Rep. Kim Schrier (WA-08) sent a letter on Thursday to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy regarding issues with postal operations in the Maple Valley/Covington area and in Cle Elum.
KIRO 7 covered the issue earlier this month as some Maple Valley residents claimed they hadn’t received mail in days.
According to a release from Schrier’s office, it’s now been weeks since some residents in the Maple Valley/Covington region have received their mail.
The release also says that the post office in Cle Elum was forced to move to a trailer earlier in the year after a sewer line broke and asbestos was found in the building.
In her letter, Schrier writes, in part:
“Starting November 29th, my office began to hear from constituents whose subdivision in Maple Valley had not received mail that week. My District staff promptly reached out to local USPS representatives and followed up several times in late November and early December receiving insufficient or no responses. Since this lapse in service was first brought to my attention, it has even garnered local media attention. Twenty-three days later, my constituents are still missing checks, medication, and holiday presents.
Unfortunately, this issue appears to be a pattern for the postal district. Nearly a year ago, my constituents experienced very similar mail delivery issues impacting residents in the Sumner and Covington region. The Postal Service is one of the most critical institutions in these communities and I’m hoping we can work together to fix these issues. …
The second issue of concern is the recent forced move of the post office in Cle Elum, located in a rural area east of the Cascade mountains. In mid-September, the post office in Cle Elum was forced to move to a trailer due to a sewer line break and the presence of asbestos. The post office has been located there ever since, and now, despite freezing conditions, the postal operations have remained relatively normal. While my staff has been informed of plans to relocate, no formal action has been taken. I strongly urge the Postal Service to expedite the process of relocating the post office to an indoor location. Employees have been working diligently in frigid conditions as repair plans have dragged on for months, and these hardworking public servants deserve better.”
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