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Mail efforts gain support |
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Thursday, 22 October 2009 |
By WILLIAM LANEY
Managing Editor
Maintaining a mail processing center in Lima received the backing of a Wapakoneta City Council committee as long as keeping the center “maintains good, quality service for city residents.”
Wapakoneta City Council Communications and Rules Committee members Wednesday recommended council consider a resolution in support of efforts to keep the mail processing center in Lima.
Wapakoneta area resident Mark Junkins, who works at the facility, approached councilors during Monday’s council meeting regarding the proposed closure of the center and moving the processing of the mail for the zip code area beginning 458 from Lima to Toledo.
“We voted to recommend to council to consider passage of a resolution to keep the center open as long as they can assure us that we will not have any reduced services,” Councilor-at-large and Committee Chair Dr. Ed Wallen said. “Our position is we want to support the community and support efforts that maintain good quality mail service for the community.”
The resolution would likely be considered at the Nov. 2 council meeting.
Junkins addressed councilors about the shift of processing from the Lima plant, which was built in the last 10 years, to an older facility in Toledo. An Area Mail Processing (AMP) study is being conducted by the U.S. Postal Service.
He estimated mail which typically could be delivered in one day will take two to three days because of the increased distance.
Toledo has a two-day delivery to Columbus, Dayton and Fort Wayne, while Lima has one-day delivery.
Junkins also addressed the plant’s service record.
He said the Lima plant ranked third in the nation out of 268 canceller processing sites, while Toledo ranked 16th.
Postal delivery trucks for the daily 4 a.m. to 9 a.m. delivery are on time only 67 percent of the time, while the Lima trucks for the same time are on time 91 percent of the time.
He said if the processing plant is closed it would affect approximately 115 workers, who would have to decide if they would consider a transfer to another processing facility. He estimated a handful of employees live in Wapakoneta and more in Auglaize County.
Junkins said if a decision is made to consolidate the processing center, he expects the plant to be closed down within 6 months.
Junkins offered to provide sample resolutions for council’s consideration if they needed examples.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 23 October 2009 )
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