D'town Post Office depends on private enterprise - WALB.com, Albany News, Weather, Sports

D'town Post Office depends on private enterprise

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ALBANY, GA (WALB) -

The future of the downtown Albany post office was again a topic of discussion amongst county leaders. They continuing to push to keep the facility open beyond it's six-month extension, but it will be up to a private contractor to invest in the location.

The United States Postal Service and it's budget woes has led to pamphlet postcards detailing contract postal units. It's basically salvaging the post offices that can longer be sustained.

 Come April, the downtown Albany post office and all its PO Boxes that served customers for decades will be no more,  unless the sinking ship is salvaged.

"This is pretty common that private contractors operate postal services throughout the country," said Michael McCoy, Asst. County Administrator.

Hundreds of post offices across the country are slated for closure due to deepening budget issues plaguing the US Postal Service. They can't sustain them, but private contractors can, and that's what they're advertising.

"We understand that there are several interested parties that are capable of operating the facility here downtown,"  said McCoy.

County leaders today said that any private contractor must first get approval from the Postal Service, mainly it's regional headquarters in Jacksonville, Florida.

"You would have to meet their qualifications and you would have to meet a certain criteria to be able to be the contractor that literally ran and kept this post office downtown," said County Commission Chairman Jeff Sinyard.

The cost of operating the Contract Postal Unit is unknown, but there are more than 2,900 in operation throughout the country that serve as retail locations offering essentially the same services as the USPS.

Sinyard says the extension gives them time to develop a clear plan.  "If we can work together and keep this post office downtown open where both sides come out where they need to come out, that's very important."

But it will be up to a private contractor to keep it alive.

A for more information on the CPU program you can get a pamphlet at city hall or the downtown visitors. CPU's aren't without controversy. While they are approved the USPS.

The American Postal Workers Union has cited oversight issues concerning contractors and their reliability in handling mail.

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