Postmaster DeJoy and USPS comments on meeting with Bennet, Hickenlooper

According to a statement sent to the Times on Wednesday afternoon, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy detailed the challenges and root causes his analysis identified in specific Colorado postal routes and facilities during a meeting with Colorado Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet on Tuesday, March 7.

"The Postmaster General explained these challenges are directly connected to the nature of rural and contract routes, and the hiring challenges connected to the local cost of living and housing," the release states. "Furthermore that these pressures have occurred simultaneous with an increase in the number of local delivery points and package deliveries."

The release states that in response to these challenges, the Postmaster General indicated during the Capitol Hill office meeting that response teams have been deployed to guide local efforts, that people resources from local communities and a neighboring state have been sent and he offered a periodic check in to report on progress.

“The solutions in mail delivery service inevitably involve human resources, and our workforce, no matter how hard working, are spread thin in these mountain communities where it is expensive to live and difficult to hire; a challenge that will also need creative solutions from local leaders,” Postmaster General DeJoy commented. “The Postal Service can and will solve problems within our own power, but local economic conditions are not among them. The Senators appeared to understand the issues — both of local circumstances and postal in nature — and hopefully also appreciated the multifaceted steps we are taking to deploy resources to improve service.”