People on the plains are not receiving their mail, and the postal service is blaming it on a shortage of mail carriers. People have a right to receive their mail. Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution gives Congress the power ìto establish Post Offices and post roads and to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper.î If the mail canít be delivered because of employment deficits, the post office has a responsibility to let people know where they can pick up their mail.But theyíre not, according to a Jan. 20 email Falcon resident Kathy Hare sent to the NFH about her experience with the Peyton postal service.ìWe havenít received any mail since last Saturday. I knew Monday was a federal holiday. But nothing arrived on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, and this is the week I usually get all of my credit card bills. So I called two other neighbors, nada for them as well. This morning, Mike (Kathyís husband) and I drove to the Peyton post office where I was informed that they, ëHave no carrier for this route.í Furthermore, they donít know when they will get a carrier, but they may be able to get someone to deliver the mail ó ëoccasionally.í I got them to give me our mail, only to discover that my Prime statement was missing. It is usually the first bill to arrive.†ìAt any rate, I asked why no one was informed that in order to get our mail we will now have to drive to Peyton. Maybe an announcement on social media, neighborhood sites, or a word to the local TV stations? The attendant had no answer, looking at me like I had two heads, both without a brain, for expecting the Post Service to do any such thing.î†The NFH has experienced problems with the Peyton post office as well when delivering subscription newspapers. And there are others.On Dec. 23 of last year, KRDO featured a story about others having problems with the Peyton post office. One resident, who had posted photos on Facebook of Amazon packages piled high in the Peyton post office’s parking lot, said she was told the office is too busy to deliver the packages, and she had too many to be delivered. Another resident told KRDO that she had not received mail, including medication, because of the limited staff at the Peyton post office.On Jan. 17, KRDO again reported that Peyton post office customers were still having issues. The Peyton post office and USPS declined an interview, according to KRDO, but they did contact James Boxrud, a USPS spokesperson out of Denver. Boxrud told KRDO that they were aware of ìconcerns regarding inconsistent delivery out of the Peyton Post Office.î He added, ìUnfortunately, our current staffing levels have impacted this area and we have been unable to serve every customer every day. We apologize and pledge to do better.îAfter numerous calls to Boxrud, the NFH received an email from him relaying the same information. Boxrud reiterated that personnel shortages are causing problems; however, it doesnít appear to be a legally sound reason for people not receiving their mail. The USPS website cites the following factors that hinder mail delivery: ìMailbox blocked, Dog on premises, Hazardous conditions/natural disasters, Full mailbox, overflow, and Travel obstructions.î Nowhere does it state that employee shortages are cause for no mail delivery.Boxrud said on some occasions they are unable to deliver mail to a particular neighborhood because of an increased workload. In those cases, delivery is made on the next day so that no one goes without mail for more than one day. That is not the case with Hare or other residents.Some delays are caused by snow, but that hasnít been the situation related to the recent complaints. Even so, Boxrud said if mail cannot be delivered because of snow, an attempt would be made to deliver mail the next day.Delays could be the result of a practice that Boxrud noted ó mail deposited with the Peyton post office is sent to Colorado Springs for processing. He also said the Peyton post office has numerous positions open.As for the piled up packages outside, Boxrud said packages seen on the back dock are waiting for processing inside. As soon as space is available, the packages are moved inside for processing. No packages are left out overnight, and the outside area is monitored, he said.ìWe understand that reliability is a hallmark of the Postal Service, and it remains a priority,î Boxrud said. ìOur commitment is to make mail delivery more consistent.îAccording to USPS, ìThe mission of the U.S. Postal Service is to provide the American public with trusted, affordable, universal service. Congress and the President set forth this mission by recognizing the Postal Serviceís critical role in commerce and in binding the nation together. While not explicitly defined, the Postal Serviceís universal service obligation (USO) is broadly outlined in multiple statutes and encompasses multiple dimensions: Ö delivery frequency, affordable and uniform pricing, service quality and security of the mail.î The U.S. Constitution directed Congress to establish postal service for everyone.Editorís note: The NFH and Kathy Hare have contacted Doug Lambornís office in Colorado Springs. A representative told the NFH she is giving the information/complaints to Lamborn and she will get back to us.
