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MINOT, N.D. (KXNET) — The United States Postal Service leaders are said to be tackling mail delays and issues as best as they can.
And our state is no stranger to mail problems. So, leaders met Thursday to address the issues and see what solutions are available.
Senator John Hoeven arrived in Minot Thursday for a round table discussion to discuss ongoing mail problems.
This is something Senator Hoeven has been addressing for years. So, what is it going to take to make a change?
The first problem leaders addressed is the obvious, workforce issues. Not only within USPS but all delivery sectors across the country.
“I think the biggest challenge is that they are short of people. And they’ve got to hire more people. Period. That is in a nutshell, that’s what we need if more people,” said Sen. John Hoeven.
Minot’s 33 in-town routes are fully staffed, it’s the rural routes that are being neglected.
And there’s a lack of part-time drivers so full-time drivers can take a sick day and not work excessive overtime.
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But workforce shortages aside, our state USPS leaders have not been easy to get a hold of.
Even when the city council reached out to them, and city leaders confronted them about it.
“The communication still didn’t occur, no one came to visit the city council. I did get an email from someone in St. Paul indicating that they would not be sending someone. And I think that was kind of a disappointment to the residents because I think they just needed to know, we’re short staffed, we have people out ill, whatever the situation was,” said Lisa Olsen, a Minot City Council Member.
A new workforce expert has been hired at the Minot Chamber EDC that will address workforce needs and will help hire USPS staff.
Another issue discussed was the state of the Minot post office. It’s a 62-year-old building that’s never been updated and has several traffic flow problems.
“And it’s a catch-22 because if people aren’t getting their mail, then they come in to get it, logical. But then the more people that come in to get their mail, the more that there isn’t room for them to do it and to access it. So, then that gets to be a problem too. They’re not able to solve their problem because they have trouble getting to the clerk and getting their mail,” said Sen. Hoeven
Postal Service District Manager Anthony Williams said this is the worst shortage of drivers he’s seen in 43 years.
