Rep. Neguse Announces USPS Improvements for Residents of Steamboat Springs
Lafayette, CO — Today, Congressman Joe Neguse announced soon to be implemented United States Postal Service (USPS) improvements for Steamboat Springs residents. Following efforts led by Rep. Neguse, the USPS has indicated it will move forward with eliminating the P.O. Box fee for eligible residents of Steamboat Springs. Eligible residents may also receive refunds for up to 24 months of past fees.
“The USPS’s decision to heed our request is an important step forward for residents of Steamboat Springs as we work to improve mail delivery in our mountain communities,” said Congressman Neguse. “By removing burdensome fees, countless households across the community will have better access to timely deliveries for their medications, bills, checks, passports, and other essential items.”
On November 8th following several months of ongoing discussions with the USPS, Rep. Neguse sent a letter to USPS senior management urging the agency to specifically resolve the P.O. Box issue for eligible residents of Steamboat Springs—where residents who are not eligible for residential mail delivery are currently being charged a fee for a P.O. Box, despite this being their only option to receive mail. This followed Rep. Joe Neguse’s visit to the Steamboat Springs Post Office in April of this year to listen to citizens’ concerns about the Postal Service, P.O. Box fees, and the condition of the downtown Steamboat Springs facility this past winter.
In a letter accompanied by a PS 1093 Form that was delivered to 1,000 PO Box holders in Steamboat Springs regarding the matter – with more notifications coming soon – the USPS stated: “To ensure that we can identify the proper mode of delivery for all patrons, we are asking all Post Office Box (PO Box) Customers in Steamboat Springs to complete and submit a new PS Form 1093. PO Box service is a premium service offered for a fee to any customer and for no fee to customers who are not eligible for carrier delivery. PO Box service allows a customer to collect mail during the hours the box lobby is open. [...] Updated completion of PS Form 1093 will ensure that the Postal Service has the most accurate information and assist in identifying the proper mode of delivery for all patrons.”
Group E Post Office (PO) Box service is provided free, with restrictions, to customers whose physical addresses are not eligible for any form of USPS carrier delivery service. Learn more about Group E PO Box services and qualifications here.
Congressman Neguse has repeatedly implored the USPS to address ongoing delays in mail services occurring in Colorado’s mountain communities. In January, Rep. Neguse penned a letter to the United States Postal Service (USPS) District Manager requesting the USPS provide alternate methods to pick up mail, expand opportunities for customers to access their PO boxes, aggressively recruit new staff, and meet with the affected towns’ mayors and county leaders. The Congressman’s office announced earlier this year that the Dillon Post Office restored 24/7 access to PO boxes and that the Grand Lake Post Office will allow for package pickups on Saturday mornings.
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