Letter to District Manager Joseph Lubrano, USPS Westchester District

Letter

With the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) planning to close the postal facility located on South Plank Road in the Town of Newburgh later this month, Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) this week responded to the outpouring of concerns from his constituents and urged the USPS to reverse course by either maintaining the current contract post office or opening a USPS branch at a nearby location.

"I urge you to find a means to maintain postal services at or near this location, either through negotiating a mutually-acceptable contract with the current operator or by opening a USPS branch in this key area," Hinchey wrote in a letter sent to Joseph Lubrano who is the District Manager for the USPS Westchester District. "Termination of postal services in this area will adversely impact and substantially inconvenience residents and businesses in the Town of Newburgh... The minimal savings that USPS would realize from terminating this contract would be more than offset by the loss of revenues generated at this facility precisely because of its central location and convenience to customers."

Hinchey has been steadily hearing from Town of Newburgh officials and residents who have expressed their frustration over the closure plans and told the congressman that no other post offices are conveniently located. Some of the residents Hinchey has heard from have post office boxes at the South Plank Road facility and have indicated that they will not move their box rentals to other USPS locations, which will cost the postal service revenue.

The full text of the letter from Hinchey to Lubrano follows:

June 4, 2012

Joseph Lubrano, District Manager

USPS Westchester District

1000 Westchester Avenue

PO Box 9800

White Plains, NY 10610-9800

Dear Mr. Lubrano:

I am writing to express my strong opposition to the impending closure of the postal facility located on South Plank Road in the Town of Newburgh. This facility is centrally located in one of the fastest growing communities in the Hudson Valley and has well- served local residents and businesses for many years. I am deeply concerned about the removal of postal services from this area of the Town of Newburgh, which will negatively affect local residents and business while also further eroding customer use of the USPS.

I understand that USPS notified the facility's owner/operator of termination of contract on June 29, 2012 due to an inability to agree on terms of a contract extension. I urge you to find a means to maintain postal services at or near this location, either through negotiating a mutually-acceptable contract with the current operator or by opening a USPS branch in this key area. Termination of postal services in this area will adversely impact and substantially inconvenience residents and businesses in the Town of Newburgh. As a result of the loss of this convenient and central location, many local residents have indicated they will no longer continue to rent boxes or purchase services offered by the USPS that they currently use.

Local officials and residents alike have contacted me to highlight that it will be very inconvenient for those who use the current facility on South Plank Road to drive on the congested local roads to alternate locations at Governor's Drive or the City of Newburgh. While USPS may consider this contract termination a means of trimming costs, the fact is this facility has been well used and profitable for the USPS, even under the expiring contract's cost structure. The minimal savings that USPS would realize from terminating this contract would be more than offset by the loss of revenues generated at this facility precisely because of its central location and convenience to customers.

I urge you to reconsider this matter, and I look forward to your prompt response on this timely matter.

Sincerely,

Maurice D. Hinchey

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