MISSOULA — The Missoula downtown post office lease is set to end next September and officials are asking for public input on where a new location should be.
The current lease at the building on Broadway could end in September of 2022 with a potential sale of the building.
Federal code requires the postal service to notify the public, and hold public meetings ahead of any major moves. Officials say public notices have been posted and sent to residents.
When asked for comment on the timeline to move, a spokesman said they'll consider all input before making any decisions, and gave us this statement.
"The Postal Service values its place in the communities we serve at our Post Offices, Stations, and Branches throughout the nation,” USPS Strategic Communications Specialist Floyd D. Wagoner said in an email to MTN News.
“As a self-supporting government entity (not funded by taxpayer dollars) the Postal Service continually evaluates its network of retail, delivery, and mail processing facilities and makes decisions about how best to align our network for the future,” the statement continued.
The public comment period is all mail-in and will end on Saturday. Officials will then move to a decision-making period to consider potential relocations.
Additional information from the USPS can be found here.
The Postal Service values its place in the communities we serve at our Post Offices, Stations, and Branches throughout the nation. As a self-supporting government entity (not funded by taxpayer dollars) the Postal Service continually evaluates its network of retail, delivery, and mail processing facilities and makes decisions about how best to align our network for the future.
Any time the Postal Service considers relocation of its retail operations, it proceeds carefully and follows a specific process set out in the Code of Federal Regulations (39 CFR 241.4). These guidelines include notification to elected officials and the public, the holding of public meetings, and soliciting public opinion during an established timeline. In the case of the Missoula, Hellgate Post Office, public notices have been posted with regards to the potential relocation of retail services in the lobby at the current location. The notices include information about the current virtual public comment period and subsequent steps.
We consider all input received from the community and local officials, prior to making a decision. More information on the Postal Service can be found in our Postal Facts webpage, located here: http://facts.usps.com/compare-the-years/[gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com] .
