WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet and Representative Joe Neguse urged United States Postal Service (USPS) officials to quickly eliminate P.O. box fees and issue refunds for previously paid fees for eligible residents of Steamboat Springs. Many residents whose physical addresses are not eligible for home delivery from USPS are currently paying rental fees for P.O. boxes despite qualifying to receive a P.O. Box Service at no charge.
“In November 2023, after nearly a year of internal study and deliberation, USPS announced that eligible residents who previously paid for P.O. Boxes would no longer be charged a fee, and USPS would provide refunds for up to 24 months of previously paid fees to those residents,” wrote the lawmakers. “Unfortunately, nearly six months later, eligible residents still report paying P.O. Box fees, and have not been provided with an estimated date by which they can expect an update or a refund.”
Read the full letter HERE and below:
Dear Dr. Colin and Mr. Smith,
We write to urge the United States Postal Service (USPS), Colorado-Wyoming District Office to expedite the process determining eligibility for residents in the City of Steamboat Springs, Colorado who do not receive USPS home delivery to receive a post office box (P.O. Box) at no charge. We also request USPS issue refunds to eligible residents and provide an update to our offices on your progress in a timely manner.
Many Steamboat Springs residents pay over one hundred dollars annually to receive mail in their P.O. boxes, even though USPS does not deliver mail or parcels to the residents’ homes. Meanwhile, other Steamboat Springs residents and those living outside of town receive home delivery at no charge. In November 2023, after nearly a year of internal study and deliberation, USPS announced that eligible residents who previously paid for P.O. Boxes would no longer be charged a fee, and USPS would provide refunds for up to 24 months of previously paid fees to those residents. Unfortunately, nearly six months later, eligible residents still report paying P.O. Box fees, and have not been provided with an estimated date by which they can expect an update or a refund.
We applaud USPS employees’ hard work and dedication to delivering mail and parcels to local residents, while implementing substantial changes to the post office’s systems. We recognize local residents must complete and return Postal Service Form (PS) 1093 for USPS to determine eligibility, which the USPS is working to process. We also understand USPS is considering new delivery routes for Steamboat Springs, which requires a requisite level of planning before implementation. Nevertheless, eligible local residents, many of whom have already submitted a completed PS Form 1093, are rightfully growing increasingly frustrated that USPS has not yet issued an update on these efforts and continues to charge them for P.O. box rentals.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter. We look forward to hearing from the Colorado-Wyoming District Office with an update on the timeline for the completion of these initiatives, and request that the USPS implement these changes as soon as practical.
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