Process gives Post Office 120-day stay against closure, says Woodgate Citizens Community
The Postal Regulatory Commission has informed the United States Postal Service (USPS) that the USPS must provide its administrative record of closing proceedings to the commission before it can open formal appeal proceedings relating to the Woodgate Post Office.
The USPS was notified on Tuesday, September 13.
The notification was prompted by the commission’s receipt of a petition from the Woodgate Citizens Committee, which included signatures from community members and others opposed to the Postal Service’s planned closing of the Woodgate Post Office.
An appeal proceeding, conducted by the commission, under the direction of its secretary, Shoshanna M. Grove, will give the Woodgate Post Office a stay of closure against the USPS for 120 days.
During that time hearings will be conducted concerning the proposed closure.
The case has been assigned Docket Number A2011-70, and a copy of the appeal petition can be viewed on the PRC’s website at PRC.gov.
Meanwhile, Congressman Bill Owens has directed a letter to Chairwoman Ruth Goldway of the Postal Regulatory Commission in support of Woodgate’s petition.
Owens stated that he had met with the Woodgate Citizens Committee as their federal representative in a shared effort to oppose the potential closure of this facility.
He described the closure as being a “pound foolish” approach.
Owens said the cost savings to the Postal Service by closing Woodgate would be 0.02 percent of the 0.3 percent amount that the USPS stands to save with its plan to close 3,650 post offices.
These minimal savings will do little to alleviate the Postal Service’s financial difficulties while causing harm to the community, he said.
Owens urged the commission to take into full and sincere consideration the comments raised in the appeal, before any decisions are made.
John Isley, chairman of the citizens committee said the petition clearly demonstrates premeditated, prejudicial, arbitrarily and capricious nature of the Postal Service’s action against Woodgate.
Isley said that the process is playing out and could eventually find its way to federal court.
“The longer the process plays, the more time is allowed for Congress and the Postal Service to reach solutions to the nationwide USPS problems,” Isley said.
