Hundreds Attend Meeting About Proposed USPS Facility Closing
By: Jessica Reyes
Updated: December 14, 2011
Hundreds attended a meeting Tuesday night to discuss the potential closing of Abilene's United States Postal Service mail processing center.
It's one of 252 processing centers and 3700 local post offices the USPS is considering closing.
According to a study conducted by the postal service, shutting down the Abilene facility would save more than four million dollars, but would cut more than 100 local jobs.
"I love my job, and I just want to try and save the processing facility," said Penny Westfall, who attended the meeting.
Westfall has worked as a custodian for USPS for 15 years. Her husband also works for the postal service. If the proposed cuts are made, they could both be out of a job.
"It affects both incomes at our home," she said.
Mayor Norm Archibald encouraged residents to attend the meeting at the December 1st city council meeting.
"Just have to think about what if this was you? You'd like to stay here," Archibald said at the meeting.
USPS officials said the economy plays a large part in the proposed changes.
"It's a bitter pill for a lot of communities to swallow, but we just have more facilities and people than we need to work the volume of mail that we have now," said USPS spokesman Sam Bolen.
The postal service has agreed to hold off on closing any more post offices or mail facilities until May 15, 2012 to allow Congress time to work on a plan to save the service.
It's one of 252 processing centers and 3700 local post offices the USPS is considering closing.
According to a study conducted by the postal service, shutting down the Abilene facility would save more than four million dollars, but would cut more than 100 local jobs.
"I love my job, and I just want to try and save the processing facility," said Penny Westfall, who attended the meeting.
Westfall has worked as a custodian for USPS for 15 years. Her husband also works for the postal service. If the proposed cuts are made, they could both be out of a job.
"It affects both incomes at our home," she said.
Mayor Norm Archibald encouraged residents to attend the meeting at the December 1st city council meeting.
"Just have to think about what if this was you? You'd like to stay here," Archibald said at the meeting.
USPS officials said the economy plays a large part in the proposed changes.
"It's a bitter pill for a lot of communities to swallow, but we just have more facilities and people than we need to work the volume of mail that we have now," said USPS spokesman Sam Bolen.
The postal service has agreed to hold off on closing any more post offices or mail facilities until May 15, 2012 to allow Congress time to work on a plan to save the service.
