By Shannon Lukens.

This is an update from the U.S. Postal Service on several issues, including the 1093 forms that postal patrons in Steamboat Springs were asked to fill out. We have inquired about the status. We’ve been told there is a change in plans.

These are the cluster boxes in the Tree Haus neighborhood.

 

Steamboat Springs to get more cluster boxes for home delivery

Steamboat Springs Postmaster Alex Garza says something new has been decided about residents getting free P.O. Boxes. He said the local USPS has been working with the City of Steamboat Springs and local neighborhoods to set up cluster boxes for more home delivery. Garza says they are working with ten HOAs to get cluster boxes set up in their neighborhoods. The HOAs would have to pay for that expense.

Garza says this way they can provide home delivery for more people in the region.

Public Works Director Jon Snyder and Deputy City Manager Tom Leeson says they have had one meeting with Garza about this.

Garza says there are currently 11 routes that the Steamboat Springs Post Office services, but he plans to have as many as 14. They would all be routes of equal size since each postal carrier gets paid per route. They are working on those details now. They do not have a timeline for when this would start.

He adds that they are still going through the 1093 forms here locally because some people will still not qualify for home delivery, once new routes are set up.

 

80488 Boxes to be discontinued

Garza also has news about those with a P.O. Box on the 80488 side of the local post office, which is on the right, when you are walking up. They are removing all of those post office boxes because they need more room for the postal carriers. They will be consolidating all of those boxes onto the 80477 side, ideally within the next two months. This has just been approved by the corporate office.

Garza says those with a P.O. Box on the 80488 side will be notified that they have to change their P.O. Box location to the other side and get a new post office box number. He is working on a price break for those having to relocate to a new P.O. Box.

 

USPS Corporate response to media request

All media is asked to first inquire of the corporate office in the Denver region, with any questions. That’s where we first inquired about those 1093 P.O. Box applications and asked for an update.

They were put in every Post Office Box in Steamboat Springs, starting in November, for box holders to fill out. It’s to confirm if a box holder has no other way to get their mail, so they shouldn’t have to pay for a P.O. Box. We initially asked the corporate office for specific numbers of how many of those forms have been turned in and processed. No specifics were given.

 

James Boxrud with Strategic Communications for the U.S. Postal Service in our region said on Monday, “Unfortunately there is no tracking system to provide me raw numbers of the applicants, but what I can tell you is we’re processing the current 1093s we have with our HQ team. They have not provided me with a timeline.”

Boxrud said the forms are being processed with “our HQ team.” Local Postmaster Garza says the forms are being processed internally at the Steamboat Springs location.

 

David Rupert is the Strategic Communications Manager for the U.S. Postal Service in our region. He also responded to our request. He said the applications continue to come in daily but there hasn’t been a huge response.

Rupert did confirm that they are evaluating each application with the associated physical address against their delivery maps. He added that, “Many of the addresses have the potential to be served by one of the 12 delivery routes in Steamboat Springs. We are also extending some of our delivery area in the near future providing opportunity for home delivery to even more individuals.”

This was confirmed Wednesday by Garza, that many more local postal patrons will be able to have home delivery and no longer need a P.O. Box, and have to pay for it. Garza confirmed that there are 11 routes.

Rupert went on to say that they will be contacting each person who submitted a 1093 form and he said he encourages anyone who hasn’t filled out the form yet to do so and provide the appropriate documentation to verify their physical address.

Link to 1093 

 

Questions that were asked of the corporate media team

Here are all of the specific questions that were asked of the Strategic Communications team for USPS out of Denver. And no specific numbers were given.

• How many P.O. Box 1093 forms have been returned for the Steamboat Springs Post Office, by postal patrons?
• How many of these applications have been submitted for review?
• How many people are doing these reviews and where are the reviews happening?
• How many P.O. Box holders have been approved for a free P.O. Box in the Steamboat Springs Post Office?
• How many people have been notified that they no longer have to pay for a P.O. Box that they have incorrectly had to pay for for many years?
• If none of these forms have been submitted, please let me know when they will be submitted to begin the review process.
• If you have NOT submitted them yet for review, please let me know why this hasn’t been done?
• Do you have a deadline to get these processed and checks to be submitted to local postal patrons?

 

Link to 1093 

It is also copied below.

 

USPS Smart Lockers are installed

The Steamboat Springs Post Office also just received a block of USPS Smart Lockers. They are boxes that are electronic and keyless which makes for safer and easier package pickup. It’s in the lobby. In an update today (Thursday, March 28) from James Boxrud, he said the boxes are install but not quite ready for use at this time.

 

Here is the 1093 form.