carrier will hand deliver the medication to your door if it could freeze or overheat in the mailbox, said O'Brien.
What if I already have mail delivered to my house?
If you are already on a rural route, you're mail delivery won't be affected, said O'Brien. Only if you have a post office box will your mail delivery change. That change will be a community decision to have curbside delivery or cluster boxes installed.
Why are you closing the Badger post office when the town's population is larger than Clare?
Those are part of the regulatory rules set in the 1970s that the Postal Service must follow, O'Brien said. It is not allowed to consider closing a post office with a post master. It would take Congressional action to change that policy.
Why can't the community share the Clare postmaster a few days a week?
O'Brien said it's not an option to share postmasters because the idea behind the restructure is to save money by reducing brick and motor buildings.
Why are you even here if this is a done decision?
A decision hasn't been made. The community sessions are part of a nine-month study process to determine which communities should keep their post office and which should be closed, said O'Brien.
If we have cluster boxes or mailboxes will they be in Badger?
Yes, O'Brien said. Those two options will allow residents to receive their mail in Badger. However, if people want to keep a post office address, they will have to rent a box in Clare or Vincent and drive to receive their mail. The addresses for cluster boxes and curbside mail will change to people's street addresses. The cluster boxes will simply be numbered.
Are cluster boxes safe?
Lindaure said the cluster boxes are locked and only the carrier and the owner will have a key to access the box. The Postal Service is also responsible for maintaining the cluster boxes, so if a door breaks, the Postal Service will replace it.
How will this save money?
Lindaure said based on preliminary figures a minimum salary plus benefits for a postmaster would be $44,000. Add in the rental of the building at $5,000, and that's a $49,000 annual cost. Curbside mail service would be approximately $25,229 annually, and cluster boxes are about $700. There is no fee to the customer to have a cluster box.
The Postal Service doesn't receive tax dollars and is bound by certain rules which can only be changed by Congressional action.
Contact Lindsey Mutchler at (515) 573-2141 or lindsey@messengernews.net