Minnesotans' mail will be here on time this holiday season, says USPS

BEMIDJI — Rural Minnesotans who experienced significant mail delivery delays during the two most recent holiday seasons might wonder what they’re in store for this year.

According to the United States Postal Service, its Delivering for America plan has led to improved operations.

One year after nearly 80,000 pieces of delayed mail were discovered at a surprise inspection at the Bemidji Post Office, local postal operations appear to be on time for this holiday season.

An audit released this spring said insufficient staffing and resources at the Bemidji Post Office made it ill-prepared for the sudden influx of packages from a "large shipper," which was made worse by communication and planning errors by USPS regional management.

This large shipper was identified by local postal workers as online retail giant Amazon.

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The Office of the Inspector General, which conducted the three-day audit last December, said the audit with the Bemidji Post Office was resolved in July, with recommendations to improve communication between district and regional management.

This week, Sen. Tina Smith’s office said the senator remains “concerned” that postal service in the state is not where it needs to be and the Postal Service’s Delivering for America plan continues to hurt service, particularly in rural areas.

Smith, along with Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Rep. Pete Stauber, supported legislation during the last Congress to require the Postal Service to implement recommendations from the Inspector General.

That bill was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs but hasn’t seen action since.

In the case of Bemidji, USPS initially disagreed with some of the IG’s recommendations meant to decrease delivery time and improve staffing and training.

The Postal Service said in Minnesota, mail delivery is consistent and on-time, with an average 2.76-day delivery time.

In a recent news release, officials pointed to a revamped network of delivery centers that has allowed for the expansion of daily package processing capacity.

The Postal Service also said it has increased reliable ground transportation, installed new package sorting machines, and hired 7,500 seasonal employees.

Smith’s office said it will continue to monitor mail delivery and the treatment of USPS workers during the busy holiday season to make sure they are getting the support they need from management, including Postmaster Louis DeJoy.