Residents can now sign an advisory petition opposing the closings or consolidations of five inner city Milwaukee U.S. Postal Service (USPS) stations, according to Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs.
“We urge residents to go to our web pages at www.milwaukee.gov and download a petition and help to collect signatures,” Alderwoman Coggs said. Completed petitions can be turned in by December 7, 2011 to: District Discontinuance Coordinator, 350 W. Saint Paul Ave. Suite 650, Milwaukee, WI 53203- 3009.
The signed petitions will be made part of the public comment record for Patrick Donahoe, U.S. Postmaster General, and elected representatives, Alderman Hines said. The USPS is studying for possible closure or consolidation: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. station – 2650 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Dr.; Hampton station – 6501 W. Fond du Lac Ave.; Mid City station – 3421 W. Vliet St.; Parklawn station – 3931 N. 35th St.; and the Teutonia station – 2656 N. Teutonia Ave.
Alderman Willie C. Wade said residents have been weighing in on the possible closures/consolidations during public meetings in recent weeks, and now they will also have the opportunity to circulate the petition. “This is positive community organizing in its purest form,” he said of the petition effort.
“Neighbors working together to alert the USPS and elected officials that they want to maintain the current level of postal services they have come to use and depend on,” Alderman Wade said.
The USPS has mailed out surveys to people who live within the service area of each station to ask about how often people use the station, and which products/services they typically use. Alderman Joe Davis, Sr. said many of the neighborhoods that would be affected by the possible post office closures have already had delivery stoppages because of crime and public safety concerns, and USPS mailboxes in many of them have been removed or relocated, he said. “Closing even one of the five stations would be a far-reaching and potentially life altering proposition for thousands of city residents,” he said.
Alderman Davis hosted a public meeting about the possible closures at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 16 in the auditorium at Marshall High School, 4141 N. 64th St.
Earlier this fall the Common Council adopted legislation – file # 110539 – introduced by Alderwoman Coggs urging the U.S. Postmaster General and the U.S. Postal Regulatory Commission “to maintain affordable, secure and dependable postal services in the city.”
Petition forms can be found by going to any of the following Council member web pages:
- www.milwaukee.gov/district2
- www.milwaukee.gov/district6
- www.milwaukee.gov/district7
- www.milwaukee.gov/district15