Small towns worry about post office closures

Big losses have U.S. Postal Service officials at least thinking about consolidating some post offices in Iowa and other states.  But there's no “hit list” yet and no way to predict which offices might close.

National news reports on Monday put the potential closing of post offices and branches nationwide at 2,000 this year.  The postal service has about 32,000 post office facilities nationwide.  Approximately 800 of those are located  in Iowa.

Rich Watkins, a postal spokesperson for Iowa based in Kansas City, said the federal agency lost approximately $8.5-billion dollars in 2010.  Only about 19% of post offices currently operate at a profit.  The postal service is an independent agency that has not received any taxpayer funding since the early 1980's.

Watkins said actually closing post offices for economic reasons would take a change in law by Congress.  And while denying there is any list of 2,000 post offices slated for closing, Watkins said the postal service is serious about reducing the deficit.

“We know where the savings are.  For us, the question, the more important question, is where can we save money while maintaining the level of service,” Watkins said.

At this point in the discussion, there's no way of knowing which postal offices in Iowa might be in line for consolidation if the postal service is successful in getting Congress to approve closings.

One customer doing business at the Center Point Post Office on Monday, Barb Brislawn,  said if that office makes the list, she'd expect to see some sparks.

“It'd be hard to have to go to Cedar Rapids to buy stamps or anything-I'd put it that way,” Brislawn said.

The postal official said customers are voting with their feet and wallets-using more online services, or postal machines in stores, rather than traveling to the brick and mortar postal buildings to make purchases.  If the U.S. Postal Service pursues a closing plan, then access to other post offices and availability of stores selling stamps and services would play into the decision.

Customers in Center Point said they'd bet that post office would stay in operation because it's a base for letter carriers on surrounding rural delivery routes.  But that's not true in neighboring Urbana, located just five miles away.

If the postal service decides customers in Urbana can drive the five miles then the facility there might be consolidated.  Urbana residents said if that happens, they'll put up a fight.

Urbana business owner Dewey Ockenfels said “I know that would be a major inconvenience for me-I have my business account and house box over there.  I wouldn't want to drive to Center Point every time to get my mail.”  A rural Urbana resident, Joan Zieser, added “Urbana's growing and I think they need their post office.”

Postal officials said if they do pursue a plan that involves large scale closings, they'll probably hear a lot of comments just like that.