By KATHY PAULSEN
Staff Writer
An informational meeting regarding the Geneva Post Office was held on Thursday, May 9 at the Geneva Community Center. Approximately 20 people attended to learn about the changes being considered.
Margie Jacobson, Janeseville Postmaster and Lynda Urban, Winnebago Postmaster, representing the Northland District, which is comprised of the 128 post offices in the 560 and 561 zip code areas for Area II, were on hand to present information regarding the Geneva Post office, as well as to get input from the residents.
Steve Bailey, who is the current "Officer in Charge," of the Geneva Post Office, was also in attendance.
The U.S. Postal Service is facing a serious financial situation and needs to make some necessary changes. As a result, they have been realigning retail operating hours of many of the post offices versus closing them entirely. A total of 80 post offices of the 128 post offices in the 560 zip code range have already been reduced. Many of the smaller post offices are seeing hours dropped to 2, 4 or 6 hours a day.The Post Office in Geneva has seen a 27 percent drop in customer retail visits since 2005. Many people are using their computers and communicating with others online.
Information was posted at the Geneva post office regarding changes being proposed. The post office also sent out 234 customer surveys to the local community and 115 surveys had been returned.
A total of 95 surveys, or 93 percent, felt the realignment of hours would be their choice, versus losing the post office. Twelve of the surveys had hoped for the "delivery option.” One person voted for the "village post office" option, which would move the post office into a variety of locations, more than likely in Geneva's situation into a retail establishment, and run by the proprietor. Nobody voted to move the post office to a nearby post office. Seven of the surveys made a selection.
Surveys were also available at the meeting.
It was announced that the postal service would once again review the surveys that had been returned, take into account all information that had been shared at the meeting, as well as the Postal Service operational needs before making their final decision. It was felt the plan of reducing the window service hours to four, Monday through Friday, would be the choice made. The most popular choice of hours would be Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and the current Saturday window service hours, of 8-9:30 a.m.. The blue outside mail collection box hours will not be reduced from current hours, but the pick-up time will be changed as result of the proposed plan to 2:30 p.m.
The Hartland and Hollandale post offices have already seen their window service hours dropped to 4 hours. Hope currently has been reduced to 2 retail hours.
It was announced that the Postal Service would post their final decision in one week. And, if the decision would be to reduce Geneva Post Office’s retail operation to four hours, that would occur in one month, by the end of June.
The lobby of the post office will remain open, beyond the "window service" hours, and additional safe and secure changes are being proposed for the lobby area, which will allow people access to their postal boxes after the retail window closes each day.
The mail in Geneva currently goes to Mankato before it is sent on to other distribution areas.