McCAUL SEEKING ANSWERS TO ISSUES AT BRENHAM POST OFFICE IN LETTER TO POSTMASTER GENERAL

  

U.S. Congressman Michael McCaul is calling on the U.S. Postal Service to address “serious” issues at the Brenham Post Office.

McCaul wrote a letter this week to Postmaster General David Steiner, where he discussed constituent concerns about “the deteriorating condition of the Post Office building and the delays caused by these conditions.” 

Specifically noted in McCaul’s letter were lengthy air conditioning outages, damages to the front door that went unrepaired for months, and most recently a backlog of over 11,000 packages that resulted in postal workers having to work seven days a week to get back on schedule.

McCaul said, “These issues — and the time it took to fix them — caused great issues for the City of Brenham and demonstrated an alarming lack of concern for the people of Brenham and for USPS’ own employees.”

McCaul also posed a list of questions for USPS to answer about the Brenham Post Office:

1. What resources have been allocated and what steps have been taken to address the conditions of the Brenham Post Office?
2. Is there a process for postal employees to report unsafe or inadequate working conditions to the USPS for leased spaces?
3. What timing is considered appropriate to repair issues, including significant safety concerns in a post office? Would the three months to fix the aforementioned issues be considered acceptable by USPS standards?
4. What steps has USPS taken to prevent a similar situation from occurring and ensure the Brenham post office is ready to meet high demand throughout the holidays?
5. Were the proper precautions taken to protect mail inside the post office during the time the door was broken as it should be per USPS representatives?
6. Due to the vast disruption to local services, would moving the post office to a new location be preferable?
7. How would a city like Brenham go about proposing a new location for a post office and what would be the requirements they would need to meet for a new location to be seriously considered by the USPS?
8. What plans does USPS have to expand postal facilities in Brenham to meet the needs of a growing population?

McCaul said he supports the dedication of the postal workers at the facility, but the current conditions at the post office hinder their work, and the issues “must be addressed immediately to prevent further disruption to the community.”

Anyone having problems with mail delivery is asked to reach out to McCaul’s casework team at mccaul.casework@mail.house.gov or contact his College Station district office at 979-431-6480.

McCaul’s full letter to the postmaster general can be read below.

Dear Postmaster General Steiner:

I write regarding the ongoing United States Postal Service issues occurring in the City of Brenham, Texas. Constituents have shared numerous accounts regarding a range of issues with the City’s Post Office. In particular, I have received reports of the deteriorating condition of the Post Office building and the delays caused by these conditions.

The USPS provides critical services to communities across the nation. It is tasked with delivering vital medication to seniors and veterans, supplying essential services to rural communities, and helping people pay their bills on time. My constituents depend on USPS to carry out these services in a timely and efficient manner. When this mission cannot be fulfilled, customer service representatives must be available to assist, and the agency must be clearly communicative about any delays or changes in service.

The Brenham Post Office has faced serious maintenance issues including the air conditioning outage which lasted three months and a front door being blown off during a storm and left unrepaired for the same length of time. It remains unclear whether USPS followed the proper protocols to ensure mail inside the facility was adequately protected by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Additionally, this post office was unable to manage the deliveries of packages during a summer surge, experiencing a backlog of over 11,000 packages. This forced postal workers to work seven days a week to reduce the burden. This raises serious concerns about the post office’s ability to manage large influx of mail, particularly as the holiday season approaches. These issues — and the time it took to fix them — caused great issues for the City of Brenham and demonstrated an alarming lack of concern for the people of Brenham and for USPS’ own employees.

I continue to support and appreciate the dedication of our postal workers, who provide essential services to Texans. To carry out their duties effectively, they must have a facility that enables them to serve the community. Unfortunately, the current conditions of the Brennan (sic) post office hinder their work, and these issues must be addressed immediately to prevent further disruption to the community.

Due to these ongoing issues, we request answers to the following questions:

1. What resources have been allocated and what steps have been taken to address the conditions of the Brenham Post Office?

2. Is there a process for postal employees to report unsafe or inadequate working conditions to the USPS for leased spaces?

3. What timing is considered appropriate to repair issues, including significant safety concerns in a post office? Would the three months to fix the aforementioned issues be considered acceptable by USPS standards?

4. What steps has USPS taken to prevent a similar situation from occurring and ensure the Brenham post office is ready to meet high demand throughout the holidays?

5. Were the proper precautions taken to protect mail inside the post office during the time the door was broken as it should be per USPS representatives?

6. Due to the vast disruption to local services, would moving the post office to a new location be preferable?

7. How would a city like Brenham go about proposing a new location for a post office and what would be the requirements they would need to meet for a new location to be seriously considered by the USPS?

8. What plans does USPS have to expand postal facilities in Brenham to meet the needs of a growing population?

Sincerely, Michael T. McCaul, Member of Congress