Postal work going to Fargo

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Jamestown’s mail-processing operations will be relocated to Fargo by January 2012, the U.S. Postal Service announced Tuesday.

“It’s partially cost saving. It’s also part of what we’re doing overall with our network with less volume to bring into our system,” said Pete Nowacki, regional spokesperson for USPS.

The move of processing operations out of Jamestown to Fargo will save USPS $11,873 annually.

At the Fargo facility, Jamestown mail will be processed with newer and better technology and equipment before it reaches its location, Nowacki said.

The decision comes after a USPS study that began March 18. Jamestown is in one of 252 plant consolidation studies nationwide investigating ways to respond to a decrease in mail volume.

Nationally there is a 20 percent decline in mail volume since 2007. First-class single-piece mail has been reduced by 50 percent over the past 10 years, Nowacki said.

“Mail volumes are going to drop for the next 10 years so we’re changing our network and facilities to reflect that,” he said.

The consolidation could result in some Jamestown employees being relocated in accordance with the USPS employees’ collective bargaining rights. Nowacki was unsure of the number.

“It depends on openings and how the agreement is applied,” he said.

There are currently 15 clerks and two maintenance employees at the Jamestown Post Office.

New with the change will be overnight delivery from Jamestown to northwestern Minnesota and Grand Forks. However, delivery from Jamestown to Bismarck and Aberdeen will take two days.

Mail in town will keep getting overnight delivery, even though that piece of mail travels from Jamestown to Fargo and then back to Jamestown.

There will be no change to delivery or retail sale options locally.

But with the consolidation of mail processing in Jamestown to Fargo the city of Jamestown will lose its postmark, unless senders request it at the post-office window.

With local mail traveling so far before it makes it to its location in Jamestown, weather concerns USPS. But Nowacki said it’s nothing that USPS isn’t comfortable with and that mail is delivered in winter conditions all the time.

“We understand that we’re going to have weather difficulties and does it shut us down sometimes, yes it can,” Nowacki said.

Sun reporter Ben Rodgers can be reached at 701-952-8455 or by email at brodgers@jamestownsun.com

Tags: local news, post office, news