Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Council Complains About Post Office

Fireworks erupted at the Rosston City Council meeting Thursday, June 4.

The explosion had little to do with city business, but rather was something that has affected every person in the city and nearby area.

Rob Robison, a member of the council, was less than happy the Rosston Postmaster, David Lively, changed the postal routes without giving any of the residents prior notification.

He said there have been people who rely on the mail to get their medical prescriptions have them delivered to someone else. In addition, the mail has been late regularly.

Robison approached his mail carrier Tuesday, May 19, and got a partial explanation of what had happened.

A letter, with no letterhead, envelope or stamp, was placed in mailboxes on Thursday, May 21, giving further explanation.

According to the letter, the postmaster had a number of other things going on, which was why he was "tardy" with the letter.

As further explanation, the letter states rural route 3 was overburdened. The mail is received, he wrote, at 7:30 a.m. and goes out at 4 p.m. This gives the office 81/2 hours to get the work done.

"Based on the way we measure a route," Lively wrote, "R03 is 51.14 hours per week. That means this route is evaluated at 8 hours 52 minutes per day. If you add the 30 minutes per day the carrier can take for lunch, then we have a route that is well over nine hours per day."

He further wrote the carriers have more than 100 miles per day on their routes, and safety is a prime concern for the office. He pointed out there have been eight fatal accidents involving carriers since November, 1997, in the Southwest District. The district is made up of four states, including Arkansas.

It is Lively's duty to make sure each carrier has sufficient time to make the deliveries and get back to the office by 4 p.m. for the dispatch of mail.

According to the letter, he shifted 15 rural boxes from route 3 to route 1. Once the move is completed, with the paperwork being finished and approved, the residents on the routes will be notified as to their new address.

"We will do everything possible to assist you in getting your addresses changed," he wrote, "but don't worry, we will still deliver your mail regardless of the address."

But, according to Robison, the mail is being delivered to the wrong addresses under the new system, and addresses have not been changed.

While the city has nothing to do with the delivery of mail, he said, it is the council's responsibility to insure the safety of the residents of Rosston. This, he pointed out, isn't being done with prescriptions and social security checks being delivered to the wrong boxes.

Edna Kelly, also on the council, said it is a federal problem and not a council one. "It doesn't bother me," she said.

Rosston Mayor Lewis Jackson said it is the council's problem as the people of Rosston are affected by it.

Kelly argued those with complaints should take them to the U.S. Postal Service, because the USPS is the only entity with the authority to do anything about the situation.

Jackson said there are many elderly residents in Rosston who depend on getting their medication and checks in a timely fashion through the mail.

Robison said if the postmaster was going to place letters in mailboxes, the letters should have at least been on proper letterhead stationery instead of standard paper. He further stated this same postmaster suspended a carrier for putting a Christmas card in a box without a stamp.

Robison encouraged everyone affected by the postal changes to register formal complaints.