In-town mail delivery may cease
By Suzanne Werre, BHG News Service
Underwood’s newest city commissioner, Jim Bailey, noted before Monday’s commission meeting that he hadn’t even had even one call from any constituents complaining about the city commission and its decisions. Following a move by the commission at Monday night’s meeting, he’s expecting his phone might start ringing this week. At Monday’s regular commission meeting, the commission approved the first reading of an ordinance that would eliminate the rural route (in town) home mail delivery in Underwood, which would take effect Jan. 1, 2013. The move is an effort to increase the revenue coming into the Underwood Post Office in the hopes the U.S. Postal Service would not move on the plan to decrease the post office’s hours by two hours per day, which is expected to take effect by September 2014. According to Underwood Postmaster Geniel Schell, there are currently 81 rural customers in Underwood. When asked if there are enough mail boxes available at the post office for all of the rural customers, she said there are plenty available. When asked whether residents who currently have rural delivery could be grandfathered in, whereby allowing them to continue home delivery, commissioner Jay Snyder said, “That won’t help our post office. . .We’re trying to save those hours to our post office. If everybody in town would use the post office, that would help immensely.”
