Senator Hoeven discusses ongoing mail delivery issues with Minot leaders, USPS

MINOT, N.D. (KMOT) - The ongoing issues with mail delivery in western North Dakota continue to draw attention from our state’s leaders.

Community leaders and postal service officials came together Thursday with one of our U.S. Senators to discuss ways to improve delivery.

At some point this winter, people have sung to the tune of “Where’s my mail?”

Mayor Tom Ross, who also works at Elison Assisted Living in Minot, said some of its residents have gone through periods this season of not getting their prescriptions for about 10 days or more.

“That’s a concern that creates a high level of anxiety, but those aren’t issues that are just isolated to my community,” said Ross.

Kevin Black, a business owner and a board member of the Minot area chamber EDC, said they can’t send every document electronically.

“There have been times were we sent people in a vehicle to Williston because something had to get there faster than the mail. It slows down business,” said Black.

Before the roundtable, Sen. John Hoeven toured Minot’s post office on Broadway.

He said there are 53 rural and city mail routes each assigned a worker.

“You might say, 53 routes: 33 in town, 20 rural, we’re only down five people. No, you’re down like 18 people to actually give consistent service, particularly when you have a weather issue,” said Hoeven.

Tony Williams, the district manager for Minnesota and North Dakota, said USPS is not in a rural or city delivery crisis in Minot, but they are still contractually short of the 15 people required, so rural workers can take more days off. He said in the last 30 days, Minot has been consistent.

“Bismarck was ugly the last 30 days. Minot was great. Williston hired a bunch of people. They’re coming out of their death spiral,” said Williams.

Williams added that they’re hardly getting complaints from Minot, compared to the end of the year last year.

Some other topics discussed were package processing and ways to get more hires.

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