An Everett postal facility that serves communities from Lynnwood north to the Canadian border is still planned for closure. Just when that closure might happen isn’t clear.
The Postal Service said it would hold off on shutting down any mail processing facilities until May 15. That deadline is fast approaching but there’s no date for the Everett facility closure, said U.S. Postal Service spokesman Ernie Swanson.
“As far as we are concerned, nothing has changed,” he said.
The U.S. Postal Service announced Wednesday it wants to keep open hundreds of rural post offices by reducing their hours. That doesn’t include the Everett mail processing facility at
8120 Hardeson Road.
The closure of the Everett facility is important because nearly 100 people would lose their jobs. The public also would lose next-day delivery of first-class mail sent in Western Washington.
Swanson said he knew of no major announcements coming in the next few weeks that concern the Everett mail processing facility. However, the Associated Press reported today the Postal Service “also will announce new changes next week involving its proposal to close up to 252 mail processing centers.”
A bill passed by the Senate two weeks ago halts the immediate closing of 252 mail processing centers, including Everett. That amounts to a hill of beans without buy-in from the House.
Rep. Rick Larsen’s spokesman, Bryan Thomas, gave me an update on what they see going on in the other Washington: “It’s not clear what the House is going to do at this point. The House will probably consider its own bills instead, and then the Senate and House will hammer out the differences for a final package. But at this point we don’t have a clear sense on the path forward.
“Rick has asked that the Postal Service delays closures until Congress takes action, so it is still his hope that the Everett facility will stay open.”
Everett postal employees, what are you hearing?
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