JOHN J. FASO ‘COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE ON THE BUDGET (COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION ’AND INFRASTRUCTURE Congress of the United States House of Representatives May 24, 2018 Mr. Rod Sallay Acting Executive Director of Government Relations and Public Policy United States Postal Service 475 Enfant Plaza, SW Room 10804 Washington, DC 20260-3500 Dear Mr. Sallay: As you are aware, the post office in Port Ewen, New York, was forced to close about a month ago in late April due to a leaky roof. During that time, all mail has been routed to Ulster Park, New York, My office has been in contact with officials at the United States Postal Service (USPS) and the Town of Esopus since the closure to ensure (1) the roof is fixed as soon as possible allowing operations to resume in Port Ewen and (2) a temporary location is provided in Port Ewen to alleviate residents being required to drive to Ulster Park to obtain their mail. Although Ulster Park is nearby for some, many residents cannot receive street delivery and must go to the post office daily to receive their mail. Driving to the neighboring town is a significant inconvenience, especially when these residents do not have the option to receive mail at their homes. Obtaining a temporary location at the Port Ewen Volunteer Fire Department looked promising in early May 2018. However, late last week, and only after additional prodding from my office, the USPS finally sent a contract to the Fire Department that is simply not workable for a small volunteer fire department trying to assist the community with a temporary fix. The USPS must explore other temporary fixes such {as obtaining a large trailer from which mail can be distributed to residents. Inaddition, the roof must be fixed as soon as possible and all appropriate demands must be placed on the landlord to ensure such repairs are made. | see no reason that repairs cannot be achieved by the end of this month. If USPS regulations require a USPS inspector to inspect the premises prior to moving back to this location, the USPS must have its inspector immediately available once repairs are completed. Any additional delay due to USPS action is unacceptable. | know the Town of Esopus has its building inspector ready to do the same. After these immediate needs are met, please provide me with a detailed explanation of any inspections completed at this facility. It is unclear how a leaky roof could have deteriorated to the point of requiring‘a shutdown of the facility without earlier notification to the USPS or landlord that there were structural issues with the facility. Finally, this experience has resulted in many residents requesting street delivery. Please provide my office with all regulations and paperwork necessary for residents to petition the USPS for this change. Thank you for your attention to this matter and please contact my District Director, Ryan McAllister, at 518.610.8133 at your earliest convenience to provide an update on the situation and response to this letter. Sincerely, John J. Faso Member of Congress Hon. Shannon Harris, Supervisor, Town of Esopus, Zahava Colicelli, USPS Leslie Johnson, USPS