Geauga County Maple Leaf April 14, 2011 -

The U.S. Postal Service is getting ready to streamline mail delivery throughout the country, including here in Geauga County.

Beginning June 4, carrier delivery operations for the Novelty and Newbury post offices will be moved to the Chesterland and Burton post offices, respectively, as part of a nationwide effort to cut costs and consolidate services, according to USPS spokesman Victor Dubina.

In addition, the Bainbridge Post Office might close or have its delivery services moved to the older and smaller Chagrin Falls post office. Postal officials are mulling over both options, although the closing of the post office could not occur until after a public hearing is held in order to allow residents to voice their concerns, he added.

The Newbury Post Office has three carriers serving the 44065 ZIP code, while the Novelty Post Office has four serving the 44072 ZIP code. The Bainbridge Post Office has 22 carriers handling the 44023 ZIP code, which includes Bainbridge and Auburn townships.

Postal carriers from Novelty and Newbury will continue to have the same delivery routes, although mail will be trucked to and sorted at the Chesterland or Burton facilities.

The Novelty and Newbury post offices will continue to provide retail or "front end" services for the mailing of packages and the purchase of stamps, Dubina said. In addition, post office boxes will remain in each building.

The Bainbridge Township post office is a branch of the Chagrin Falls post office, even though it is a newer and larger facility.

"If we were to put (Bainbridge) carriers in Chagrin Falls, that may not be a problem because, with less mail going to both, there may be enough room in Chagrin, if putting the Bainbridge carriers there is the way we decide to go," Dubina said.

No ZIP code changes are planned as part of the consolidation effort, he added.

"What we're doing behind the scenes is much like our competitors (UPS and FedEx). They don't have delivery operations in every city -- they centralize it," said Dubina. "We're slowly shrinking our footprint wherever we can by moving or centralizing carriers to make things more cost efficient and save money."

But Novelty Post Office clerk Nikki LoCoco told Russell Township trustees and residents last week the consolidation would cost them money.

"I don't see how we're saving money when everyone has to go get gas and drive farther. So, somebody who lives all the way in Westwood, they can't go to the Novelty Post Office. They have to go all the way to Chesterland to go get their mail or certified mail, or so on," she said at the April 6 trustees meeting.

"They actually said it is only going to save us less than 1 percent to this. That's why we don't understand why this is actually happening," she added.

LoCoco also said that beginning May 2, her post office will be closing for lunch from noon to 12:30 p.m.

River Glen Drive resident Charlie Butters asked LoCoco how his mail would be handled, for instance, because his personal mail is delivered to his residence and business mail to a post office box.

"You're going to have a big problem," she said, noting all mail currently is separated in the Novelty post office. "This is going to be the biggest problem with our P.O. box customers, because I think we are going to lose a lot of revenue.

"What's going to happen is, right now all the mail goes to Novelty. We sort the mail there. If your River Glen address is on there, I can actually put it in (your post office box). But all the mail is going to be sorted in Chesterland, so I can't do favors anymore."

She warned residents that improperly addressed mail would be returned to sender, because people in the Chesterland office don't know the Russell customers.

The postal service has been affected by the continuing growth of e-mail, as well as economic conditions, Dubina said. There is less mail to deliver, partly because large banks and financial institutions encourage customers to pay bills online. In other cases, customers have opted to pay their utility bills through an automatic withdrawal from their bank account.

"When the economy went south, that hurt us big time because it also affected the revenue we get from advertising mail," added Dubina. "With major financial institutions and an awful lot of other companies encouraging people to transact online, that just accelerated our first-class mail decline."

Dubina noted 213 billion pieces of mail were delivered in 2006. That number dropped to slightly more than 170 billion in 2010 -- a more than 20 percent decline, equating to an approximately $14.3 billion loss in revenue.

"People are not going see any change, not physically. The mail will still be delivered six days a week," he added. "It just means our delivery trucks from Cleveland will have less stops at post offices to deliver mail to, but outgoing mail from Newbury and Novelty will be picked up and get to where it is going."

Dubina also said while carriers will be traveling more miles and there will be an increase in fuel costs, overall consolidation will save the postal service money.

LoCoco said she is encouraging customers to contact U.S. Rep. Steve LaTourette's office or Novelty Postmaster Christopher Cooper.

She added similar issues arose with the Gates Mills and Windsor post offices.

"All the customers got together. They called everyone; they called Congress, they called the news, the called the TV (stations). Everyone complained, everyone stuck together, and Gates Mills is still there," LoCoco said, adding Windsor will be merging.

Russell Township Trustee Dickinson suggested inviting Dubina or another postal service representative to a future special meeting of trustees and township residents to explain plans for the Novelty Post Office.

"Let's get him on the record as to what his plans are," Dickinson said. "We don't want to get ahead of ourselves. We don't know, but this is a big bureaucracy and I want to get them on record in front of a group of people -- tell us what your plans are, so then we know how to react."

Trustee Jim Mueller asked LoCoco to contact people in Gates Mills and Windsor to learn what tactics they used and what was effective. She said she would report back.

