Reduced Hours Planned for Post Offices in Canton, Granby

Pending survey results, post offices in West Granby and Collinsville will likely see a reduction in hours at some point in the future. 

In addition, North Canton and North Granby offices are already slated to open fewer hours although implementation is yet to be determined. The Canton Center Post Office is also slated for eventual review before the Sept 2014 deadline.

The locations are a few of thousands post offices nationwide that have been targeted for a POST Plan review by the United States Postal Service.

“Every office (on the list) will see a change, most likely a reduction in hours," said Maureen Marion, the postal services manger for Northeast Area Corporate Communications

Under the plan, the service sends out community surveys with four options:

• keep the office open with fewer week-day hours (set by the postal service); Saturday hours remain unchanged
• launch a discontinuance study and provide roadside mailbox delivery to P.O Box holders
• conduct a discontinuance study and find an alternative location such as a local business to provide the services
• Conduct a discontinuance study and move post office boxes to another post office

The process also involves a community meeting.

As the surveys go forward nearly every community has opted for reduced hours, Marion said.

“Typically people really want what they have,” Marion said.

While there is some reduction in services, the plan was a pull back from an initiative to close 3,000 post offices around the country.

In April of 2011, for example, the service held a public meeting at the North Canton Post Office and in August of that year made a “final determination” to close it. The decision was appealed and the feedback during the meeting and after was typical of the process, Marion said. 

“It wasn’t the direction the country wanted to take,” Marion said.

The change affects many more post office locations, some 13,000 rather than 3,000, but offers a way for the postal service to save money and the community to retain their local offices, Marion said. The reduction is accomplished through such actions as attrition and reassignments and not layoffs, Marion added.

Marion acknowledged that the future could still bring some additional closures but said the service has made this commitment and wants to make it work.

“We’re making a huge effort,” she said.

In Collinsville, surveys were sent out to P.O. Box holders and were distributed at the post office. The proposed reduction is from 7 to 6 hours weekdays.

The meeting is set to take place Feb. 20 at 2 p.m. at the post office, 34 Bridge St., Collinsville.

In North Canton 29 of 54 surveys were returned, with 27 in support of the reduced hours, likely be 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. during the week, Marion said, adding that she did not yet have an implementation date. 

P.O. Box access will not change.

At the West Granby Post Office surveys have been sent and a meeting is scheduled to take place at noon Feb. 20 at the post office. Currently it is open 6.5 hours a day, with a proposal to reduce it to 4.

In North Granby, 293 of the 940 surveys issued were returned, with most opting for reduced hours. Likely those will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, with a lunch period from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m., Marion said.

The U.S. Postal Service's decision to stop first-class mail delivery on Saturdays does not affect Hours of operation at local post offices or delivery of mail to post office boxes, Marion said. 

For more information, see POST review plan and see a list of targeted offices.