Many Reno eyes will be on the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee called “Oversight of the United States Postal Service” early Tuesday morning (7 a.m. our time), with Postmaster General Louis DeJoy testifying.
Current plans to save several million dollars would have northern Nevada mail getting rerouted through Sacramento starting in January before being delivered locally, which could cause substantial “over the hill” delays due to snow and wildfires. Over 60 USPS employees in Reno would also potentially lose their jobs.
U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen, currently in a fierce re-election battle and with a seat on the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, has made her opposition known repeatedly.
On her website, she indicates there was an April 11th meeting with fellow Democratic Senator Catherine Cortez Masto and Republican Congressman Mark Amodei with United States Postal Service officials “regarding the proposed downsizing and relocation of the mail processing operations from Reno, Nevada to Sacramento, California.”
A statement indicates “the bipartisan Nevada delegation expressed their deep concerns about the effects the plan would have on mail service reliability and local jobs, and pushed USPS officials to instead listen to local Nevada leaders, businesses, and residents.”
“They were unable to provide us with detailed explanations of how this misguided proposal is good for Nevada,” said Senator Rosen. “I’m outraged by the lack of answers and transparency we have received on a matter that could lead to delayed mail delivery for Nevadans who depend on it. I won’t stop pushing to stop this ill-advised plan, and I look forward to questioning Postmaster General Louis DeJoy about it.”
“I made it clear that moving the Reno distribution center to California is a mistake that would kill Nevada jobs and could delay the delivery of Nevadans’ essential medications, benefits, and ballots,” Senator Cortez Masto was quoted as saying. “Not a single Nevadan I’ve talked to thinks this is a good idea, and I will continue fighting to stop it.”
“There is still much to be done in getting the justification for sending Nevada-addressed mail to another state before being sent back to Nevada for delivery,” Congressman Amodei said in a matter of fact tone.
Meanwhile, USPS officials offered their own statement clearly indicating they viewed the change with a totally different lens.
“As outlined in the Mail Processing Facility Review, we’re looking to update the Reno P&DC as a Local Processing Center (LPC), investing $12-14 million into the facility for modernization, deferred maintenance, and new vehicle infrastructure,” the statement indicated, not addressing the grievances of the Nevada delegation.
“The plan would also offer improved employee amenities, a better working environment, and result in a cost savings of $3.1-$4.2 million annually, all while maintaining service standards for our customers. Throughout the study process, we have welcomed input and dialogue such as this. This transparent, methodical approach helps us make the right decisions for the future of service to the American public. We appreciate the delegation’s interest in these modernization efforts and look forward to communicating our progress going forward.”
Earlier this year, in March, Republican Governor Joe Lombardo had already sent a letter to Postmaster General Dejoy asking he “take seriously the concerns being expressed by [his] constituents, local governments and Nevada state agencies,” after regional revamping postal service plans were initially outlined.
Governor Lombardo said northern Nevadans rely on mail arriving quickly for urgent situations such as matters involving SNAP, Medicaid and safety plans for survivors of abuse and that these proposed changes would put all this and more in jeopardy.