Editor John Karlovec contributed to this story.

The U.S. Postal Service is getting ready to streamline mail delivery throughout the country, including here in Geauga County.

Beginning June 4, carrier delivery operations for the Novelty and Newbury post offices will be moved to the Chesterland and Burton post offices, respectively, as part of a nationwide effort to cut costs and consolidate services, according to USPS spokesman Victor Dubina.

In addition, the Bainbridge Post Office might close or have its delivery services moved to the older and smaller Chagrin Falls post office. Postal officials are mulling over both options, although the closing of the post office could not occur until after a public hearing is held in order to allow residents to voice their concerns, he added.

The Newbury Post Office has three carriers serving the 44065 ZIP code, while the Novelty Post Office has four serving the 44072 ZIP code. The Bainbridge Post Office has 22 carriers handling the 44023 ZIP code, which includes Bainbridge and Auburn townships.

Postal carriers from Novelty and Newbury will continue to have the same delivery routes, although mail will be trucked to and sorted at the Chesterland or Burton facilities.

The Novelty and Newbury post offices will continue to provide retail or "front end" services for the mailing of packages and the purchase of stamps, Dubina said. In addition, post office boxes will remain in each building.

The Bainbridge Township post office is a branch of the Chagrin Falls post office, even though it is a newer and larger facility.

"If we were to put (Bainbridge) carriers in Chagrin Falls, that may not be a problem because, with less mail going to both, there may be enough room in Chagrin, if putting the Bainbridge carriers there is the way we decide to go," Dubina said.

No ZIP code changes are planned as part of the consolidation effort, he added.

"What we're doing behind the scenes is much like our competitors (UPS and FedEx). They don't have delivery operations in every city -- they centralize it," said Dubina. "We're slowly shrinking our footprint wherever we can by moving or centralizing carriers to make things more cost efficient and save money."

But Novelty Post Office clerk Nikki LoCoco told Russell Township trustees and residents last week the consolidation would cost them money.

"I don't see how we're saving money when everyone has to go get gas and drive farther. So, somebody who lives all the way in Westwood, they can't go to the Novelty Post Office. They have to go all the way to Chesterland to go get their mail or certified mail, or so on," she said at the April 6 trustees meeting.

"They actually said it is only going to save us less than 1 percent to this. That's why we don't understand why this is actually happening," she added.

LoCoco also said that beginning May 2, her post office will be closing for lunch from noon to 12:30 p.m.

River Glen Drive resident Charlie Butters asked LoCoco how his mail would be handled, for instance, because his personal mail is delivered to his residence and business mail to a post office box.

"You're going to have a big problem," she said, noting all mail currently is separated in the Novelty post office. "This is going to be the biggest problem with our P.O. box customers, because I think we are going to lose a lot of revenue.

"What's going to happen is, right now all the mail goes to Novelty. We sort the mail there. If your River Glen address is on there, I can actually put it in (your post office box). But all the mail is going to be sorted in Chesterland, so I can't do favors anymore."

She warned residents that improperly addressed mail would be returned to sender, because people in the Chesterland office don't know the Russell customers.

The postal service has been affected by the continuing growth of e-mail, as well as economic conditions, Dubina said. There is less mail to deliver, partly because large banks and financial institutions encourage customers to pay bills online. In other cases, customers have opted to pay their utility bills through an automatic withdrawal from their bank account.

"When the economy went south, that hurt us big time because it also affected the revenue we get from advertising mail," added Dubina. "With major financial institutions and an awful lot of other companies encouraging people to transact online, that just accelerated our first-class mail decline."

Dubina noted 213 billion pieces of mail were delivered in 2006. That number dropped to slightly more than 170 billion in 2010 -- a more than 20 percent decline, equating to an approximately $14.3 billion loss in revenue.

"People are not going see any change, not physically. The mail will still be delivered six days a week," he added. "It just means our delivery trucks from Cleveland will have less stops at post offices to deliver mail to, but outgoing mail from Newbury and Novelty will be picked up and get to where it is going."

Dubina also said while carriers will be traveling more miles and there will be an increase in fuel costs, overall consolidation will save the postal service money.

LoCoco said she is encouraging customers to contact U.S. Rep. Steve LaTourette's office or Novelty Postmaster Christopher Cooper.

She added similar issues arose with the Gates Mills and Windsor post offices.

"All the customers got together. They called everyone; they called Congress, they called the news, the called the TV (stations). Everyone complained, everyone stuck together, and Gates Mills is still there," LoCoco said, adding Windsor will be merging.

Russell Township Trustee Dickinson suggested inviting Dubina or another postal service representative to a future special meeting of trustees and township residents to explain plans for the Novelty Post Office.

"Let's get him on the record as to what his plans are," Dickinson said. "We don't want to get ahead of ourselves. We don't know, but this is a big bureaucracy and I want to get them on record in front of a group of people -- tell us what your plans are, so then we know how to react."

Trustee Jim Mueller asked LoCoco to contact people in Gates Mills and Windsor to learn what tactics they used and what was effective. She said she would report back.

Editor John Karlovec contributed to this story.