USPS Manasota Consolidation Proposal
While mail volume and USPS income is down, one would think the counties of Sarasota, Manatee and Desoto would not stand to lose any more service and resources than surrounding communities do. Unfortunately, that is not the case. The Postal Service has approved an Area Mail Processing (AMP) proposal that will shift local mail processing operations out of the Sarasota/Bradenton mail processing facility (the Manasota P&DC), into the Tampa P&DC. If your Zip Code begins with 342, this proposal will change your mail service.
What's Next and Thank You!
On March 31, the USPS announced their intention to proceed with their plan to consolidate Manasota mail processing operations into Tampa. We will continue to fight this plan, which we believe will have a negative impact on mail service and jobs in our community. We thank everyone in the community for their support and for signing our petition. In just 9 weeks, 14,435 postal customers and residents in our community signed the petition to keep mail processing here.
We also appreciate all of the following officials/governments that wrote letters to the USPS and/or passed resolutions opposing the USPS proposal to shift any mail processing from Manasota to Tampa:
Congressman Vern Buchanan
City of Sarasota
City of Bradenton
Manatee County Commission
Sarasota County Commission
City of Palmetto
City of Arcadia
City of Venice
Town of Longboat Key
City of Holmes Beach
City of North Port
City of Bradenton Beach
City of Anna Maria
USPS Holds Only One Public Input Meeting --
Won't Release Any Data to Back Up Savings Claim
It's unanimous. All Residents, businesses, civic leaders, elected officials and postal employees who spoke at the February 12 USPS Town Hall Meeting spoke against the USPS proposal to shift of mail processing operations from the Manasota P&DC to Tampa. We thank Sarasota Mayor LouAnn Palmer for hosting the event at City Hall and for reminding the USPS officials that they own the Manasota plant while Tampa is leased. Bradenton City Councilman Patrick Roff presented the Petition to Keep Mail Processing Here, on which 14,435 signatures were collected in just 9 weeks. Nancy Engel from the Manatee Chamber of Commerce also rejected the proposal and spoke about the area job losses and the impact to the community. We thank all of you who volunteered, attended, and spoke at the THM.
Only one public input meeting was scheduled by the USPS. Yet this proposal impacts more than the City of Sarasota. Everyone with a Zip Code that starts with 342 (all of Sarasota and Manatee Counties and parts of Desoto) would have their mail sent to Tampa for partial processing under the plan.
Prior to and at the THM, the Postal Service refused to release any data to support any of their projected savings claim under the consolidation plan. There was a complete lack of transparency and honesty by the USPS officials both before and at the "input" meeting. The only data presented at the input meeting by the USPS were National and District statistics, which was not the scope of the "study". The issue at hand was whether it would be more efficient to process the mail at Manasota or Tampa. The Manasota facility is the #1 (out of 5) plants in the district for efficiency and productivity. The Tampa plant is #5 (of 5) plants in those same categories. This information was not brought up at the THM by USPS officials, but Manasota employees distributed documented proof of the efficiency rankings to those in attenance. There was no data provided to support any of the cost savings the USPS is claiming under the proposal. At the THM, USPS officials admitted that most of their savings in the study result from cutting 59 employees -- but they are only moving the employees to other communities. Where's the savings? This admission by the USPS supports what we have said over the last 9 weeks, that this plan will actually cost the USPS money and will delay your mail service.
Those Not at the THM Sent in Public Comments
There was also also a 2 week public comment period that followed the THM. Residents and busniesses with 342 Zip Codes that were unable to attend the THM sent letters to the US Postal Service opposing the plan. The USPS said they will only consider public input letters that were postmarked by February 26.
What This Proposal Means to Us
We believe the changes proposed will have a major impact on mail delivery in our area. If your Zip Code begins with 342, your mail processing would change. First, ALL local mail would have to travel farther. Under the plan, all the mail sent from Sarasota, Manatee and parts of Desoto county would be sent to Tampa for processing. For example, a letter mailed from Sarasota to Bradenton would be first trucked to Tampa, postmarked, partially processed, then sent back to Manasota for final processing, then on to Bradenton for delivery, instead of being fully processed locally as it is now. Second, we could see earlier collection times and later deliveries, even into the night, to make up for the increased travel time. Third, the postmark for all the mail sent from our area would change to TAMPA, unless you actually go to the post office and request your town's postmark. Click here to learn more.
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