Residents Ready to Fight for Their Post Office

La Grange Park residents love their post office.

Or, at least the roughly 50 residents who showed up for a Tuesday night meeting in the lower level of the do.

For every time the La Grange post office branch was disparaged for its long lines, steep ramps and poor service, residents had only glowing things to say about their own branch. In fact, at the end of the meeting, those remaining La Grange Park Post Office employees in attendance got an enthusiastic applause.

La Grange Park might be on the post office's , but its loyal patrons are ready to fight for it.

The news wasn't as bad as many residents feared. Many La Grange Parkers who opened their mail last week to find a survey asking for information about their usage of their local post office were dismayed to learn that their response was due within five days—and figured all hope was lost.

But that's not the case, said Rick Bassi, manager of post office operations for the La Grange Park area.

"It's not a dog and pony show," Bassi told the crowd of mostly older adults. "We want to make sure to share all the information with you as best we can."

Bassi said the due date on the surveys that residents received was an unfortunate error. Residents actually have until Dec. 31 to share their opinions about their local branch, Bassi said.

"This study started [Monday] and it will go for 60 days," Bassi said.” We’d prefer them by Dec. 1, but we'll take them through the end of the year."

Residents can complete their surveys and mail them in, drop them at their local post office branch, or , 447 N. Catherine Ave. 

"If you drop [the surveys] off at Village Hall, we’ll make sure they get there,” Village President Jim Discipio told residents.

Currently, only a few employees remain to operate window services at the La Grange Park branch. About a year and half ago, delivery operations were moved to the La Grange branch.

The reason for the possible closing of the La Grange Park branch was economics, Bassi said. The cost of delivering mail—fuel, increased deliveries and lower revenues as more customers pay bills and buy stamps online—were at the root of a need to scale back nationwide. But the U.S.P.O. has other problems as well contributing to their financial woes, including a high cost of labor—due to high healthcare costs and pension funding.

Walk-in revenue at the La Grange Park branch has been declining, Bassi said, and the post office sees that residents have other nearby options in La Grange and Brookfield. A key reason why La Grange Park was on the list of cuts was that its revenue was around $573,000 in 2010. All post office locations that pulled in less than $600,000 last year are under review. But that doesn't mean imminent closure, Bassi stressed.

Luckily for La Grange Park residents who want to see the branch remain open, they just barely missed the cut, and there are many branches that earn less.

The surveys, he added, were resident's best defense to keeping it open. He encouraged meeting attendees to take home extra surveys and spread the word to neighbors about the Dec. 31 deadline.

Residents at the meeting feared the quality of their service would disappear if their branch were closed. They cited already long lines, a lack of parking and a steep ramp at the La Grange branch as reasons why.

"There’s always a line, people are disgruntled and going in and out of the post office with packages is a pain in the butt," one resident said of her experience in La Grange.

In addition to the longer than previously thought deadline to turn in surveys, residents got other good news that put to rest rumors going around town—namely that the La Grange Park zip code will stay the same even if the branch is closed. Bassi said that there were plenty of open P.O. boxes at the La Grange branch too, and he's hoping the post office will be able to find a way to preserve resident’s current box numbers if they are switched to La Grange. Currently, 147 P.O. boxes are being rented in La Grange Park and there are over 300 available boxes in La Grange.

While the meeting was able to put the some resident's fear to bed, it didn't diminish their drive to save their local branch from the sharp blade of government cuts.

"We want to see the post office remain open," President Discipio said following the meeting. "I am concerned about the vacancy, but if it is closed, we'll work hard with the owner (of the building that houses the La Grange Park branch) to fill it as quickly as possible."