Fourteen months after postal service delivery suddenly ended in Ono, there are signs it may return in the future.
Mark Lawrence, strategic communications specialist for the U.S. Postal Service, Atlantic Area – Upstate New York, Central & Western Pennsylvania, replied in brief emails to numerous questions asked by LebTown.
LebTown requested from Lawrence a status update, enquired about the lengthy delay by post officials in making a decision, and asked about their strategic process for relocating services to a new site given no announcements during 2023.
Although it’s been 14 months since the post office closed, post officials knew they were going to lose that location the year before. Jocelyn Shay, the post office’s previous landlord, informed USPS officials in 2021 that the lease would not be renewed, effectively increasing the amount of time for the post office to find a new location to nearly 2.5 years.
Read More: Mail service in Ono suspended; future status of local post office uncertain
The first email reply from Lawrence in response to a new site update read: “The Postal Service has identified potential sites for a new Ono Post Office, but no final decision has been made. Once a viable site is selected, USPS will notify the public for their input before proceeding.
“We thank customers for their patience and understanding.”
LebTown followed up with a request for more details on the potential sites and was told via a second email from Lawrence that: “The Postal Service does not discuss details pertaining to lease negotiations.”
While it appears the post office may lease space so that service will return based on Lawrence’s email, other questions still remain.
U.S. Congressman Dan Meuser’s office, who was first notified about the closure when LebTown contacted his staff for comment, has been working with the USPS since then on a solution for Ono residents.
“My office is in regular contact with the United States Postal Service regarding this terrible inconvenience to Ono residents,” wrote Meuser in an email sent from his Washington, D.C., office in late December. “The latest update on the situation is that the search to house a new post office in Ono has been narrowed to two sites for consideration.”
Meuser shared additional information with possible further developments occurring during the first quarter of 2024.
“The USPS is conducting a design and construction review and awaiting additional information from the landlords of the properties that have been identified,” wrote Meuser. “It is expected that this review will be completed within the next 60-90 days. Once the review has concluded, site selection visits will be scheduled to determine the most viable option for operations. My office will continue to monitor the situation, and we will be in weekly contact with the USPS until this project is finished.”
While USPS declined to answer LebTown’s question about how residents should understand the significant length of time that has already elapsed, Meuser wrote that he’s requesting an expedited solution.
“In addition to frequent outreach to the USPS government relations team, I will also be meeting with the USPS’s leadership in early January to discuss an expedited timeline for completion of this project. Just as we were able to help resolve the situation when residents were wrongfully being charged for P.O. Boxes, we are equally determined to bring this matter to a quick resolution. Frankly, the length of time to complete this project is unacceptable,” wrote Meuser.
During interviews for the story that ran about the post office closing after its old lease was set to expire, LebTown had learned that residents were erroneously being charged for postal boxes at the Jonestown Post Office, which is where they had to travel to retrieve their mail. In August, LebTown reported customers were notified that the USPS would refund Ono residents who have a Group E designated post office box at Jonestown, since federal regulations require universal delivery to all United States citizens.
Read More: Refund ‘in the mail’ for Ono residents charged for Jonestown post office boxes
Meuser’s communications director Matthew Hanrahan wrote to LebTown that the congressman knows that this is an “understandably frustrating situation for Ono residents,” but also noted that “the USPS procedures requiring market studies, design and construction reviews, site visits, and more” and that this process has “led to this extended process.”
Having mail delivery service return to Ono can’t come fast enough for Ed Anspach, whose used car business is located there.
Not only does Anspach have to travel the nearly 10-mile round trip numerous times a week to retrieve his mail, but he’s also paying for his postal box since he operates a commercial business.
“I drove to Jonestown the other day to pick up two pieces of junk mail,” said Anspach. “It was a waste of time, gas and effort for me, and that’s really annoying. Jonestown has lowered their speed limit to 25 miles per hour, so I could probably get there faster by bicycle.”
Anspach is also frustrated that the post office does not provide Informed Delivery, a service he said has been advertised at the Jonestown Post Office. Anspach previously told LebTown that he was informed by Jonestown postal workers staff that their office does not provide that service for Ono residents.
He added that’s a service he’d like to have so that he can save 30 to 45 minutes of the business day by staying at his office if the only correspondences are pieces of junk mail.
LebTown has learned, however, that Informed Delivery is not available to Ono residents, according to Lawrence.
“In the instance of temporary closures, impacted facilities remain accounted for as separate entities. No changes are implemented to a customer’s address, or the way mail is processed,” wrote Lawrence in an email. “As a result, Ono customers cannot merge into Jonestown’s Informed Delivery because mail continues to be prepared solely for Ono and not altered or joined with Jonestown.”
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